Lassim’s heart raced as he realized who this was—the Leviathan, a Demi-Goddess of the sea, had appeared within his inner heart world.
The scale he had used... it must have belonged to her. The realization sent a shiver down his spine, but there was nothing he could do as she waved her hand, and the constellation—his actual soul—began to shift and alter under her control like clay.
The wings grew larger and more terrifying, the storm and waves behind her more ferocious and world-ending.
She sneered at the image of the chains, clearly displeased with their crude and simple depiction; like some copy of a chain used to lock an equipment shed or barracks.
With another wave of her hand, they transformed into thick, rune-covered shackles, etched with divine laws that made Lassim’s mind buzz with incomprehension.
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The chains also had sharp thorny spikes added to them that seemed to cut into and make the sea snake bleed slightly with its movements; a detail Lassim felt added an extra level of pain and torture that made the Leviathan look even angrier than before.
Before Lassim could even muster a response at this threat that pressed down against his very being and was playing away with the structure of his soul, a vibrant voice chirped out.
"[Ooooh, big sis! You’re here to watch and help Lassim advance too, right? Maaaan… He’s been stuck at the Spirit Transformation stage for awhile, I tell yah! Sister Mari kept saying he had to alter his mana and look at what it did… I swear, she’s so smart that she should’ve seen this issue. But don’t worry!
We used this cool sea snake we saw on an amulet and he’s about to finish advancing!]" Zaphy’s voice rang out, full of unrestrained enthusiasm.
The Demi-Goddess Leviathan’s eyes widened in surprise as she turned to see Zaphy fluttering around, her purple and golden runed wings emitted electricity jolts softly.
The Leviathan’s eyes narrowed, a hint of confusion and annoyance crossing her features. "[Big sis? Help? Cool sea snake? I—]" she stammered, momentarily thrown off by Zaphy.
"[You must be! Since you’re here with us, right? Lassim’s been working so hard on this, I’m sure you’ll make it even better, right?! All you Gods and Goddesses keep looking out for us,]" Zaphy continued, completely unfazed by the imposing aura of the Leviathan.
The Leviathan’s mouth opened and closed as if she wanted to retort, but the words seemed to stick in her throat.
She shook her head, her massive tail thrashing irritably behind her. "[Tsk, as if I need to help a mere parasite! This form of his... it’s laughable, just like the rest of those evil beings that locked me up!]"
"[Zaphy! Be careful,]" Mari’s voice cut in sharply, her usually calm demeanor taking on a sharper edge as she moved.
She materialized beside Zaphy, her dragon-koi form glowing with an inner azure light and her golden runes shimmering too.
She cast a protective glance towards Lassim before turning to face the Leviathan directly. "[I won’t let you insult him, no matter who you are. Lassim is no parasite, and he’s worked hard for this.]"
The Leviathan scoffed, though a slight smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "[Worked hard, you say? You think I care about the efforts of a parasite?]"
She then eyed Lassim, as if she were contemplating whether to devour him on the spot. "[Two elemental companions... Interesting. It seems the gods have decided to try something new and have invested a lot into you. They must be watching right now too, thinking they can protect you from me.]"
Lassim remained silent, but his mind raced. The pressure of the Leviathan’s presence was almost overwhelming, but he could feel Mari’s resolve and Zaphy’s nonchalance beside him, bolstering his spirit slightly.
The Leviathan’s eyes flicked upward, as if peering through the very fabric of Lassim’s heart world and into the heavens beyond.
A sinister smile spread across her face, revealing sharp, gleaming teeth. "[Ah, I see now. You’re their little puppet, aren’t you? They’ve blessed you with this power, hoping you’ll be their savior, but I’ll turn you into my instrument of freedom instead.]"
"[Big sis, you’re so cool!]" Zaphy said, still completely ignoring the malice in the Leviathan’s voice. "[If you help Lassim get stronger, we can all play together more often, I’m sure!]"
Zaphy fluttered closer, beaming up at the Leviathan with bright, innocent eyes. "[You can join our battles! Then we’ll have even more fun!]"
The Leviathan visibly flinched, a deep blush creeping up her face as Zaphy’s unrelenting friendliness crashed against her imposing demeanor. "[W-What are you talking about?
I am no ’big sis’ to anyone, I’m the primal beast of all water beings, the chaotic destroyer of the continents and their inhabitants, the never ending storm bringer that all captains on their puny toy ships pray to avoid, and I certainly have no reason to be joining you!]"
