by William Bill
Luna's expression turned serious as she continued, "But don't get complacent because of that. Having these arts also means that you have jumped into a hornet's nest. Once this power reappears in this world, who knows what kind of disaster and calamity is waiting along your way. Because once your secret is exposed, there would be no end to the number of people in this world who would want to kill you to seize the power that can even make gods go mad with jealousy. If I were just an ordinary goddess, I would have also wanted to kill you and take those arts for myself. But even if that was the case, no one, not even me, can make use of those arts, let alone snatch them in the first place. It is something that solely belongs to you because of your Origin Seed. Nor can you even give it away."
Damien already guessed that his Anti-God Arts could not be snatched from him when the voice told him to let Luna guide him.
But he was even more amazed when he heard Luna's high appraisal of his Anti-God Arts. If even she said that his Anti-God Arts are unparalleled, then, without doubt, it was the real deal!
But Damien wasn't afraid of having his secrets exposed unless he blurted out his secret by himself or if his soul was jeopardized. Also, he felt like maybe he could trust Luna after all...at least gradually with time.
People might be interested in knowing what kind of Ethereal Arts he might be practicing seeing his strange abilities. Still, they would mostly think it's because of his talent in cultivation.
Since they can't imagine any Ethereal Arts that could grant such broken abilities to someone, it was beyond their imagination. Even if they knew the truth, they would rather believe that the sun won't rise tomorrow than to think such an implausible ethereal art existed.
But in a way, it's also true that Damien was indeed talented, including his comprehension talents. Otherwise, even if he was somehow able to house the Origin Seed, his soul would fail to comprehend the extraordinary Anti-God Arts directly from his Origin Seed.
Maybe it was due to his strong and special soul that Damien didn't face any failure in inheriting those arts.
"But now do you have a clear idea of what kind of Origin Laws is contained inside my Origin Seed? The voice said that his Origin Seed could make me the ruler of death or something. Is it some kind of darkness law?"
Damien actually knew it wasn't darkness law since light and darkness laws are just Greater Laws, and their profoundness was incomparable to Origin Laws. But since he noticed that his Fallen Flames and lightning had a blackish color to it, he couldn't help wonder.
Luna narrowed her eyes, "Since even he said that you could be the ruler of death...then I am sure your Origin Seed possesses at least Death Laws!"
'Maybe that is why I am unable to use Fate Sense on him.' A thought flashed through Luna's mind.
"Death Laws?" Damien's eyes widened in surprise.
"Does that mean I can control death? Like live forever or make me unkillable?" Damien couldn't help but shoot out these questions as his imagination knew no bounds.
Luna snapped her cute fingers, "Hey, hey, don't get carried away. Just because your Origin Seed contains comprehension of Death Laws doesn't mean you can exercise them completely right away. Your cultivation is too weak even to utilize a millionth of those laws. Why do you think most of your skills from your Anti-God Arts are sealed?"
Damien slowly returned to reality as he realized that things couldn't be that easy, just as the case with his Fallen Flames.
"But, I have to say, the higher your cultivation, the more you will be able to comprehend the Death Laws from your Origin Seed. Though I think that Death Laws are not the only Origin Laws you have. I can sense Destruction Laws and some other chaotic laws, but they are very faint, so I can't be sure. Also, I don't have a clear idea of Death Laws because it is not something I can comprehend. I have only faintly sensed that these laws exist in the universe. After all, why would I care about laws I can't comprehend when I have my own Origin Laws which I believe that no one can be my match." Luna said in a narcissistic tone.
Damien narrowed his brows, "And what kind of Origin Laws are you exactly adept in?"
Chapter 36: Luna's Origin Laws
Damien always wondered about Luna's Origin Laws. But he didn't bother to ask before as he thought he wouldn't probably understand.
"It is something you are already familiar with. I am adept in a few Origin Laws, but the Origin Laws I take the most pride in is..." Luna continued with a smile, "Destiny Laws."
