Chapter 58: Three Days Later

[Arcane Meridians - 8%]

[Now you can cultivate 80 Arcane energy daily]

[Young Soul Foundation - 50%]

{Flawless}

{Indicating stable foundation without visible flaws}

[Arcane Energy: 580]

"When my soul essence is out, the only energy I can rely on is Arcane mana," Alex thought, staring at the pond. Even if he didn't want to, it was unavoidable; he needed three days of rest, or going into battle afterward would be more troublesome with his wounds. Sighing, he considered a skill that could cover the areas he needed.

Thinking of a skill, he began designing and found the amount of Arcane energy needed was insane. Using his ability, he limited the skill and formed this:

[400 Arcane energy consumed]

[(B+) Sovereignty - A true emperor's form once seen as rulers of the world of flames. Upon activation, the user's power rises to B+ rank, with the eternal flames enhancing their existence. Requires 300,000 Arcane mana to last 10 minutes. (Note: Requires a two-day cooldown)]

[75 Arcane energy consumed]

[Three skills upgraded]

[(C-) Strength] [(C-) Vitality] [(C-) Speed] (Each requires 50 Arcane to upgrade)

[105 Arcane energy consumed into 105,000 Arcane mana]

[Arcane mana: 405,000 / 405,000]

Would this be enough? Alex wasn't sure, but he wasn't going to let Sasha suffer more. Standing up, he looked back to where Ximena was sleeping. She hadn't fully recovered yet; her wounds healing slowly even with Alex's help. He was going into this battle alone, without any backup. But the feeling of fear was gone, replaced only by anger. He knew he was the one who caused this, and he was the only one who could fix it. Even if he lost an eye, he wouldn't stop until he had Sasha in his hands.

Disappearing from the cave, he left. The small improvements were already at some level of boost, and this time he was sure he could reach S rank without any problem. With his increased foundation and Arcane mana, he could now maintain his form for longer.

By increasing his soul foundation, his soul essence also increased. He was surprised at what unlocked when he reached 400,000 Arcane mana.

Alex floated high into the sky, staring below with cold eyes. "Feeling any emotions now will only stop me from doing what I must do," he muttered. Alex knew not all below were evil; some were even coerced. But the hardest decisions required the strongest of wills.

[The Monarch activated.]

{[G] The Monarch – Erases all emotion, enabling the user to act as a supreme monarch, calculating the best option regardless of circumstance.}

Sighing his eyes became those which were cold and emotionless, staring above at the sky and below.

As the sun began its slow ascent on the horizon, casting a warm glow over the lawless city, Alex hovered silently above, his gaze fixed on a particularly striking sight below. Amidst the chaotic streets and dilapidated buildings, there was a hidden oasis of beauty.

Nestled between towering structures, a forgotten park emerged like a verdant jewel in the rough. Lush greenery sprawled in wild abandon, reclaiming its territory from the encroaching concrete. Trees stretched their gnarled branches towards the heavens, their leaves shimmering with the first light of dawn.

A tranquil pond mirrored the changing colors of the sky, its surface rippling gently in the early morning breeze. Swirls of mist danced across the water, adding an ethereal quality to the scene. Ducks glided gracefully across the surface, their movements silent and serene.

Beneath the canopy of trees, a patchwork of wildflowers bloomed in riotous hues, painting the landscape with splashes of vibrant color. Bees hummed lazily among the blossoms, intoxicated by the sweet nectar of nature's bounty.

In the quiet stillness of dawn, the city seemed to hold its breath, as if mesmerized by the fleeting beauty before it. For a brief moment, all was calm, all was pure—a fleeting glimpse of paradise amidst the chaos of the lawless city.

[Wrath of Heaven – Shooting Star activated]

[Wrath of Heaven - The Arcane God power that can destroy whole worlds, having the following skills. {Divine Judgment (Locked)}, {Divine Blades (Locked)}, {Shooting Star}]

{Shooting Star - The power to call upon a meteorite, which will hit any target of your choosing. The more Arcane mana consumed, the bigger the meteorite.}

Alex wasn't targeting just the manor but the whole city. Even with his power, the number of B ranks in this city was troublesome, along with some A ranks. So, an area-effect skill was the right choice, eliminating the small fries while he focused on the bigger targets, which seemed winnable.

[300,000 Arcane mana consumed]

People on the ground went about their day, the sky unusually cloudy. Alex wondered if he planned this, because the scene seemed like Pain reaching the Leaf Village and was just about to destroy it all. He almost laughed in his emotionless state. That's when the sky opened, and a meteorite covered half of the city as it fell from the sky. To top it off, Alex activated eternal flames to cover even more distance.

[Eternal Flames activated]

[100,000 Arcane mana consumed]

A blazing ball of flames was falling from the sky.

As the people below gazed upon the tranquil scene unfolding in the hidden oasis, a sense of wonder and peace washed over them. Some paused in their hurried footsteps, momentarily captivated by the beauty surrounding them. They couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that shrouded their city.

But then, as if from nowhere, the sky cracked open with a deafening roar, and a blazing ball of flames streaked across the heavens, casting an ominous shadow over the city. Fear and panic rippled through the streets as people scrambled for cover, their earlier sense of tranquility shattered in an instant.

The meteorite's fiery descent seemed to signal impending disaster, a stark reminder of the precariousness of their existence in this lawless world. And just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse, Alex's activation of the eternal flames only added to the chaos, engulfing even more of the city in a relentless inferno.

In the blink of an eye, the scene transformed from one of fleeting beauty to one of imminent danger, leaving the people below feeling helpless and vulnerable in the face of forces beyond their control.