43 Providence

With my the spell key on my stomach, I could now transmit and absorb various energies. Anything I brand with the spell circle would be able to receive my power. But they would have to give up some magic power to do so and be consumed by my power. With time and overuse the user would then die and ignominious death.

It would grant someone some of the powers of a mage, and excavate their potential. Which would grant me greater power and control! I would usurp the domain of the gods with this technique. Because normally only a god can grant mortals power, yet now I was capable of it to an extent.

I could become a god for the godless, and gain absolute power doing so. There are only three groups that are godless though, the beast race, the fey beasts, and the void beings. On my status screen appeared an ability, it was unlabeled and had question marks.

I felt inspired at the moment and wrote down Shadow of Providence as the name. The ability took form with a status below it and I felt a fundamental change in my nature. You have cast the shadow of your presence onto the path of Providence.

I put my ambition in the back of mind, for now, I only had one plan in mind. I went to the dream formation, I looked at the platforms. I activated my magic eyes for a moment to see the glow of magic power. As my level progressed so did my control over my brandings, and my magic eyes. I was able to get a quick sight without alerting anyone near me.

The blue magic energy was swirling at each platform like a gateway into the formation. When Drrak changed my vision I could see varying energy. Earthly light brown energy, vaporous light blue energy, a holy white light, and a burning flame twinged with death.

The death aspect was extremely minor and hard to notice, but I've already experienced death Qi. So I could not only see it but I could see it's involvement with the other energy. Unlike the rest of the energy, the death Qi was being protected by the fire, hidden and obscured from the other energies.

I gained some insights into the god's relationship from the energy and deactivated my magic eyes. I went onto the platform which wasn't in use currently, they hadn't started allowing people into the ancestral treasury and the formation was only used at certain times for most students.

But as the disciple of a grand knight and a half step grand knight, I was allowed some privileges. So I went on the platform and meditated as the swirling magic consumed me.

As I lost consciousness, I memorized the magic structure of the death qi that I saw. I awoke in the formation on the outskirts of the forest. Where light was still peaking in, and no monsters were on the prowl. I recognized some of the areas, from what Pektog had told me about.

So I examined the area and found the path to Pektog's village. I jumped onto the tree branches and accelerated forward at nearly 40% of Mach one without my telekinesis.

I felt the power friction of the wind slashing away at my skin, but with training, my body had grown durable. I had no reason to fear one of Pektog's empowered strikes from back then at this point. Though he must have grown stronger especially if he broke through outer reformation into inner reformation. But I still felt no fear unless he's at late stage inner reformation, I have nothing to fear, I reassured myself.

I reached Pektog's village which had further developed, it had grown to twice its size. With the people of it being relaxed, and unafraid as they ate and worked. Pektog wasn't in a hut anymore, they made more permanent facilities; to suit their lifestyle of no longer running.

But the most interesting thing was Pektog and his new followers. I saw Dazkieht as well as Ulbrag, and even Rulgut was present. They were all subordinate to Pektog, whose aura has improved significantly. He had moved on from outer reformation and has started on inner reformation significantly boosting his power.

'He succeeded and he was able to suppress Dazkieht, but this shouldn't be enough for Pektog. He should desire more power than this I just need to give it to him.' I thought as I chuckled

I entered the village, as the people looked at me warily. But within that wariness was awe and thankfulness. I walked up to Pektog who had already noticed me. He bowed lightly as everyone else bowed to a much deeper extent. Pektog escorted me to his larger room and brought Dazkieht with him and some of the stronger hobgoblins. They sat around a table with me and Pektog at the opposite heads of the table.

"Seems things have gotten better, Pektog," I said as I looked around the room.

"Why of course. Your honored one helped change our living state." Pektog said with grandiosity

"But are you content with just that? Suppressing a few weaklings, and hiding on the outskirts of the forest?" I said teasingly

"Our people are in content with such living." A hobgoblin at the table burst out and said

But Pektog quickly suppressed the goblin with his gaze, as the goblin lowered its head to avoid Pektog's gaze.

"What are you offering, Honored one?" Pektog said questioningly

"The gods restrict you, but I will free you. What I offer is power and true power at that. My only request is you help me like we agreed before." I said calmly

Pektog looked at me with hesitation, his heart was filled with doubt. But it was also filled with desire, he had gained an opportunity for greatness in me, but I was a very dangerous person at the same time. Pektog calmed his doubts, who knew he couldn't even resist in this situation. He felt that my aura had grown sharper and wilder since last time.

If he even rejected they would all be massacred without a second thought. If I can't choose then I might as well take a chance he thought.

"We agree your honored one, how will you grant us power?" He asked in a submissive tone

"We'll start with a few test subjects, then I'll select the elites and grant them their power."

When I said test subjects I felt my spine tingle a little. It reminded of the mage, for a moment I thought we were similar. But I put my thoughts away, we weren't the same. He's powerful and far stronger, I am weak and far weaker. I need to take every opportunity If I want to live. He experimented on me because he thought it would be interesting.

We are inherently different, and I am nothing like him I said to reassure myself. As I was soothing myself Pektog brought in a few of the goblins from the ambush. They were the weaker ones of the group and would benefit most from my spell circle. They lined up as Pektog and the other hobgoblins kept watch.

The first one was seated in from of me, it was a short goblin was scars all over its body. I looked at its sullen dead eyes, it had felt death far too many times. To others, those eyes would haunt them, but to me, they reminded me of myself. I cut my finger as it started to bleed a little.

I carved the spell circle onto the goblin as his sullen eyes gleamed with my energy. He was inundated with an undying sword intent, shadow force, and spatial energy. The markings entered the goblin's stomach and disappeared entirely. On my status, the screen for the Shadow of Providence gained a 1 next to it.

If I focused on the technique I could feel a link to the goblin and I could transfer some of my power. So I channeled spatial energy into the goblin, the goblin's presence became obscured by a thick spatial energy. Even I had little control over the energy, I was just conducting it from the void meditation art.

This amount would even increase my own corruption, which would be dangerous. But when granting the power, I didn't feel the corruption myself. With the first success, I felt confident, with my path set I continued branding the other goblins. I went through the 12 goblins with only the hobgoblins left over. I felt a metamorphosis in my meditation art as I did more and more spell circles.

My meditation quickly rotated absorbing small amounts of magic power from the goblins and becoming spatial energy. It channeled throughout my body, as I felt my strength increase. My stats broke through the level 4 barrier and entered level 5 making my stats.

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Status:

Name: ???

Age: 16

Occupation: Knight Apprentice

Level: 5

Strength: 37+2

Speed: 34+5

Flexibility: 34+3

Endurance: 34+1

Magic Power: 15

The attributes above come into effect once the Blessings of Cenir and Drrak activate.

Blessings:

Cenir's Mark

Drrak's Shadow

Abilities:

Magic Body

One with the Sword (25%)

Flawless Physique

Illusory Body

Void Comprehension (2%)

Basic Telekinesis

Shadow Of Providence (12)

Shadow Mastery (5%)

Meditation Art: Void Meditation Art

Combat Code:

Lightning Sword Code (15%)

-Lightning Step

True Qi (2%)

Cultivation Method: 9 Revolutions Imprint Lotus