by L. M. Kerr
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His stats and everything were largely identical to the last time he checked it. The only new addition was the Ceaseless Mind Ability he'd added, which didn't affect his stats, and the sharp decrease in Points as a result of buying that rather expensive Ability. He couldn't deny its usefulness, however.
Thanks to it, his memories were far clearer, allowing him to make great use of his past, and he could think and plan things with a stronger mind. Micheal was well aware that his strongest power, at the moment, was his foreknowledge.
He sighed as he looked over everything.
It was taking too much time to get powerful.
He'd experienced it personally when he fought against the two geniuses of the future Dawning Six. Both of them had purchased a slew of likely permanent—and sub-optimal beyond the First Layer—Abilities, allowing them to bridge the gap between them and Micheal. Fighting them while trying not to kill or seriously injure, while also hiding his identity, had proven extremely difficult.
Those 2 were probably the strongest Fourth Wavers behind Micheal right now. Even with his restricted Ability choices, he highly doubted any current Fourth Wave Chosen would be able to match up with him if he went all out.
His current strength, however, was lacking compared to those that had been here for years. If he wanted to deal with future threats, to stop all the impending disasters, he needed to prepare for them suitably. Increasing his Ki Cultivation was one of the best ways to address that.
Micheal took a deep breath as he relaxed on the bed, feeling the energy in his body flow through his veins. He was at the very Peak of Mortal Tier Ki Cultivation, the absolute highest level he could get without breaking through.
Each Tier of Ki Cultivation was its own beast. Crossing Tiers, in particular, was the most difficult part. One could easily resolve this and skip it entirely if they had the Points, but doing so would have significant effects on one's development. Future progress would become harder and each step forward would give lesser results.
Breaking through to the Earth Tier of Ki Cultivation could be accomplished in a multitude of ways. It required one to have been at the Peak of Mortal Tier for several days, stabilizing one's body, veins, and Soul.
Some people used certain rare or expensive medicines, some directly from the Shop while others formed as a result of intensive research. On the First Layer, most of those methods were held secret in each group, for those that didn't have the talent to break through on their own.
For those that did hold some basic capacity, through a combination of determination, building a stable foundation, and possessing the knowledge to push forward, it was entirely possible to reach Earth Tier without using outside help at all.
This was exactly Micheal's goal.
The Ki energy in Micheal's veins began to pulse as he concentrated on it. The inner energy moved in line with his heartbeat, full of vital power and strength.
Slowly, the intensity of the energy began to increase. It became more and more concentrated, raw power running flush within his veins. Micheal could feel his body begin to tingle, from his toes to his head.
A few minutes passed as the energy grew stronger and stronger, pushing him forward.
After 15 minutes, as the energy Micheal was focusing in his body grew so powerful it began to hurt, a resonance seemed to shake his Soul.
When he felt that, he smiled.
The process every single time one broke through, from Mortal Tier all the way up to at least King Tier, was close to identical.
One needed to concentrate their Ki to the absolute maximum, reaching the very limit one's body could safely hold. This was the second most dangerous part of the process, where even the slightest mistake could damage your veins and body, setting you back or even crippling you.
Once one's Ki reached the point where he could start to break through to the Earth Tier, one's Soul would fluctuate and a warrior would feel a special resonance.
And at that exact moment, as Micheal felt his body shiver…
The most dangerous and final part of a Ki Tier breakthrough began.
The Heart Trial.
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Chapter 43
The Heart Trial of a Ki Tier breakthrough was a rather mystical occurrence.
Ki was a powerful, natural energy that could be used freely as long as one's body and Soul could handle the strain. The energy was fluid, something that could be used for a multitude of purposes.
This energy, however, was intrinsically linked with the heart, mind, and Soul of the being in control of it. It was a part of that person, an Ability that could almost never be removed.
Changing from Mortal Tier to Earth Tier wasn't just an increase in energy or strength. It was a qualitative change that affected the very Soul of a being, strengthening it as well as a person's body.
And, as that process took place, something almost magical happened.
The person making the breakthrough experienced a vision.
Some researchers postulated that this vision came about through some type of natural law that was currently unknown, while others believed it was a hidden aspect to the Ki Cultivator Ability that the Holy Shop didn't list. Some believed both, while still others believed neither.
Regardless of how the vision came to be, one thing was certain.
The vision was not something that could be skipped.
At the cusp of the energy breakthrough, as one's Ki was condensing and purifying itself, about to transform into Earth Tier Ki Energy and officially upgrade a person's Ki Cultivator Ability, the vision swooped in.
In this vision, a person would be transported to an entirely different world, based on their own memories. The vision drew upon the experiences that the person making the breakthrough had lived through. Major life events, details of one's history, all sorts of things could appear.
The more breakthroughs you went through, the more visions you would experience. Each vision appeared to be linked together, meaning a coherent story could be told.
And throughout all of this, for every person, there was one major similarity.
The vision would draw upon some of the worst experiences of a person's life, melding around that. Such a thing could become traumatic for even the staunchest souls, causing the hearts and souls of any man or woman to tremble. It tested the mettle and will of the person experiencing the breakthrough.
