Chương 22: Consuming Essence

Vael's gaze remained fixed on the three acid orbs hurtling towards him from all directions. He stood his ground, determined not to dodge. Extending his hands forward, he concentrated, envisioning a suction force emanating from his palms.

As the orbs neared, Vael observed with a mix of awe and surprise as two black holes formed in the center of each palm. A peculiar sensation radiated from them, unlike anything he had felt before. The acid orbs, now accelerating, began shrinking and warping as they were drawn into the black holes, disappearing without a trace.

Tiny, witnessing this feat, wore a look of sheer astonishment. Never before had he seen such a display of power. But his astonishment quickly turned to fury. The sable serpent, known for his short temper, sneered at Vael. "You think you're strong, huh, kid? Let's see if you can handle this!" he challenged.

With a sinister grin, Tiny began to conjure an enormous orb of acid, the green liquid swirling menacingly in his hand.

Tiny, his frustration boiling over, began tearing off small pieces from the massive acid orb, hurling them towards Vael at an astonishing speed. Hundreds of mini orbs flew through the air. "Let's see you try to absorb all of this!" Tiny bellowed.

A cloud of dust enveloped the area around Vael, obscuring him from view. Tiny's face glistened with sweat, a testament to the stamina required for his relentless assault. In his anger, he nearly forgot his mission to capture Vael alive.

As the dust began to settle, a figure emerged. It was Vael, calmly walking towards Tiny, hand outstretched. Each step he took saw another orb disappear into his palm.

"This is impossible!" Tiny screamed in disbelief. He increased the velocity of his attack, pushing his body to its limits, but Vael continued his steady advance, unphased and absorbing every single orb.

"You know, this will be the last day any of you Sable Serpents live," Vael declared, his voice menacing. "Every single last one of you will perish."

Finally reaching Tiny, Vael grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. "Interesting power you have," Vael mused, feeling the energy pulsating through him. Tiny struggled for air, gasping out, "What kind of monster are you?"

"The worst kind," Vael replied coldly. With that, he conjured the green acid in his hand, directing it towards Tiny. Tiny's screams filled the room as the acid began its corrosive work, ending his life in moments. Vael casually dropped his lifeless body to the floor. "That's one down."

"You did it," Luminara said, a note of pride in her voice. But Vael was too absorbed in the sensation of the acid powers coursing through him to respond. He marveled at the energy, wondering, So, can I use this power anytime now?

Luminara answered his unspoken question. "For now, yes. Lord Aizen's power allows you to retain the absorbed abilities. As he was capable of keeping powers permanently at his advanced level, you will be able to do the same once you've leveled up."

"Leveled up?" Vael echoed, his curiosity piqued.

"Yes, in this world, element users progress through seven stages," Luminara explained. "You're currently a 'Seedling,' the initial rank. The others, in ascending order, are Harmonizer, Warden, Conduit, Essence Virtuoso, Transcendent, and Sovereign. I'm a Transcendent, but you have a long journey ahead to reach that level. However, with the Prism Stone, your potential is boundless."

Vael, absorbing this new information, asked, "So, are the Gods at the Transcendent level too?"

"Some are, while others have attained the Sovereign level," she replied.

"Is there anything stronger than a Sovereign?" Vael inquired, his mind racing with possibilities.

Luminara paused, her words weighed with thought. "I don't know. But in this universe, anything is possible."

"How do I get stronger?" Vael asked, eager to understand his new abilities.

"Go to the body of that Sable Serpent," instructed Luminara. "Open its chest."

"Seriously?" Vael responded, his voice tinged with disgust.

"Yes. Inside, you'll find an essence crystal," Luminara affirmed.

Recalling his earlier encounter in the forest, where Azural consumed the crystals of his fallen comrades, Vael hesitantly approached Tiny's corpse. With a sense of grim determination, he tore open the chest, revealing a shiny green crystal nestled within. He picked it up, instinctively moving it towards his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Luminara exclaimed, startled.

"I thought I'm supposed to eat it," Vael replied, puzzled.

"No, silly. You can't consume these crystals directly. Use your 'Absorb' ability, just like with the elements," Luminara corrected him.

Focusing on the crystal in his hand, Vael activated his power. The crystal began to dissolve, and a message flashed in his mind: '1/1000 essence crystals consumed.'

"1000?" Vael voiced his disbelief. "That's going to take forever."

Luminara's laughter echoed in his mind. "1000 isn't much. Just wait until you see the amounts required for higher levels."

Just then, Vael heard a faint voice calling his name. "Vael…"

He whirled around, ready for another fight, only to see a small lizard creature floating in the air.

"Moxy!" Vael exclaimed with a mix of surprise and relief. "You're finally awake!"

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