Damien's eyes couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
If anyone asked him which Origin Laws he dreaded and hated the most, he would undoubtedly say 'Destiny Laws'.
Because those laws were the reason he lost everything...but he knew that the target of his actual anger and hatred was not the laws themselves but the god who took advantage of those laws to manipulate him.
But now he realized that it all made sense.
How Luna was able to find out he was being manipulated in his previous life and how she talked about those 'Strings of Destiny' and how she said that the god was lousy at manipulating Destiny Laws.
'How many gods are out there that can manipulate one's destiny?' Damien couldn't help but wonder. He felt as if all the living beings, no matter how strong, were nothing but puppets before the presence of these kinds of monsters like Luna in the universe.
His gaze was fixed on Luna with a certain wariness in his eyes.
"Hehehe, now you are finally scared of this goddess. Do you now realize that I am not someone to be taken lightly?" Luna saw how Damien seemed a little unnerved and was amused seeing his expression.
"Bullshit. I am not scared of you. It's just that for a moment, I was surprised. After all, the god who manipulated me can also make use of Destiny Laws. Besides, I have a feeling that you can't make use of those Destiny Laws in your current state." Damien said, straightening his back.
Luna cutely puffed her cheeks, "Hmph, you are no fun. Obviously, I can't. Most of my comprehension of Destiny Laws are in my [Shard Of Destiny]. And I at least know that it is not even on this planet. Who knows in which nook and corner of the universe it is in." Luna sighed.
'Wow. It's like all her overpowered abilities were split into different shards.'
Damien wondered how two of the most powerful gods he knew ended up in a pitiful state. And, it seemed like both blamed their own carelessness for ending up in their state.
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about getting back your shard that is present in this world. With my Anti-God Arts, I am more confident than ever of fulfilling all your conditions." Damien said with a confident smile.
If Damien went back on his words, Luna would pretty much be helpless. Damien's soul plane was basically like a host for Luna.
She could expend some of her soul essences to kill Damien in revenge or anger for not fulfilling her conditions if she wants. But that would indirectly be killing herself.
If Damien didn't help her, she would practically have to live inside Damien till he dies due to old age or some other reason.
She first thought maybe there was a chance to find others with a soul as special as Damien. But soon, she felt that the reason for the specialty of his soul and the Origin Seed were somehow related in one way or another.
This means that she can only depend on Damien and no one else since there was no way a mortal or even a false divinity could house an Origin Seed.
Since the voice told him about this, Damien was aware of these things. But even though he knew, he still wanted to keep up his promise since Luna did help him a lot as she promised.
"Hmph, we will see if you can keep up with your mouth." Luna scoffed, but happiness sparkled deep within her eyes as she was inwardly pleased that Damien was at least serious about fulfilling her conditions.
Damien chuckled, seeing her trying to conceal her emotions by putting up a front, "Looks like even a goddess can be shy, hahaha. Did you think I would go back on my words?"
"You!" Luna instantly pinched Damien's wa
ist, "You dare to make ridiculous claims about this goddess? As a man, you are supposed to keep your promises."
"Okay, okay...it tickles, hahaha." Damien feigned his laugh and swiftly caught Luna's snow-white wrist but was surprised when he felt her soft and flawless skin.
"Hey!" Luna's wrist instantly phased through Damien's hands, "You dare to lay hands on this goddess? How audacious!" She said with a glowered expression.
Luna felt strange when Damien held her wrist. No one would dare to even look at her, let alone touch her.
And this was the first time somebody touched her.
She didn't expect Damien to catch her wrist as she thought he wasn't bold enough. But little did she know that she thought wrong.
"Jeez...It's just your wrist, and you were the one who touched me first." Damien smirked. All this time, Damien thought that her spirit body was intangible since her corporeal shell had been destroyed.
