Lassim’s heart raced, his thoughts a whirlwind of emotions and turmoil.
The Abyssal Will’s offer hung in the air, its poisonous allure wrapping around his mind like the tendrils of a dark fog.
The vision of his loved ones, alive and well, was tantalizing—a chance to undo all the pain, all the loss.
For a moment, he hesitated, the weight of his grief pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket.
But then, through the fog of despair, the image of Lustria’s broken body flashed in his mind, her final moments replaying in vivid detail.
Lustria’s final moments, the strength and love in her eyes even as life slipped away.
He also saw the faces of his family, his friends, and the countless others who had sacrificed everything to protect Nexaria. To protect this universe from the Abyss’ greed and gluttony.
These were the people who had fought alongside him, who had believed in him. They had not given up, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
The memories of their sacrifices ignited a fire within Lassim’s heart.
The Abyss had taken so much from him, but he knew that if he accepted its offer, he would be betraying everything his loved ones had stood for. He would be dishonoring their memories, turning his back on the very principles that had guided him through every battle, every hardship.
"No," Lassim whispered, his voice gaining strength as the conviction in his heart solidified. "I won’t betray them. I won’t become the monster you want me to be."
The Abyssal Will’s voice hissed, its once smooth tone turning venomous and angry. "You are a fool, Lassim. You could have everything—power beyond your wildest dreams, your loved ones returned to you. And yet, you choose to suffer."
Lassim’s grip tightened on Lustria’s lifeless body to cradle her with him as he slowly rose to his feet.
His eyes, once filled with despair, madness even, now burned with a fierce determination. The dark energy that had swirled around him began to dissipate, replaced by a bright radiant light.
"I may suffer," Lassim said, his voice steady and resolute. "But I will not be your pawn. I know you may have that power but that would be spitting in their faces. I will not bow to you, the Abyss’ will. I will fight you until my last dying breath, and I vow I will instead become the madness that forever terrorizes you until the end of time for what you have done to my people."
The Abyssal Will growled, a deep, rumbling sound that reverberated through Lassim’s mind. "You will regret this, Lassim. I will make sure of it."
But Lassim was no longer listening. His heart was clear, his resolve unshakable.
He looked up at the sky, at the vast expanse that stretched out above him, and raised his voice in a vow that echoed across the battlefield.
"I will defeat you," he declared, his words carrying the weight of a promise deep within his soul. "I will become stronger than you could ever imagine, and I will allow all those who were sacrificed to rest in peace. This I swear!"
As the last of his words left his lips, the world around Lassim began to tremble.
The battlefield, the Abyssal creatures, even Lustria’s body—all of it started to blur and fade, dissolving into a swirling mist of light and shadow.
Lassim’s heart pounded in his chest as the ground beneath him vanished, and he felt himself falling, falling into the void.
And then, with a gasp and a choke with a mouth full of milky, he woke up.
Lassim broke free of the depths of the milky pond, his body jerking upright as he sucked in a deep breath of fresh air.
Water cascaded down his face, and he blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
It felt like a lifetime had passed since he had first submerged himself in the pool, but as he looked around, he realized he was still in the same serene, moss-covered grove from before.
The willow trees swayed gently in the breeze, their long branches trailing across the surface of the pond. The air was cool and refreshing, carrying with it the scent of earth and greenery.
For a moment, Lassim simply sat there, his heart still racing as he tried to process everything he had experienced.
And then, the androgynous voice echoed through the grove, its tone calm and soothing. "Congratulations, Lassim. You have passed the second trial."
Lassim’s breath caught in his throat as the weight of the words sank in.
The battlefield, the countless deaths, his slaughtering of the generals by unleashing his domain, Lustria’s death—it had all been a test; a vision. It wasn’t real, but it sure felt like it.
His muscles across his body seemed to remember the weight of the power he had held.
His fingertips still felt the touch of Lustria’s skin slowly growing colder under his caress.
The voice continued, its tone turning more gentle. "The pond of purification has tested your resolve against the greatest temptation the Abyss can offer when you are at your weakest. You have proven that your heart is pure, that you can resist even the most seductive of promises. Take a moment, Lassim, and collect your thoughts. Relax in the pool, for you have earned it."
As the voice faded, Lassim felt a wave of relief wash over him as the pond began to glow with an azure light, soothing the jagged edges of his emotions.
The tightness in his chest began to ease, and the storm of thoughts in his mind slowly quieted. He leaned back in the water, allowing its cool embrace to calm his racing heart.
"It was just a vision," he whispered to himself, his voice trembling slightly. "Just a test."
But even as he spoke the words, he knew that the test had been more than just a simple illusion.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēwebnovel.com.
The Abyssal Will that had spoken to him felt incredibly real. It had tried to seduce him with the promise of such unimaginable power and the return of his loved ones.
The threat had been very realistic, and unfortunately that real danger was far from over. Heck, it hadn’t even really begun.
