Kapitel 96: Worthy Adversary II — Ambrosya

The hours passed by as I sat around and meditated. Sunset had arrived and dyed the grey sky with beams of orange. As usual, the air was still full of mana, allowing each breath of mine to strengthen my body ever so slightly.

I looked out into the horizon. The shadows of Aelthrie's buildings grew longer with each passing minute, allowing the rays of deep orange sunlight to become clear. The hustle and bustle of a thriving city roared far below me.

Whoooom—!

A low hum.

I watched as the rays of sunlight suddenly clicked into place without warning.

Like an abstract painting suddenly showing structure within its strokes or an optical illusion suddenly depicting its secrets at just the right angle of observation, a nigh-impossible phenomenon occurred. A set of mana programs, spanning kilometres in all three dimensions, appeared and surrounded this region of the planet.

But it happened for only a moment, like lightning on a clear blue sky. It was obvious to anyone who had keen senses, and yet no one could truly comprehend what had just happened from that very instant.

Save for a select few...

I closed my eyes and recalled a certain A ranker's reaction.

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"Hm?!"

Buried within blueprints, half-finished contraptions, and hand-made instruments, Eve awoke from her short power nap. Dark circles carved their way beneath her bloodshot eyes as alertness flashed within her obsidian black irises.

"What... was that..?"

She stood up and looked out the window of her workshop. The rays of the setting sun shone onto her unkempt appearance.

With her hand outstretched and open, she summoned her single-edged blade. It flew out of a pile of metal parts and landed in her palm. The familiar cold weight of her weapon brought her comfort. A list of enemies passed through her mind as she looked around her city.

"There's... no threat?"

Eve tilted her head. Midnight blue hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her white blouse fluttered with the movement of mana in her aura.

"Is my age getting to me? Am I imagining things? Or is there something else?"

With a flick of her wrist, Eve called out another item from within the depths of her workshop. It was an orb, with certain high-level enchantments engraved upon it like a layered onion. God only knew how such a thing was made, but Eve still achieved a feat thought to be impossible.

Looking into this orb, Eve's eyes shrank.

"What?!" She gasped. "Energy ratings above A rank? A god?"

She then went through the rest of the information. Her expression was crumpled and indicative of her deep thoughts. Unique energy swirled within the orb, hastily being analysed and pulled apart.

"No... A natural phenomenon? Similar to Aethercaller University's magic canopy?"

But it was different from it. It wasn't a simple spell. There was something weird about the energy generated by the three-dimensional set of mana programs.

Eve analysed the energy further. With every moment, her lips grew paler. Shock became her prevailing emotion as she muttered with absolute disbelief.

"The traces of an unclaimed godly concept..? A Law that has yet to be governed?!"

Thud—!

Eve lost control of her body despite her A rank mental fortitude. The orb fell to the carpeted floor. An inexplicable aura emerged from deep within her body at this moment.

She had comprehended something just then.

"Is this a path to Godhood?"

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Unfortunately for Eve, that path required many more conditions to be met. The path to becoming something equivalent to the gods required so much more than just energy and an unclaimed concept.

In the first place, as a human, becoming a god was simply impossible. It wasn't a problem with power... but a restriction of race.

"Is it time yet?" I heard King approach me.

I was currently leaning on the glass railing of the top floor. King joined me, smelling of strong alcohol. Seeing his blushed face and unfocused gaze, I wrinkled my nose.

"How much did you drink?"

"A few bottles, why?" King licked his lips. His breath smelled of whisky.

"...Nothing." I shook my head, "Anyways, the time had already passed."

I held out the prism-shaped treasure in my hand. At this moment, it was glowing with the colours of the sunset. An unclaimed godly concept swirled with power within it, triggering its mechanisms and unlocking its hidden secrets.

"Let's find a less public space," I spoke to King, who had instantly sobered up after hearing my next words, "The secret that I've been searching for will now reveal itself."

King nodded with a certain serious air about him. He then led me to one of the HQ's meeting rooms and closed the blinds.

I placed the item on the table and waited.

It took a minute, but eventually, the turbulent orange energy subsided. A faint white mist began emanating from the item as a smile crept up my face.

Like a genie appearing out of a magic oil lamp, the mist slowly formed the figure of a human being. This figure held a pen in one hand and a sword in the other. His hair was half white and half black, and had the stature of a fifteen year old adolescent.

"Fuelled by the godly concept of the Setting Sun. Wielding the sword, Twilight, and the fountain pen, Dusk." I muttered with excitement. "An artificial intelligence given life back in ancient times by the research-addicted goddess of concepts, Thystaina."

King's ears absorbed every word I said.

"Code name, [ Worthy Adversary ]," I bowed at the misty figure, "Caelum Phricius greets the ancient intelligence."

"Congratulations on your rebirth."