Chapter 6: The Dark Vine Wrapped Around the Towering Tree’s Branch
The haunting experience that Elias had put Drakas through, an experience akin to a nightmare in the Mental Landscape, would be enough to intimidate Drakas and deter him from using the club to kill Elias once he regains his consciousness. In the meantime, Elias would devise a way to dissuade Drakas from killing him.
In the real world, Elias was as vulnerable as an ant that could easily be crushed by Drakas without the godly power he had displayed in the Mental Landscape. To ensure his safety, the only means he could employ was releasing Drakas’s projected consciousness to the real world, at the cost of some of his lifespan.
Elias was not overly concerned about the price he had to pay, being a significant loss of his lifespan, as he could easily recover it once he regained his strength. As someone who had nearly reached the pinnacle of power in his previous multiverse with a boundless lifespan, such a sacrifice was the least of his concerns. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be affected by the loss of lifespan, considering his precarious condition beginning in the new world.
While his body would be affected by the deprivation of lifespan, it would have minimal effect, as the bulk of the drain was focused on his consciousness matrix or soul in the terms of Mystral. By Elias’s estimation, his mental strength would be affected by the loss of lifespan, decreasing his overall dominion over the Mental Landscape.
Although there would be a slight delay before the release of Drakas’s consciousness took effect in the real world, Elias didn’t mind. He could stall for time if necessary. With that plan formulated, Elias gave the command, and Drakas’s consciousness shattered, turning into sparkling fragments before disappearing from the Mental Landscape.
...
Back to the real world.
The Mortuary.
Elias had finally returned to reality, but he was immediately assaulted by a sharp pain at the back of his head, blood drenching his naked body. He felt lightheaded as he struggled to rise from the ground, using the nearby wall as support.