He didn't expect to catch her wrist and was surprised at how nice her skin felt when he held her wrist. It felt so flawless and perfect that he wondered if her real body would have felt the same.
But just as he thought that he instantly suppressed all unnecessary thoughts before any crazy ones surfaced. He couldn't believe that his self-control was so pitiful. Even with his steeled will and steadfast heart, it was true that every time he looked at Luna, he had to focus a bit to not get mesmerized by her breathtaking beauty.
"Hmph, you are lucky to stay alive after defiling this goddess' ethereal skin with your perverted hands. If it were not for the entanglement of our fates, I would have killed you a million times over." Luna said as her eyebrows lowered.
Damien shook his head in amusement, hearing her threats, "But I thought your spirit body was intangible. How was I able to touch you then?"
"Of course, I can choose when to materialize myself. Just this time, I didn't expect you to be so perverted." Luna said as she curled her rosy lips.
Damien ignored her jab and asked, "So, can anyone else other than me see you, even after you materialize yourself?"
"I can decide whom all can see me. But you are the only one who can touch me unless I immaterialize myself. And I also cannot hide my presence from you obviously because of our soul link."
Damien slowly nodded his head as he thought that it made sense. He had wondered if others could see Luna if she didn't use her essence powers.
But he found out now that it was more related to her spirit body itself.
Then a sudden thought emerged in his mind, "Since I can comprehend Death Laws, do you think that one day if my cultivation is powerful enough, will I be able to take my revenge against the god who manipulated me?"
Luna heaved a sigh, "Do you think it's that easy to fight against a god? Especially a god adept in Destiny Laws? Sure, if you were born as a god and you had your Origin Seed, you would surely have some chance. But you are a mortal. Even I can't say for sure how powerful you can become. It all depends on many factors. In the end, it is up to you. But in my knowledge, no mortal can ever achieve divinity...at best, they can only achieve false divinity."
Luna paused for a moment as she stared at Damien, "But your eyes are telling me that no matter what I or others say, you won't suppress your thirst for power...and that you will exact your vengeance upon that god no matter what. But what if you found the person you are looking for? I guess it is some girl called 'Sofie', right? You shout out her name a few times when you sleep."
Damien's eyes flashed with some evocative feelings as he said, "If I reunited with Sofie, I wouldn't seek out revenge since Sofie matters the most to me. But I will never stop surpassing myself because I want to be ready in case anyone wants to hurt my loved ones, including any gods eager to die at my hands."
"Oooh, if there was one thing you can outdo this goddess, it would be your arrogance. And here you claimed that I was the arrogant one, hehe. No wonder the true owner of your Origin Seed gave away his legacy to you. You are the perfect successor to inherit the Anti-God Arts. But it's good to know that at least you are not stupid enough to ever stop progressing yourself."
Luna felt amused that Damien was already talking about killing gods, but she felt it was her liking. Since the more ambitious and determined Damien was, the faster he would rise to power.
Damien rolled his eyes, hearing her sarcastic remarks when he was talking about something serious.
"Forget that...why don't you tell me how to use my newfound powers?" Damien asked eagerly.
"That can wait till tonight. This goddess needs to sleep now. I will also give you an ethereal art to make use of your lightning element. You can't expect to fight your enemies without having any elemental, ethereal arts. Sure, your Anti-God Arts can even help you fight against stronger enemies, but an elemental, ethereal art would increase your combat prowess even further. It would be good support for your Anti-God Arts.
"And I take it that you don't need any soul cultivation techniques from me since your Anti-God Arts passively allows you to absorb the soul essence and even life essence of someone to improve your own cultivation. But remember that you should save fifty percent of each soul essence you absorb for this goddess."
"Of course, you need not worry about that." Damien softly chuckled.
'Ha...I can't wait for tonight.' Damien was inwardly excited, thinking about how he would learn to use his Anti-God Arts by night, and was looking forward to what kind of lightning ethereal arts Luna would give him.