But despite her words, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from glancing back at Zaphy, her fierce expression faltering ever so slightly under the bombardment of attention.
The Leviathan’s expression changed for a moment as if a lightbulb went off, her tail wiggled back and forth in excitement. "[Insolent... Fine!]"
She whipped her head back towards Lassim, her expression hardening. "[Since you’re so important to those enemies on their thrones, I’ll use you as my ticket out of my prison. You’re going to help break me free from those divine chains, whether you want to or not, and I’m going to ’gift’ you a present to ensure you cannot develop your own throne either, unless you break them!]"
Without further warning, the Leviathan bit down hard on her lip, drawing a single drop of deep blue blood.
She let it pool on her tongue before spitting it outwards and onto the constellation.
The blood splattered across the shimmering soul dust, which absorbed it instantly, turning the constellation from its pristine white to a slight azure hue.
Lassim watched in stunned silence as the Leviathan’s blood altered the very fabric of his constellation, transforming it into a far more terrifying and powerful image.
The scales became more intricate, the wings more menacing, and the chains that once bound the Leviathan now bore runes of divine laws too complex for him to understand.
Each detail felt imbued with a raw, chaotic energy, a reflection of the Leviathan’s own twisted power. He also started to feel physical changes occurring across his body that were interacting and changing the structure of all the blood cells and bone marrow across his body. It was adding something to him every fraction of a second that passed.
"[I’ll let you keep this toy, Lassim,]" the Leviathan sneered, her voice dripping with condescension. "[But know this—by using my likeness, you’ve incurred a debt. One that I intend to see repaid. The gods may adore you now, but I’ve decided that you shall be the one to break me free from my chains. As a mark of your debt, I curse you and your bloodline.
You shall never ascend to godhood, and your descendants shall carry my bloodline forevermore. Do not play with Demi-Gods again, you parasite of the element; we aren’t all as kind as those up above on their thrones.]"
The weight of her words hung heavy in the air, and before Lassim could react, she clapped her hands together.
The constellation then solidified, the modifications complete, and in his heart world, the void above seemed to tear open, revealing a projection of the night sky.
His constellation, now tinged with the Leviathan’s azure blood, split into two with the physical form firmly sat within his heart world and a shade copy rose like a ghost, ascending swiftly into the heavens.
It then settled into an empty space, expanding into a magnificent depiction that mirrored the one within him. A thread of energy then shot down and connected the two, linking his heart world to the celestial heavens.
Lassim immediately felt the presence of his constellation high in the sky, even though he was deep underground. He was sure that if he was able to avert his attention, and had a clear view, he’d likely be able to spot the newest constellation somewhere in the sky.
It was as if a part of him had transcended the physical realm, becoming something more, something beyond mortal comprehension.
The transformation within his heart world wasn’t over.
As the constellation locked into place, Lassim felt a surge of energy rush through him.
The starlight from his constellation began to slowly filter down and merge with the divine mana in his heart world, transforming it in a manner he didn’t quite understand or focus on yet.
His physical body felt lighter, and stronger, as his entire being was initiating the advancement into the Spirit Ascension stage. The limit and wall he felt had completely shattered.
The Leviathan’s presence began to fade from his heart world, but not before she cast one final glance at Zaphy and Mari, her expression a strange mixture of irritation and something almost resembling fondness.
"[Tch, don’t think this changes anything,]" she muttered, half to herself. "[I’m going to eat him when the time comes, but...]"
She paused, her eyes flicking to Lassim one last time, "[Maybe you, special parasite, can change my mind. Just don’t get too comfortable, or I’ll remind you why you should be afraid of me.]"
With that, the Leviathan’s form dissolved into a mist of blue energy, leaving Lassim, Zaphy, and Mari alone in his heart world.
The weight of her curse and the reality of his emerging power washed over him, a thing of dread coursing through his veins.
Unwaiting for his nerves to relax, the connection between the constellations solidified, the void portal within his heart world closed, leaving only the faint starlight connection traveling through an unobservable void.
Yet, despite the closure, there was an aspect of it that made his progenitor marks tingle as he could feel the hole in the threads of space that the starlight was traveling through.
More and more of the liquid mana was being affected by the starlight and Lassim felt the shift begin within his own body.
The process of advancing to the Spirit Ascension stage had begun.