If the vision got the best of you, your breakthrough would fail and you would suffer a backlash, ranging from minor injuries to death. The energy in a person's veins at this point would be at its highest concentration level. Even a small hint of instability could have a huge impact.
This vision came to be commonly known as the 'Heart Trial' of a Ki Tier breakthrough.
As Micheal's body shivered, he felt the familiar feeling sweep over him.
Light flashed in his eyes. His ears seemed to buzz. He could smell a rich, earthy scent.
Micheal blinked.
And found himself sitting by a small lake.
He blinked again as he looked around. Warm sunshine fell down from overhead, lightning up the many trees that surrounded the lake. Micheal was wearing a set of rolled-up black pants and an open, red button-down flannel. His feet were stuck in the water as he leaned back on the shore, in a relaxed position.
When Micheal saw all of this, he blinked again. Slowly.
He took a deep breath.
He let it out.
He took another deep breath.
He let it out.
Memories and emotions threatened to swarm over him as he realized something.
All of his Heart Trials from the previous timeline, all of the visions he had experienced, all of the memories of those visions…
His first Heart Trial in the new timeline was drawing upon them. It wasn't just drawing on his regular past from earth, but instead drawing on his past in the 7 Layers from his previous life.
And that could mean only one thing…
"Hello, Michea
l." A soft voice sounded off from behind Micheal, so quiet it was almost a whisper. The voice was pure and pristine, carrying a somber tone that couldn't be missed.
The voice sounded like thunder in Micheal's ears, one that made his entire body tremble for a split second before he regained control. His face twitched as he slowly stood up, taking in another deep breath.
He then turned around.
A beautiful woman stood just a few meters behind him. She wore a small, black skirt and a lacy white top. She had long blonde hair that was tied up in a pony-tail and warm brown eyes that gazed at him with emotion. Freckles dotted her face, covering her small, petite nose and perfect lips. She stood around 5 foot 2 (158cm), carrying herself with quiet confidence.
In Micheal's eyes, this was the most beautiful woman in the entire world. Memories he had repressed with an iron grip struggled forward, memories he had tucked away in a dark corner and completely ignored, not allowing himself to consider them even after his rebirth.
Memories of the darkest part of his past life in the 7 Layers.
Memories of a woman he had loved with all of his heart.
Memories of a woman he had killed with his own hands.
"Hello again, Isabelle."
The words slid out from his lips listlessly as he looked at her.
Isabelle looked back. Her eyes gleamed faintly with light as she took one step closer. Her lips curled up slightly as she raised her hands up, pulling them through her hair.
A moment later, before his eyes, something extraordinary began to happen.
Faint, translucent wings flicked up into existence, stretching off Isabelle's back. These wings were delicate looking, but beautiful, faint sparkle of light flickering off them as they stretched out.
Micheal sighed as he saw this, his heart aching.
All of a sudden, like a floodgate that had been forced open, the memories came flooding back.
After Micheal escaped the First Layer, he found himself in a strange new world.
The Second Layer, or, as it was known by its inhabitants:
The Ancient World.
And in this world…
The Human Race encountered its first 'opponents.'
For humanity was not alone on the Ancient World.
Three other races had this same planet as their 'Second Layer.'
The Orkal Race, a race of physically powerful humanoids that stood 2 and a half meter tall, with dark grey skin and cunning intelligence, natural Ki Cultivators that were born with a 3 Star Physique.
The Rakkonian Race, a race of average, blue skinned humanoids that possessed a powerful system of 'Wizardry,' allowing them to cast mystical and magical spells that held incredible power.
And finally…
The Farian Race, a race of fair-skinned beings that had a strange 'Bloodline Magic' system allowing them to draw upon the power of various mighty beasts, transforming or enhancing their physiques and gaining powerful strength. Their regular forms looked very similar to human beings.
The Ancient World was also home to a large number of fearsome beasts, and, strangely enough, a native race of humanoids that weren't directly dragged into '7 Layers' challenge. A race of humanoids that looked very similar to regular humans, except for the small green gem set in their foreheads.
The Byrium Race, as they called themselves. Their race dominated the Second Layer, split up into several dozen differing 'Sects.' They were natural fighters with a powerful constitution that put them up as equals to the Orkal Race, with a 3 Star Physique.
When the four invading races arrived, everything was thrown into disarray. At first, the races achieved a sort of tentative peace. Trade flourished and neither side attacked another. As time went on, however…
Things began to take a dour turn.
And on this strange new planet, Micheal met Isabelle, 2 years into this horrifying apocalypse.
And he fell in love.
He was not a block of stone, even with his ironclad will. It was human nature to seek out others for affection, to enjoy caring for someone else, and Micheal was no exception to that. He hadn't planned on it, and in fact, when it first cropped up, it was a dangerous distraction. But that was life.
Unfortunately… Isabelle wasn't a human.
She wasn't a Rakkonian or an Orkal, nor was she a native Byrium.
She was a member of the Farian Race. Or, as humanity came to call them, a Fairy.
