He could just ignore his Heavenbreaker powers and focus on Traits and Elements, but Neo wouldn’t be Neo if he did not try everything in his power to grow stronger.
“Alright, I got two Consciousnesses. I should create the third one now.”
Neo decided to keep turning his Concepts into Consciousnesses.
He wondered what Concept should he turn next.
True Darkness?
Turning it into a Consciousness would make it stronger. While Neo wanted to see how strengthening True Darkness would work, since he was already getting everything when he devoured something, it would increase the madness too.
He was not yet strong enough to handle that madness.
“If not True Darkness, what Concept should I turn into Consciousness?”
Maybe it was Neo’s imagination, but he felt pang of sadness inside him. It did not come from him though.
He focused inwards, and when he did not find the source of that sadness, he shifted his focus to the task at hand.
“Aqua Nihil is the best for now. While I don’t use it much yet, it’s the best Concept to stop others from using River of Time and going back in time when they are fighting against me.
“Hmm…
“Tyrant can do the same though.”
Neo weighed pros and cons.
Aqua Nihil could destroy others’ River of Time, but to be able to affect others’ River of Time, he needed Tyrant.
“Tyrant it is, I guess.”
Neo summoned the mimicked Tyrant Concept inside his Cosmos, and began to corrupt it with Void.
Celestra and Velkaria were surprised when they saw another Consciousness being born.
The process fascinated them, and soon the process was completed.
A new type of energy created from Shadow Element and Water Element was born.
It turned into a figure of a woman with white hair, and red eyes.
Neo was surprised when he noticed it looked the same as Elizabeth.
He shook his head and calmed himself.
Its Intent and Elizabeth’s Intent were completely different, even if they looked the same.
“You will be Tyrant Firmament from now on.”
Tyrant Firmament looked at the ‘sky’ before it nodded.
A moment of brief silence passed. Tyrant Firmament kept staring at the sky.
“Is there something you want to say?”
Outside
Neo understood its request.
“Okay, if you want to come out, you can. Rather, everyone can come out.”
Neo summoned them to Zone 4.
They appeared in the world where the flames of war had begun to finally die out.
Eternal Death Firmament floated in the air, still asleep.
Sword Death Firmament circled around him with liveliness.
Tyrant Firmament just stood there. It was the only Firmament that looked anything close to a human.
Celestra and Velkaria had quite the opposite reaction. Velkaria seemed to have given up on understanding what was going on, and had a blank gaze.
Celestra checked the surroundings excitedly as if this was her first time there.
“You haven’t been here before?” Neo questioned her.
“I have, but I couldn’t exactly stop and look at everything like this while I was expected to act as leader.”
She materialized a sketchbook out of thin air.
“Are you going to sketch…?”
“Oh, you know sketching? I guess that’s to be expected. You spent time with Zera. She must’ve shown it to you too.”
She smiled.
However Neo could see the grief in her eyes.
For how less Zera cared about others’ personal space, she seemed to be close to everyone.
Neo had already told Celestra and Tyr what happened with Zera, and while they did not show it openly, it had clearly left a huge scar on their heart.
“I like sketching. So don’t mind me, and do what you want, I will just sketch in a corner,” she seemed happy. “I always wanted to paint the Zones when I came here–”
“I’m going to devour this Zone.”
“Oh.”
Celestra smiled bitterly and was about to desummon her sketchbook when Tyrant Firmament sat on the ground, grabbed Neo’s hand and pulled him down, giving him a lap pillow.
“What are you doing?”
Rest… Tyrant Firmament pointed its finger at him. You… tired… overworking…
“I don’t have time to rest.”
Tyrant Firmament shook its head.
Rest… it said again. You… need… be in best condition… to fight… stronger… opponents
The Firmament, being born minutes ago, had trouble using Intent to talk.
Yet it did its best to relay its intentions.
Tyrant Firmament understood no one was going to tell Neo to rest. Death Sword Firmament was childish. Eternal Death Firmament was asleep.
Velkaria, for all she cursed at Neo, was afraid of him.
Celestra understood Neo’s goal, and that he needed to grow stronger quickly if he wanted to fight Tartarus before Tartarus did something, thus she did not stop him from overworking himself.
Rest
Tyrant Firmament held him down firmly.
Neo opened his mouth to refuse and closed it.
How many years had gone by since he had last slept?
Madness… reduce… if you… sleep and… rest…
Neo looked at the Tyrant Firmament, then at Celestra who seemed to be hoping he would rest a bit and give her time to make a sketch.
“Fine.”
The Zone 4 was about to disappear forever. It was the last chance for Celestra to draw it.
Thinking so, Neo decided to sleep.
…
Neo woke up after what felt like seconds.
He had fallen asleep as soon as he tried to relax.
“How much time passed?” he muttered to no one in particular.
His internal clock was unreliable to measure time, so he wasn’t sure how long he had slept for.
A moment later, Neo realized something.
The madness.
It had weakened.
No, it wasn’t the madness that had weakened.
His Consciousness had grown stronger.
If he compared his Consciousness to an engine, he had been running the engine for centuries without rest in order to create World Energy.
The engine had become worn out, and it was not able to perform to its best ability.
A short rest allowed the engine to return to its peak performance.
“My Consciousness became twice as strong, and I can now create World Energy twice as fast.”
Neo wanted to cry.
So all he had to do was take a rest, and his Consciousness would return to its peak, and thus be strengthened?
“I guess rest is important for Heavenbreakers since they are dependent on Consciousness a lot.”
He focused on his surroundings.
Tyrant Firmament caressed his head while looking at the sketch Celestra was creating.
It was the sketch of a man standing before a bowing giant in ancient armor. They both were surrounded with terrifying flames.
To be exact, it depicted the final moments of High General Baryon Flamejaw.
“Where did you see that?” Neo asked as he sat up.
Celestra did not respond. She was too absorbed in her drawings.
Neo decided to watch her carefully.
Celestra would regularly look up at empty air, as if she could see Neo and Flamejaw, and then draw the sketch.
[Eyes of Echoes (Rank: Stage 3: Mastery: Supreme) +0.2%]
Neo was surprised at the notification.
It seemed Celestra was using a technique that allowed her to look at remnants of the past.
As expected of a Dragon Clan leader, she had an extremely powerful ability.
‘If I can copy this technique, and strengthen it by turning it into Consciousness, I should be able to see the past of anything?’
Neo decided to not disturb Celestra.
He watched her complete her sketch while the copy percentage increase notification continued to rain down.