Re: Timeless Apocalypse

Uriel didn’t really know what happened next.

In one moment, his body was on the verge of finishing its evolution, his laughter peeling across the skies—and in the next... pain.

From seemingly nowhere, a thick pillar of lightning crashed down onto him, large and powerful enough to destroy the inn, yet entirely unable to.

It only sought to destroy him. But it couldn’t.

...

•Note(III): The Iron Body makes one utterly and absolutely immune to all flames and lightning, regardless of type or nature.

...

His body absorbed the pillar almost instantly. But in the very next moment, a second pillar descended.

This time, it didn’t aim for his body, but rather for his runic scar. Uriel wasn’t sure, but within the ivory lightning slamming into him, he could feel a Will.

A Will larger than life—above the skies and beyond the earth—one that was as pure as it was complex, as holy as it was mighty.

It was a Will he could only call Heaven.

And within it, he felt a deep wrath bubbling, wrath directed at him and his actions.

The lightning flooded his broken runic scar, and then... nothing.

Darkness consumed his mind, and he passed out.

...

"..."

Uriel groaned, his mind slow to return to clarity, his body sore.

’Where the hell am I...’

His eyes opened, and he found himself in an enclosed, sack-like space, the walls thin enough to let pale light stream through.

His hand moved, pressing softly against the fabric. It immediately gave way, tearing open to reveal the ceiling of his room.

’Good...I didn’t get kidnapped at least.’

Uriel sat up, then looked around.

The thing he’d been in was a strange cocoon of red silk, oddly soft and highly conductive to aether.

He didn’t know where it had come from, but he could guess it was the result of his recent transformation.

’Same thing happened in the cave after my evolution...’

He let the thought slip away without much care.

As sore as his body was, his mind remained foggy and disoriented, even though everything that had happened was crystal clear in his memory.

’...’

Uriel pushed himself to his feet. Then, his eyes widened.

Weakness flooded his knees, and he staggered backward until he hit the bed and collapsed onto it, fatigue and ache echoing through his entire frame.

’What the he—...’

He fell asleep on his bed, naked.

...

A day passed, and Uriel woke once more.

This time, he felt far more refreshed.

The moment his eyes snapped open, clarity rushed back into his mind. He sprang to his feet, stretching as a groan of relief escaped him.

’I fell asleep again?’ His face twisted. ’Damn it.’

Looking out his room’s windows, he could tell it was late at night. Sunrise was still a couple of hours away, and a cold breeze drifted in, accompanied by the moon’s icy glow.

’And I messed up my sleeping schedule.’ He shook his head.

He was hungry. Very hungry.

’I don’t feel like cooking, so let’s hope there’s room service or a restaurant downstairs... or something.’

His body shuddered, and he lightly patted his cheeks before exhaling. Then, he made his way to the bathroom.

What greeted him was a simple yet luxurious space, the likes of which Uriel had never seen before.

The floors were made of smooth, dark blue aether crystals, emitting gentle waves of water aether that cooled the room to a perfect, comfortable temperature.

Upon entry, to the left, there was a sink shaped from a jagged bowl of stone, sitting beneath a frost-forged mirror with contours just as sharp and uneven.

Further inside, a large basin came into view—formed from intertwined roots, vines, and sheets of ice—filled with bubbling emerald and azure waters that swirled together in perfect harmony.

The air carried a faint scent of rose, and the entire place felt warm and inviting.

’Oh my...’

Uriel nearly shed a tear at the sight of it.

...

Moments later, he submerged himself into the basin, letting out a long breath as the magical properties of the water cleansed his body and soothed his mind.

He sank deeper until only his head remained above the surface, resting against the edge.

His breathing slowed, becoming steady and rhythmic.

’Project Magia is a success. Now, with my new rings, I should be set. It’ll probably take a couple of days to fully master these abilities, but that’s fine.’

’All that’s left are my cores and my Spark. After that, my path should be smooth.’

He had come a long way.

Looking back on everything that had led him to this point, Uriel couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle.

But it also reminded him of how much still remained.

There was so much more to accomplish. Too much.

’I can’t slow down.’

His thoughts drifted to the mark on his right hand, the golden dot he had received after the settlement was destroyed.

The Corynth Mark.

’It’s still locked.’

For some reason, killing the blood serpent hadn’t counted as slaying a King Beast, leaving Uriel at a loss.

Unless he found a King Beast the mark deemed worthy—or tracked down the Flon-Men Emperor he had fought weeks ago—his Legacies would remain sealed.

’I’ll try to find a Beast to hunt in the coming days. If not... I’ll have to hope the Spire has something good waiting for me.’

Uriel exhaled slowly.

’In a few days—maybe a week at most—my body should settle after the evolution. Then I should be able to reach the peak of F-Rank in one go.’

A smile spread across his face.

He was looking forward to regaining his full power.

’What to do... what to do...’

Now that Project Magia was complete and another evolution was approaching, there wasn’t much left tying him to the Wilderlands.

With Samael and his older brother, his way out was already secured.

There wasn’t much reason to stay.

Part of him was curious about the history of the Guardians and the sealed beasts, things that were clearly connected to the golden gate.

Another part of him wondered about the so-called ’green horrors,’ which sounded eerily similar to what Ayah had once described as plaguing their universe.

There was a lot to uncover.

But there was even more waiting for him beyond the Legacy Event Space.

Too much. And he refused to stall.

’I’ll give myself a week. I’ll find as much as I can. Then I evolve... and we leave.’

He made his decision.

’Hopefully, the Spire takes us straight back to the Tutorial Dungeon. And if it doesn’t...’

His eyes sharpened slightly.

’I’ll just have to move faster.’

He nodded to himself, the resolve settling deep within him.

Then, his focus shifted to something that had been lingering at the edge of his thoughts.

His growth.

’Weave Status.’