"Why have you come back, Micheal? Was killing me once not enough?" Isabelle's words stabbed into Micheal's heart like knives. Every time she spoke, the air around her seemed to glimmer, partly from the graceful aura all Farian's held, but also from Micheal's vision of her in his memory.
"I did what I had to do, Isabelle." Despite knowing none of this was real, despite knowing it was a trap meant to distract him, Micheal couldn't help but respond. Just like all of his previous Heart Trials, each and every one dug down to the memories that had affected him the most.
"You said you loved me, Micheal." She replied slowly.
Micheal sighed.
"I did, Isabelle. I did." He had spent more than a year with her, becoming close friends and lovers, even as the tensions between races wracked up. Not only did she get along with him, even Shin thought she was great. They had formed their own team, surviving in the brutal Sect-dominated land of the Ancient World.
They had become their own family.
"Then why would you kill me?" Her voice sounded broken as she looked at him, tears staining her eyes.
"I-" Micheal cut himself off, his face twitching. He took a deep breath, steely determination filling him as he forcibly fought off the emotions threatening to overtake him. He wasn't an inexperienced greenhorn, no matter how impactful a Heart Trial was, he would not allow it to overwhelm him.
"I had no choice, Isabelle. What was I supposed to do? Abandon my family, my best friend, my entire species?" As he spoke, venomous self-hatred filled his voice. Genuine emotion flooded through his heart as he relived his past, vividly picturing the dark times he'd experienced on the Second Layer.
For it was here that the First War Between Races broke out, one that was linked to a collection of events known as 'The Great Disaster.'
The war started on the Second Layer, and only ended after years of death and violence.
Humanity, in the end, won that war.
The Rakkonians, the Orkals, the Byriums, and the Farians…
The main forces of each group were wiped out.
The total death count was estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. It was a slaughter the likes of which humanity had never seen before.
"You attacked me first, Isabelle. Do you remember that?" Micheal decided to take a new approach as he took on this Heart Trial. In all his previous trials, he had defended himself passively.
He could feel energy in his soul fluctuate, his entire body tingling. While he was experiencing this mental vision, his body was slowly undergoing the transformation process as it prepared to break into Earth Tier.
"You forced my hand." On the Second Layer, his skill and practice with the sword began to show real results. He shared those results with his allies, and because of that, had been put in a dangerous spot by his own 'protege.'
"Remember… yes, Micheal. I do." Isabelle blinked as she looked at him, sighing,
"I begged you for help and you abandoned me." Her voice was sharp.
"One man cannot fight a million. Time and time again, I've told you this." He returned, his voice rising,
"I had no choice." Despite his calm exterior, on the inside, his stomach twisted. Bitterness filled him as he remembered that feeling of helplessness. The feeling that, no matter what he did, it was never enough.
The feeling of being unable to change anything.
"But now… now you do, don't you?" Isabelle returned, her eye seeming to pierce into his very soul,
"You have the power to choose… and you use that power to kill." She finished.
Micheal
's heart palpitated, his fists clenched despite himself. He forced the emotions down again, controlling his psyche with an iron grip.
"I use my knowledge to do what I must. I will change the future, Isabelle. I AM changing it. Step by step, bit by bit." Micheal's eyes gleamed as he spoke, absolute confidence filling him.
Internally, he could feel the fluctuations of energy in his soul start to reach a crescendo. A feeling of numbness swept over his body, his mind starting to grow fuzzy.
The Heart Trial was ending. He had managed to hold himself together, long enough for his body to stabilize. The Earth Tier Trial was low-level and never a long one, the easiest of all of the Heart Trials.
"Your soul is stained with a red so black, it could flood the sea itself, Micheal. How can you change the future if you cannot even change yourself?" Isabelle's voice cut into his final thoughts as he reached the end of the Heart Trial.
She responded with one final sentence, one that echoed in the air as she shook her head.
"You will never be a hero."
A long silence stretched out as Micheal looked back at Isabelle, his voice silent. The waves of energy in his body continued to palpitate, violently crashing back and forth as they reached a peak, causing his eyes to glow.
He took one final look at Isabelle.
And then turned away, looking back out at the lake as his lonesome figure began to shimmer, disappearing. Before he left, he responded, his words sounding off softly.
"I know."
Light flashed around him one last time and then he vanished, the vision dissipating. The waves of energy in his body shook mightily, and then folded together abruptly. A warm comfortable feeling settled into Micheal's body and soul as he blinked, waking up back in the room he had started in.
Micheal successfully broke into the Earth Tier.
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Chapter 44
Warmth, energy, strength, power, confidence, sadness, guilt, loneliness, a flurry of feelings and emotions soared through Micheal's soul as he opened up his eyes. Green energy flashed in the deepest part of his eyes, the glowing Earth Tier Ki flashing dimly.
The room around him had become disheveled, transforming into a mess. The bed he had been sitting on had its sheets ruffled and thrown about, leaving only a mattress. The pillow was now in the sink, resting haphazardly. His breakthrough had disturbed the air around him, making it look like a tornado had struck.