The voice returned, as if following his thoughts exactly, "Fret not, for the vision you experienced was one possible future among the many threads of fate. If you wish to prevent it from coming true, you must become stronger. Stay true to yourself, Lassim, and do not waver in the face of temptation.
The first byproduct reward of this test is an enchantment that will help prevent heart demons when you face your eventual test for godhood. That soothing sensation you feel is the enchantment taking root around your mind."
Lassim’s eyes widened at the mention of the enchantment. He had heard of heart demons from the stories he read as a child, the dark thoughts and desires that could plague a cultivator’s mind during moments of weakness.
In his childhood stories, the hero would face them during a heavenly tribulation. Those moments in the hero’s tales were always a climax before the big battle. It was always a trial in itself, and if that was something he was going to face in the future, any aid would be invaluable.
The voice encouraged Lassim to leave the waters and rest, "The enchantment is complete. You may step onto the land once more and begin the third trial when you are prepared."
Slowly, he rose from the water, treading back to shore feeling the weight of the vision begin to lift from his shoulders. As he stepped onto the soft mossy earth, the cool air brushed against his skin. It grounded him further in reality as he took a deep breath, savoring the simple sensation of being alive.
He couldn’t help but reflect on what had happened in the test as he sat cross legged on the shoreline.
The emotions and sensations of it all had been so real, so overwhelming, that it was hard to believe it had all been an illusion. But the lessons learned were invaluable.
He had faced the deepest temptation of the Abyss, and he had emerged victorious.
As Lassim sat there, lost in thought, the surface of the pond began to ripple.
A soft, luminous glow emerged from the water, drawing his attention.
A pearl, smooth and radiant, floated out of the pond and drifted over to the shore, coming to rest gently at his feet.
Lassim knelt down and picked up the pearl, feeling the cool, smooth surface against his skin.
As he held it, a wave of knowledge flowed into his mind—an understanding of a powerful water-based healing technique, [Life Stream], one that could suture wounds, restore vitality, and even recreate lost veins and mana pathways. It was a divine rank technique, far beyond anything he had ever encountered or self created before.
The androgynous voice spoke once more with warmth. "This is your special reward for passing the trial. It is a gift from Ava herself that will allow you to heal and protect those you care about. Your sadness and rage at their harm, especially against your fated one, has touched her heart. May it help you save their lives and prevent future loss of others.
Know, Lassim, that this technique, once fully mastered, holds the power to bring about miraculous recoveries. You will learn just how powerful it shall be as you advance"
Lassim closed his eyes, allowing the knowledge to settle into his mind. The technique was powerful, and he knew it would take time to fully master it, but the potential it held was immense.
It was more than just a reward—it was a way to ensure that he would never have to experience the pain of losing a loved one. Yet, it also would allow him to push himself further and further, into more dangerous situations in the place of others.
A quick review of the new knowledge in his mind told him that he’d be able to fight, and recover in the middle of battling. It’d prolong his attacks on the endless abyssal legion and perhaps allow him to take injuries more recklessly while saving others in the future. It was a wonderful skill.
With a deep sense of gratitude, Lassim spent the next hour practicing the technique, familiarizing himself with its flow and intricacies.
The more he practiced, the more the technique felt like an extension of himself, a natural expression of his water mana. It was as if the pearl had unlocked a new facet of his elemental power, one that had always been there, waiting to be discovered.
He knew there were water based healing techniques, but he thought he just didn’t have the natural affinity.
As the unnatural sun that hung in the air continued to glow down onto the mossy willow forest and milky pond, Lassim finally felt ready.
"Alright. I believe I am prepared for the next round, but how many more trials are there anyways?" Lassim asked.
Unfortunately, the voice did not answer and instead two of the willow tree’s limbs began to twist and twirl together in a magnificent fashion.
The limbs fused together and began to drop dew from their leaves which slowly turned into a bubbling waterfall. Lassim’s progenitor marks reacted but the buzzing this time felt very different.
Subconsciously, his brief experience in the future had forever changed his perception of the space element and weave of fabric that was the space around him. He attempted to follow the threads that connected this portal. His marks suddenly tried to reach for his face, towards his eyes, but it seemed like they were a bit too weak.
He had to forcefully shut and cringe his eyes shut as he felt a searing pain in his pupils. "I guess that voice is right. That was definitely a possible future. I feel like I can follow the threads and peer into where they lead, but I guess I’m just too weak right now…"
While he had hurt himself attempting to see into the other dimension’s pathways, the doorway to the third trial had finished appearing between the arch of two willow trees. The shimmering portal beckoned him forward.
But before he stepped through, Lassim took one last moment to prepare himself and calm down.
He was still shaking a bit in his hands from the whole experience, but he was resolved to change the future and not allow those same events to take place. Sure, he would defeat the generals and that Dragal Prince, but he was determined to alter the outcome.
With a final breath, Lassim stepped through the portal, ready to face whatever lay ahead.