NOVEL NEXT Chapter 286: Amun Ra Part 1
A massive explosion rocked the chamber. The shockwave tore through the space like a cannon blast, shaking the stone foundations and sending a cascade of dust and debris raining down from the cracked ceiling. Thalion didn't see what had happened to Ankhet. His own shield shattered beneath the pressure, and he was hurled like a ragdoll against the wall behind him. For a moment, the world went silent except for the faint ringing in his ears.
Hopefully, that would be the last time.
Despite the bruises and internal damage, Thalion remained conscious. His soul, empowered by regenerative energies, accelerated the healing process. Within two minutes, he was back on his feet, grimacing as his joints popped back into place. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, only to watch it vanish as it was reabsorbed by the Sanguis Impera. A practical gift, he noted.
Then he saw Ankhet.
He lay broken on the ground. His chest was crushed inward, and thick black blood poured from every orifice. Cracks spiderwebbed across his skin where ruptured vessels had burst under the sheer pressure. His body twitched involuntarily, but his mind was already gone.
"Good design," Thalion muttered, his lips curling into a grin.
It was time to finish him and move deeper into the palace—or catacomb, or whatever subterranean labyrinth this was. Thalion still wasn't sure where he had ended up. What he did know was that returning above to deal with the undead horde wasn't an option until he had recovered. And to do that, Ankhet had to die.
He shifted forms, taking on the broken yet functional shell of the Eclipsari. His current body was too damaged, but the elemental soul fused with this form remained intact and it could command his partially regenerated mana pool with precision. The elemental didn't hesitate. Black tendrils burst from Thalion's flesh, snaking forward like sentient spears.
Ankhet tried to gasp, but the sound was little more than a wet gurgle. His lungs had collapsed, and his jaw was shattered. Thalion only noticed now how slack and lopsided it hung.
The tendrils struck without mercy.
They pierced Ankhet's flesh and burrowed into his core, unraveling muscle, bone, and spirit alike. His body convulsed, and then, just before his skull was claimed, a sudden transformation overtook him. The essence within his broken frame ignited. In a flash of blinding light, Ankhet's head and the arm that had resisted absorption, disintegrated into radiant particles.
Thalion's heart sank. Another trick?
Then a soft chime echoed in his mind.
You have slain Ankhet Level 80
He blinked. His mouth curled slowly into a grin. Relief flooded through him like a warm tide.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Finally.
He had made it. No longer was he behind. He had triumphed against a divine-class opponent and emerged victorious. Evolution now awaited him. This... this was the perfect outcome.
But the moment didn't last.
An image shimmered into existence in the center of the chamber. A man emerged. Not physically, but projected like a divine echo. His skin was dark and smooth as obsidian, adorned with golden rings in his ears, nose, and hair. He wore a white and gold kilt and bore the burning eyes of a god. Yellow irises blazed like twin suns, just like Ankhet's had in his final moments.
The man looked young, no older than thirty, but his presence was ancient. His voice echoed through the space, resonant and clear.
"My name is Amun Ra. Hear my message well, for your time is running out."
The chamber fell still. Even the flickering flames froze in reverence.
"I have discovered the truth behind the System and its true purpose."
He paused, letting the weight of those words settle. Thalion remained silent, too stunned and too exhausted to speak.
He had often wondered. What was the true nature of the System? A cosmic game? A simulation? A way to grant power to mortals for divine amusement? After all, it had taken entire worlds, rewritten the laws of reality, and given them superpowers.
To Thalion, it had been a miracle. A curse. A thrill.
He could soar above clouds, dive into crystal oceans, race faster than any human ever had. It had gifted him shapeshifting, evolution, power. Surely there was purpose in that?
Or was it all entertainment for forces beyond comprehension?
Amun-Ra continued, and Thalion's breath caught in his throat.
"The system is its own pocket dimension with its own rules. That's something you've probably already figured out, but it's much grander than that.
So far, all seemed fine. Thalion thought to himself as he listened to the probably dead god. Had he not found means similar to Ankhet's to survive? Well, he had used Ankhet to deliver this message, so it was likely he had his own plans. But what did Thalion really know? He was in too much pain and too exhausted to care about the details. He could always think about them later.
"This is not all. The system grows over time by integrating new planets and the lifeforms on them. At its core, the system contains some kind of engine capable of generating endless energy, which is then used to grant you all those new powers and abilities. Haven't you ever wondered why the system does that for you? It gives you the most valuable resource in the multiverse: time."
Amun ended with a question. Thalion had no real answer. It seemed rhetorical anyway, or maybe this entire vision was just some sort of recording, because Amun continued after a brief pause, not waiting for a reply.