Chapter 251: Charging Through The Ranks (II)

เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มี.ค. 2569 06:14

Chapter 251: Charging Through The Ranks (II) "Focused Mind." Finn’s concentration sharpened to a single point. Everything else faded to background noise. There was only him and the soul mass before him. Only the task of integration. This was the critical moment, Vara realized. She noticed how his attention was completely absorbed at this point, and a glint flickered in her eyes. She filed away the discovery for later. "Sense Phasma." Finn’s soul latched onto the adaptive form, beginning the invasive process of connection. It fought back, changing rapidly, trying to find a configuration that would resist him. But it was too late. His groundwork had been laid too well. The multi-directional pressure prevented it from settling into any single defensive adaptation long enough for it to matter. "Order." The word stilled the thrashing form. Not completely — it still tried to adapt, still struggled — but the frantic changes slowed to a crawl and became much more manageable. "Bind." The crystal shattered. Fragments scattered across the chamber floor, dissolving into nothing before they landed. The adaptive form of the soul mass hung in the air where the crystal had been. Finn took a breath, preparing for the final words. "Soul Subjugation." The soul mass collapsed inward, drawn toward Finn like water down a drain. It folded into his soul without resistance. The integration was immediate. Finn felt the new presence settle alongside the Tyrant’s soul mass, quickly followed by his consciousness expanding slightly to accommodate it. He felt his soul become denser again, more concentrated. When he opened his eyes, they were still glowing green from Error vision. But now there was something else there too. A sharpness. An edge to his gaze that hadn’t been there before. He flexed his hand experimentally. The air around it shimmered, reality briefly uncertain about what state his flesh was in. Solid? Liquid? Something else? The adaptation was his now. He could shift aspects of himself in small ways, making his body more resistant to specific threats. Behind him, Vara let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. "That’s..." she started, then stopped. Searching for words. "That’s not normal divine power." Finn breathed out softly and turned to look at her. "No. It’s not." He didn’t elaborate, letting her wonder instead, letting her fear fill in the gaps... "We rest here for now," he announced. "Then Corridor 20." "Already?" Vara’s surprise was genuine. "You just claimed one. Shouldn’t you recover more?" "I have three more corridors before the Sea God," Finn said flatly. "And limited time. We keep moving." What he didn’t say was that he only had roughly 340 days of the Moon Mother’s protection remaining. Every day spent in this temple was a day less to achieve godhood — maybe that wasn’t the core goal anymore, but at least with his current path, he needed to become strong enough that the Shadow God’s Incarnate couldn’t devour him, and even more pressingly, strong enough to defend against the Sun God himself. There’s also the machinations of the Great One to think about... He couldn’t afford to be slow. Althea approached, examining him with concerned eyes. "Are you sure? You look tired." "I’m fine," Finn lied. He was tired. Each soul mass claim, even without soul debt, took energy and equired intense concentration and soul manipulation. But he’d rest after claiming at least three today. Build up enough density that the Sea God became feasible. They settled into positions around the chamber for a brief rest. Finn sat against the wall, eyes closed but awareness extended. Monitoring his new soul mass. Feeling how it integrated with the Tyrant’s presence. How both sat within his consciousness without conflict. Vara stood near the entrance, Slick Jones beside her. Both watching Finn with different expressions. Vara calculated. Slick Jones simply stoic and waiting, though there was an undertone of melancholy to his eyes as he stared at Finn, as if seeing the cocky guy he had been back in Hoshin. Who’d have thought he had the power to rival the Champion of any God, perhaps even incarnations... Besides Vara and Slick Jones, Althea was also alert while "resting." She had positioned herself where she could see everyone. Her sword lay across her lap. Her eyes never fully closed. Twenty minutes passed in silence. Then Finn stood. "Alright. Let’s clear Corridor 20." They filed out without complaint, making their way back to the central hall and then to the next archway. Finn noted that his steps felt heavier now. Not in a slow way, though, his body still moved normally. But each footstep seemed to carry more weight and presence. Reality was beginning to notice him more. Corridor 20’s atmosphere was different again. Hotter. Drier. The air tasted of ash and smoke. This soul mass would be something related to fire or destruction, Finn guessed. Something that consumed. The chamber at the end confirmed it. Instead of a statue or crystal, the soul mass here manifested as a floating sphere of flames. But not natural fire. This burned without fuel, without oxygen. It simply was, suspended in defiance of physical law. Finn approached even more confidently now. He’d done this twice already, and was beginning to understand the rhythm. The flow of the edict. He began the chant without preamble while the flaming soul mass was still active and roiling. "Will." The flames surged outward, trying to force him back. But his soul density held. The heat washed over him without burning. "Soul Anchor." He grounded himself. The flames couldn’t push him. Couldn’t affect him. He was more solid than they were. "Focused Mind." Everything but the flames and his purpose fell away. Vara watched again, memorizing every detail. The pattern of the words. The timing. The moment when his concentration reached its peak. "Sense Phasma." "Order." "Bind." The flames compressed. Grew smaller. Denser. Until they were just a spark floating before him. "Soul Subjugation." The spark dove into his chest. Finn gasped as it integrated. This one fought harder than the adaptive soul mass. It had more will and more presence. Yet it had still been assimilated much quicker than the one in the last chamber, recognizing his soul as superior. When it settled, Finn felt heat in his veins like he’d internalized a furnace that could be called upon when needed. His soul density increased again. Now when he stood, the air around him seemed to shimmer slightly from the pressure of his presence. Vara stared. In her Soul Sight, and perhaps even without it, Finn was starting to look less like a man and more like... something else. Something that occupied more space in reality than his physical form suggested. Like a small star compressed into human shape. "Two more," Finn said, breathing slightly harder now. "Corridor 19 and 18. Then I rest properly before facing the Sea God." "You’re pushing yourself too hard," Vara said. And for once it didn’t sound like calculation. It sounded like genuine concern born from watching someone drive themselves past reasonable limits. Finn turned to look at her and said nothing. His eyes were bloodshot now. His face drawn with fatigue. He paused to steady himself a bit and try to consolidate his denser soul as much as he could within a few breaths, then without further discussion, he headed for Corridor 19, with the others in tow behind. . . . A/N: I’ve finally created a discord server just like some readers have asked. Would love to have you all on there as it’s empty rn 😅 You can ask me anything there, besides spoilers of course, and I’ll answer 💪 Here’s the link:

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