Transmigrated with my corruption system

Chapter 180: Chapter 179: A Vision of Ruin

A brief silence descended as Ulric’s words echoed through the rooftop.

Then a sharp gasp slipped past Astra’s lips.

Without hesitation, she surged forward, rushing toward the sprawled figure lying on the ground.

Having accompanied Elira for nearly her entire life, Astra had witnessed this state more times than she could count. Whenever her master peered too deeply into the fate of powerful beings, the backlash would inevitably leave her weakened and bedridden for days.

Yet every single time, she had eventually recovered. Not only recovered, but returned stronger.

With each reckless dive into the currents of fate, Elira’s body seemed to undergo subtle changes. What had once been the physique of an ordinary mortal had gradually transformed into something far more resilient.

Over the years, her physical strength had risen to a level that nearly rivaled that of an initial F-rank being.

To true powerhouses, such growth might seem insignificant.

To mortals, however, it was the difference between weakness and supremacy.

No ordinary person could hope to contend with her.

That was why Astra had never been concerned.

She had assumed this incident would be no different from all the others.

A few days of rest. Then everything would return to normal.

Yet as she looked upon Elira’s pale face and recalled the certainty in the dark-robed youth’s voice, a sharp pain pierced her chest.

A feeling she desperately wanted to reject.

"No... this..." Astra mumbled, tears streaming freely down her face.

Her hands moved frantically across Elira’s body, searching for any sign that the youth’s words were wrong.

Any sign that this was merely another temporary setback. But the more she checked, the more despair settled into her heart.

The signs were undeniable. Her master’s life force was fading.

The realization struck Astra harder than any blade ever could. The sole reason she had chosen the path of strength was because of Elira.

She still remembered the starving orphan she once was. Forgotten and alone. Left to survive in a world that had never shown her kindness.

Then Elira had appeared. Not as some great savior or legendary hero, but as someone who cared when no one else did.

Someone who had offered her warmth when she needed it most.

Ever since that day, Astra had sworn she would become strong enough to repay that kindness.

Strong enough to stand beside her master and protect her. Yet now, when she was needed most, she could do nothing.

No enemy stood before her. No battle could be fought. No strength could change what was happening.

A crushing sense of helplessness settled over her shoulders.

Quietly sighing, Elira gathered the last remnants of her strength and slowly raised a trembling hand.

Her fingers brushed against Astra’s cheek. Wiping away the tears streaming down the girl’s face.

She had always known this day would come. Just not this soon.

Seers were anomalies within the tapestry of fate. They spent their lives peering into threads that were never meant to be seen.

And eventually, those same threads always demanded a price.

If this had happened years ago, she would have been burdened by countless regrets.

Regrets that she would leave behind no heir, that her lineage would die with her, and that their ancient inheritance would be lost to time.

But now, as she gazed upon the crying girl before her, she found herself strangely at peace.

Perhaps she had always known the truth. What they possessed was not a blessing.

It was a curse disguised as one. Some things were better left unseen.

Some doors were never meant to be opened. Perhaps this outcome was for the best after all.

If only the girl would be spared from witnessing what was to come.

The thought lingered in her mind as she released a slow breath and turned her gaze toward the grey-robed girl.

***

At the side, Ulric stared blankly for a moment.

Now that his mind wasn’t muddled by multiple thoughts, he could finally see what was truly happening.

At first, even though her condition appeared critical, he had assumed that with the help of a few health potions, her body could easily be restored to full health.

But with the aid of the special vision granted by his Phantom Blades, he could see the damage to her body transcended the physical.

The glowing threads that spread across her body and formed intricate knots were slowly disintegrating, crushed by a mysterious force.

Was this the power of fate?

Ulric mused as his eyes widened slightly.

He had always known it was a terrifying power. But given that he was the one wielding it, he had never worried much about it.

Now, seeing it used by mysterious forces made him considerably more cautious.

Was there a way to evade it?

Prevent it? Or if he were ever targeted by it himself, would he be reduced to her current state?

It seemed he had a lot more research to do regarding this ability.

Based on what he knew so far, there was no way to completely evade its power. Any measures he took would only prolong the inevitable.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to try.

If her visions were indeed true, then she still had much to offer him.

With all these thoughts circling at the back of his mind, Ulric crouched slightly so he stood level with Elira’s sprawled figure.

Then he opened his mouth.

"Though... I might have a way to save you."

His words immediately drew the attention of the two figures.

"Huh?" Elira breathed, confusion surfacing across her face.

Under normal circumstances, she would have dismissed his words outright.

This was the power of fate itself, moving to consume and erase her existence from the plane of Arcadia.

It didn’t take much to doubt that a figure of his rank could stop, let alone reverse, what was happening to her body.

But this time was different.

The youth was different.

If his hidden fate wasn’t enough, then merely possessing the ability to see and deduce what was happening within her body placed him far above ordinary individuals.

"You do?" Astra mumbled, a glimmer of hope flashing across her tear-streaked eyes.

Elira beside her wasn’t much different.

Though she wasn’t afraid of death, that didn’t mean she had accepted it.

Shifting her gaze toward the dark-robed youth, she could no longer hide the surprise flashing across her soft dark eyes.

She had thought that by peering into his fate, she had uncovered everything, or at least most, of the mysteries surrounding him.

But it seemed there was no end to them.

"But first..." Ulric continued without missing a beat. "I want you to pry deeper and tell me more about the figure shrouded within the darkness."

At those words, Elira’s expression darkened slightly.

"I can’t... my body and energy..."

Tonight was a full moon.

Her powers had been at their peak, amplified beyond their usual limits. It was the only reason she had possessed enough energy to peer into the youth’s fate in the first place, combined with what she had accumulated over a long period of time.

Besides, her body was already on the verge of collapse.

Another attempt would only accelerate the inevitable.

All problems Ulric had already foreseen.

And solved. Reaching out his hand, the air around him rippled slightly as a drop of aether formed, drawn from his now substantial reserves.

The moment it formed, it should have exuded a terrifying pressure capable of crushing everything around him.

But with Ulric suppressing its nature, it appeared no different from a drop of condensed energy.

One that pulsed with multiple ethereal colors in shifting intervals, giving it a mesmerizing charm.

But Elira could see more.

Though she couldn’t wield energy herself, her senses were exceptional enough to perceive it.

And within the glowing drop hovering above the youth’s palm, she could sense monstrous reserves packed within.

To put it into perspective, it was as though an entire sea of mana had somehow been condensed into a single drop.

It was indeed impressive.

But even if he channeled that energy into her, it still wouldn’t work.

Her body could only contain moonlight energy.

Her mouth opened to speak. Before the words froze in her throat.

She watched in stunned silence as the energy pulsed in and out of existence. And with each pulse, it gradually transformed into a familiar energy signature.

Moonlight energy? And not just moonlight energy.

It felt unbelievably pure. It simply didn’t make sense.

Could he alter the composition of energy itself?

Sensing the shock flashing across Elira’s eyes, Ulric merely waved it off.

What others considered impossible was little more than a simple trick to him.

With his ability to convert other energy sources into aether, he had long wondered whether he could reverse the process, or even transform it into entirely different forms of energy.

The answer had turned out to be surprisingly simple.

As long as he possessed a sample, he could reshape aether into virtually any energy source he desired.

There was far more nuance to the process than that.

But with his advanced mental acuity, it felt effortless in Ulric’s grasp.

Accounting for the strain ravaging her body, Ulric reached forward and grasped her hand.

Instantly, his vision blanked out.

Similar to before. Only this time, when his sight returned, he wasn’t standing within the familiar white room.

He was somewhere entirely different.