"I am going to take a nap. You should get back to your gardening job and fulfill your duties as a dutiful servant." Luna dropped in a quick gibe with a provoking grin and disappeared into her Shard Of Essence before Damien could even retort.
"You cheeky, little imp!" Damien bared his teeth. But there was only silence from the other end.
'Wait till I make you know your place one day.' Damien inwardly swore.
He then noticed that almost an hour had passed since Lily left.
'Phew, today was really an eventful day. Hmm, I should continue my alchemy experiments today evening onwards. But I guess I can't wait to receive the ethereal arts from Luna tonight.'
Chapter 37: I Can Skip Grades?
It was already night when Damien almost exhausted his soul energy carrying out his alchemy experiments.
He had conserved as much soul energy as possible for each of his experiments since he only needed a small flame without much heat for concocting Rank 1 Pills.
But even after taking short breaks in between experiments, Damien was now left with barely thirty percent of his soul energy, and all the experiments so far were failures.
But he did learn how to control his Fallen Flames to a certain degree and cut down his soul energy consumption according to his needs.
And he felt like he was getting closer to success after each experiment.
He deduced that for concocting a Rank 1 Pill, he need not produce a normal Fallen Fire as it would practically be overkill!
Normally someone with the same soul cultivation as his would struggle to keep up their etheric fire to concoct a Peak Rank 1 Pill unless they are a genius.
Damien decided to have one more try before he exhausts his soul energy and the ingredients.
He was trying to concoct a Peak Grade Rank 1 Sustenance Pill, which could allow a cultivator to skip two meals a day.
Even though his etheric flames were special, he didn't want to overestimate himself by trying to concoct Rank 2 Pills.
Usually, a beginner at alchemy wouldn't even dream of concocting a Peak Grade Rank 1 Pill without much experience, even if their soul cultivation was high.
Sustenance Pills were mostly popular for practitioners with low cultivation like the Initial Ethereal Realm and even the Nascent Ethereal Realm as the hard-working ones would probably be secluding themselves for cultivating and wouldn't bother to eat a proper meal.
But as one's cultivation realm increases, less hunger would affect them.
So for someone with high cultivation, Sus
tenance Pills wouldn't be much use for them. They just need to eat once in a while, and that would be sufficient for them.
At even higher cultivation, they wouldn't have to eat at all. They would probably just have food for enjoyment or eat during important occasions.
There were only Low Grade and Peak Grade Rank 1 Sustenance Pill. There were no Medium or High-Grade Rank 1 Sustenance Pills.
A Low-Grade Rank 1 Sustenance Pill would allow one to skip a single meal a day, while a Low-Grade Rank 2 Sustenance Pill would allow one to go without food for a whole day.
It was all thanks to his previous self's obsession with alchemy that he was able to form some theories on his own on how to concoct a pill with maximum potency instead of going by the book.
Damien was sure that if he had not awakened his memories, he would have turned out to be a famous alchemy prodigy who could formulate medical formulas that give maximum potency on his own.
This time he took out two sets of Rainbow Grass, and instead of a Fermented Berry, he took out two petals from a Four Petaled Wild Flower. All these ingredients were Low and Medium Level Common Grade herbs used to concoct a Rank 1 Pill.
'Seems like this Common Grade cauldron won't hold for long.' Damien wryly smiled to himself.
Lily made sure that Damien would get the best Common Grade cauldron available since she knew how much Damien was interested in alchemy.
But the brown Common Grade cauldron had almost broken down despite its superb quality for its grade, as initially, he was having a hard time controlling the intensity of his Fallen Flames. It could barely handle one more of Damien's experiments.
This was why Damien double-checked the medical formula he theorized. Otherwise, he would have to request another Common Grade cauldron, which would only make her suspicious.
He also had another reason for concocting a Peak Rank 1 Pill since those pills would easily sell for somewhere between sixty to a hundred Green Spirit Stones.
