NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59: Voice
[Notice: Authorization acquired!]
[Upgrading...]
'Huh? Finally... This went on for an awful while.'
'But, "Upgrade" hmh... Previously, when I met Lily and the system reacted it was just an Update, wasn't it?'
'Did Aidana do something...?' With no idea of what had happened to her, he had many questions in his mind, but soon, Temorsth heard the system's continuing voice.
[Upgrade finished!]
[I welcome the Host!]
'Huh?'
[I could not determine the orientation during the upgrade.]
[Since the Host has not yet accumulated enough experience, the direction of the system's growth will similarly be decided at a later time.]
'...?'
[Host, is there a problem?]
'Uhm... I suppose there is, what happened to your voice…?'
[Is there a problem with the way of my speech?]
'No, I mean it's... different... Your voice...' Hearing a friendly young man's voice communicate with a rather 'free' tone from the system, Temorsth got a little confused.
[With the new upgrade, the AI of the Host's system and the whole system also got changed to a higher ranking one, and thus the great change, everything got restored to the previous settings with some going to the original setting of the growth type system.]
[If the Host desires to change the settings, just let me know.]
'...' Thinking for a moment.
'Yes, change it back! I didn't change anything before so it must have been Aidana and I think she would have changed the settings to the best.'
[Undrestood! Modification...]
[...]
[Should freedom of speech and the level of information obtainable be restored to the previous lower levels?]
'Uh... Ugh, this... A lower-level?'
[The Host's existence has greatly advanced making the accessible information of the system also rise restoring the setting would reduce it.]
'Ugh...' Hearing the system continue to speak in Aidana's AI-like voice again gave Temorsth a strange feeling.
'No, they're good as they are.'
[Okay, I'll do as the Host says.]
'...' Hearing the speech of the system continue, Temorsth felt a chill making him instantly change his decision.
'You know what, change your voice back, it was better that way.'
[Alright!]
[...]
[It's done!]
'Oh! Sigh, that's so much better!' After hearing Aidana's beautiful, calm, and pleasing voice, the robotic obvious copy of it, used by the system, made him feel strangely disgusted.
'Now that this is finished.'
'I know and feel that I have returned to my body so I have to ask, why can't I move, no to be exact why am I covered in ice.'
[The Host is frozen in the ice magic cast by his mother.]
'Uh? My mom is super strong... I don't have that much time, how do I get out quickly?'
[After gaining the powers and Authority of Goddess Aidana, the Host has practically become a Chosen, a representative of the Goddess and her will, the Host can easily escape a spell of such level by circulating some of his energy.]
Following the system's instructions, he began to do the same thing he usually did with his two energies while he was using his spear.
[Before the Host escapes, according to the situation, I have things to advise.]
'Umu?'
...
Elah and Xalier, with diminishing energy reserves, still stood up and started preparing for the follow-up.
"The Heavens...!" Yet at that moment with the voice that resounded throughout the field of battle, everyone stopped in their tracks.
"Who...?" Those on Iosif's side were stopped by the power of the voice...
'This...' Xalier and Elah by the memory of it.
{On the field enclosed in ice, fire, and destruction, the magic covering the mother and father's grief broke down...}
Hearing the voice of the world, they turned towards the frozen giant sycamore tree.
"They chained me...!" With the words, the purple flames faltered followed by the sound of a step resounding with it cracks appeared on the ice covering the house and tree.
{The echoing cry, the creature that defied death — was his past a mere illusion, a deceptive facade? In questioning, everyone, even the world itself grapples with the enigma of his identity.}
While the world's voice was asking for the existence of the creature who reappeared...
'My fire? Is it being put out by words?'
'My ice... It's shattering from steps?'
Both of them were incredulous, the magics and powers they had worked hard all their thousand-year-old life for were dismissed in such a manner... A simply unreasonable outcome.
"What is that voice!? Whose voice is it!?" Similarly, Iosif shouted with concern ringing in his tone, it might have been fear of the unknown or whatever but he was screaming his lungs out.
All he wished and dreamed about for decades was this moment, in his mind no one and nothing should have interfered at such a crucial moment.
"For years... Years, years, and years passed without end!" With the raging words, the steps continued, followed by the ice cracking, and flames faltering more and more.
"..." Witnessing such a scenery, silence hung heavy, making the words sound even louder, echoing.
"Unfortunately... even their chain couldn't stop me!" As the footsteps stopped, the house door creaked open, shattering the ice into millions of pieces, scattering them with the wind that put out even those purple flames.
{Emerging from the sanctuary forged by parental devotion, the once-monstrous being stepped into the world, wielding words that echoed his formidable greatness.}
"..." And still... no words. They couldn't speak, seeing that the one standing there, they...
"And now in this new life...!" Temorsth stood in the open doorway, his words sounding like they were another's yet, with his relaxed stance and spear in hand, both light and dark energy circling and burning around his body, showing his now new control over them, all his presence indicated it, he was him... He was Temorsth!
'Why... everything seems so similar and yet still, there... Something there, it's odd.' Xalier's eyes trembled, they shook, his mind his thoughts, and even the world he considered his own, everything was shaking from its very foundation.
"You puny things, dare to take it!? From me!?"
