Northern relaxed into the worn couch in Annette’s quarters, her bed sitting opposite but currently unoccupied.
She had welcomed him to stay for a few hours while she went to arrange lodging per Gilbert’s instructions.
‘Her place is set apart from the rest…’
Unlike the pseudo-civilization teeming with survivors, Annette’s abode stood in blessed seclusion.
Still, it remained close enough to avoid monster onslaughts – though even at this location, Northern doubted she could ever truly avoid such threats entirely.
‘But then, Instructor Anne is quite strong, and she’s probably only grown… She may be the strongest here besides Gilbert… I wonder if the twins are around as well.’
For several leisurely minutes, Northern simply lounged on the couch, mind idly wandering.
But then he remembered a task at hand. Closing his eyes, he opened them once more to the grandeur of the Limitless Void’s throne hall.
He found himself standing before the sinister flames dancing their eerie ballet, shrouding the enormous throne in a tenebrous aura of dread authority.
“Hmmm…” Northern paused, staring into the hypnotic undulations for a few heartbeats.
Then, averting his gaze, he turned to the side.
Adding a solemn depth to his tone, he called out:
“Dark Terror…”
A thick flame as black as the night itself erupted before him, flickering with dancing azure hues.
As it slowly receded, the stalwart form of a monster took shape from the fiery depths.
Red tetrad eyes burned with graceless ferality, the Terror’s maw slightly ajar to reveal terrifying rows of jagged fangs.
It stood even taller than before, forcing Northern to crane his neck upwards into that scorching glare.
Black lustrous horns twisted from its head, while an extra pair of arms had emerged beneath the originals – both pairs coiled like wire cables beneath the monster’s onyx skin.
Its sinuous tail slithered out from behind, gently swaying.
“As fearsome as ever…” Northern murmured, folding his arms as he appraised the Terror’s evolution with an approving nod.
His gaze lingered on those new secondary limbs. ‘These must be from after its evolution.’
If he recalled correctly, he had managed to slay Night Terror just as that metamorphosis was completing.
“That was unnatural luck,” he said softly, pursing his lips. “I don’t know where I’d be now if I hadn’t unlocked the Unseeing Eyes.”
Gently, he reached out to lay a hand on the Terror’s bulging, furred chest. Its skin held a sinister, stinging chill that prickled gooseflesh up his arm.
“Let’s make sure we don’t ever get that close to dying again,” Northern vowed.
With a sigh, he called out again:
“Koll.”
The same powerful flames erupted in an even grander blaze – Koll after all was an entity far mightier than Night Terror ever was.
‘But I’d prefer Night Terror,’ Northern mused, ‘if this ability allows me to utilize its powers. I wonder if it will be possible to use the abilities of the Vestige of Chaos itself? If so, that would be incredibly useful…because I have a plan in mind.’
His eyes settled on the energetic plumes of flames, slowly resolving into the humanoid form of Koll itself.
Skin of burnished darkness, sinister red engravings snaking across its entire body.
A single pair baleful eyes filled with primal malice.
A devilish horn, longer and more twisted than even Night Terror’s, jutting from its head. A cloak of pure umbral gloom shrouding its figure.
The sight stirred memories of Northern’s harrowing battle against the castle lord, of how Night Terror had swooped in to steal that final kill at the last moment.
A contented smile tugged at his lips.
‘It all happened for the best, I suppose. Who knows what might have occurred had I taken those fragments for myself?’
Turning his attention back to Night Terror’s motionless form, Northern studied the description on his [Void] ability’s use – for a certain idea had been percolating in his mind.
Description: [You can choose to materialize the soul of any entity you have slain. Doing so bestows you with that soul’s abilities.]
With a thought, he summoned his clone to his left, both of them shrouded in Eternal Twilight.
Then he mentally commanded the clone to utilize the Void ability.
Immediately, Night Terror’s stalwart shape was consumed in roiling black and azure flames that enveloped the clone as well, hungrily devouring its form over a long period.
As the inferno finally died away, Northern beheld his clone…remade.
A torrent of pure exhilaration surged through his veins. But the true exhilaration was yet to come.
His eyes widened as a flood of notification panels burst into view:
[Congratulations! You have recorded an incredible feat!]
[You have successfully created a Singularity – Dark Terror]
[The Singularity will be extracted from your Cloning talent]
[This will cause your Cloning ability to revert to its original rank]
[However, the Singularity is now an independent entity, sharing a mental link with you alone]
[On your command, it is capable of independent actions, with the same capacity for growth as your original clones]
[In other words, this Singularity Dark Terror can continue evolving, and upon each evolution you will be ingrained with all of its strength]
[When this Singularity slays other monsters, it can absorb their soul essence, allowing you to gain talent fragments]
[The Owned talent Singularity(S – Class) has been reverted to Advancing Cloning(A – Class)]
[You can use talent fragments to further evolve this talent]
Northern’s jaw went slack as another explanation panel materialized:
[By having your Singularity clone utilize the Void ability, you did not simply materialize Dark Terror – you permanently separated that one clone’s existence into an independent Singularity]
“Crap…” he breathed out in awe.
He had certainly not expected such a magnified, paradigm-
shifting result.
His original thought had been that instead of manifesting Night Terror directly onto himself, having a clone do so would prove more effective.
That way he could diversify his power, especially if the clone could also wield the Vestige of Chaos’ abilities.
But to think his clone would permanently become Dark Terror itself by achieving true singularity…
‘Does that mean the sole purpose of the Singularity was always meant to separate the one clone, to elevate it into its own entity?’
It would certainly explain the ability’s name – Me, Myself and I – as well as the description: [I am the only one, it is me, myself and I! All others strengthen me.]
‘Now that I think about it…it does sound exactly like something meant to develop a sense of true, individual self.’
Northern studied the motionless Terror, not a shred of outward emotion or awareness on its hideous features.
Then his gaze turned to the flickering form of Koll.
‘So if I rank up the talent further, I might be able to create a Singularity Koll as well?’
The prospect was almost too tantalizing to behold.
With a slight pang of regret, he dismissed Koll back into the void’s embrace, leaving only Dark Terror’s presence behind.
Grinning widely, he spoke to the Terror:
“You and I are going to accomplish great things together.” freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
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[A/N]
I’m getting so excited, I feel like we have finally entered into the story ha ha.