{The monster's mad words shook the sky, earth, and the sea itself.}
'...!' After the loud shouts, for a moment Temorsth's eyes focused in and out.
'This does some serious damage... I don't know how long will my body last...' Feeling his innards getting broken, without showing any outward change at all, he used his newfound power to mend it swiftly.
'It's bad... really bad, but I don't have any other energy to use...' Temorsth knew that what he was doing with using both Light and Dark at the same time wasn't something that was supposed to happen but...
What could he do, he truly died and lost everything except those that were sealed in his body, and to make matters worse he could only hold up a facade of balance by using both powers to suppress each other.
Truth be told the ginormous flames of power and energy were a simple by-product of the two powers clashing numerous times, this was what gave off the waves that put out Xalier's flames and radiated this oppressive feeling they all felt.
'This might kill me again but... Now... I do not care now!'
{The maddened beast, his mind returned! He who once was, now again. Who was he, they ask again... For an answer, I still could not say.}
'Hmh... so that was the voice... It's actually telling a story... About me?' Now that his thoughts and shouts quieted a bit, Temrosths could finally hear the voice too.
'The system said I should act out something letting the world have some room to exaggerate but... Does it know everything? A Monster... Hmph, arrogance!'
"Son...?" \ "Baby?"
"...?" At the simultaneous call of his parents, Temorsth returned from his thoughts and turned away from the direction of the voice, the high sky, his eyes scanning the two of them, his parents...
'...' Blood dripping, wounds all around... His eyes looked at such scenery for only a fleeting moment.
'They...' Soon without much of a visible thought, his gaze shifted to the ones standing further back and higher up in the sky.
'They are the ones...' Through the hostile and slightly uncertain gazes, Temrosth clarified everything he needed.
'Kill...' And amidst the thoughts he had of his enemies.
'Kill...' A word of anger and hatred shook his inner self.
'Kill... Kill...'
'Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Let me... KILL THEM ALL!!!'
Feral, according to his name was rather ferocious, contrary to that, in all the fights he had, he never intended to end his opponents, that is true and yet...
For those that hurt his family, the ones important, not now and never had he mercy for such enemies!
'Feral, I know what you feel... So for now, just for now... Let's do this!'
Following Persona and Feral's ideas and determination reaching a singularity and equilibrium point.
"You all..." Again, the low voice they produced shook the very atmosphere around them.
"You all, Lowly World Sources, will die by my hands!"
{Amids the madaning howls, certain death was declared!}
"...!" While the surprised and questioning gazes waved with some uncertainty and disturbance from the declaration,
"Die..." Temorsth raised his spear towards one of the Elves, his rather solemn and cryptic proclamation buzzing in the Elf Elder's ears and mind.
"..." No words were spoken neither when the energy around Temrosth turned to darkness, one so deep they could no longer see his actual from, and not even as beside the stretched-out spear, another, an invisible one appeared.
Even though the magic, all six of them could clearly follow the movements, and their sense accurately told the energy spears' location.
And even as the spear got fired off, they followed it. It seemed slow for them and yet none of them moved not even the elf who was its target.
Something, a pressure, an oppressive force holding them in place, they did not truly know whatever it was but it sure was heavy.
'It's close... It's here... Why? It has no power in it, then why? What is this feeling?' Sensing the approaching attack, confusion, and questions, the Elder did not understand why he felt...
'Fear... Terror... Why... Why am I shaking?' Contrary to his inner chaos, in a strangely calm and steady manner, the Elder brought his shaking hand before himself.
'Why...' Tightening the open palm into a fist made him feel the profuse sweating.
'Hm, rain?' A droplet fell on his fist, but looking up he saw nothing.
'Sweat? I'm I sweating...?' Feeling another drop roll down his face, a touch on the forehead, there, the tears, the anguished cries and screams of his instinct.
"...! ...?" A callout, from the extreme rage that appeared it was supposed to happen, but even as his mouth opened, no sound came out.
Again confusion, touching his throat, feeling its dryness, the tightening of its muscles, it was an undeniable pointer at the adrenaline gushing around his body.
'Am I truly scared? From who, him, that little boy?' Anger, rage, fury, looking at the boy encased in darkness exuding a great presence but only with a little power these emotions raised.
'This arrogance!' Sometimes he too was arrogant, after all, being one of the top powerhouses in the whole elf race he was strong, but the boy, with his arrogantly nonchalant look, went over even the limits.
Someone who shouldn't have any power dared to look at him like that? Was he even an ant in his eyes? These questions and thoughts controlled the Elder's mind even as he stretched his hand out to receive that attack.
Yes, in the end, he did not dodge or even try to escape, on the other hand, why should he, he was strong, he is strong and that child... He is just a kid, right?
As the energy spear and his hand connected.
*Crack...*
*Hmph* The Elder hummed in satisfaction as the spear in front of him cracked and shattered to bits.
'I was right... I was right!' Inside his mind, he screamed in satisfaction, wanting to clear his instinct of this undeniable fear.
And it happened there, while he turned to the slightly older elf, as he tried to speak up...
"I... I..."
*Crack...*
And simultaneously as everyone heard the cracking, a voice only Temorsth could hear spoke up in his mind.
[The Herat Wood Spear Unique Ability has successfully activated!]