The Real Monster - 84 Ascension

In a pure white world, Clay floated unconscious as if hung on a tree.

This was the world of Clay’s consciousness accessed through his soul. This world could only be opened once the soul vessel was broken and expanded in a process that either destroyed the soul or upgraded the soul. The former would be the possession of demonic beings of the soul and the latter would be what Clay had undergone just now, ascension. However, ascension typically happens only for those individuals that were at the peak of their race.

Although the mortals dubbed this as ascension to deity, or godhood, in fact it was not. It was simply an upgrade so to say. Meaning, an upgrade of the race or the species to a higher equivalent that could increase its rate of survival when pitted with other higher species outside of their scope.

This occurs only once in a million years for small planets like Evernight and maybe a few times in a world as big as Alleucanth. However, Clay was undergoing this same existential evolution through the help of the Lich god.

Even the Lich god was in fact not a god but an advanced species of the Lich species.

An upgrade essentially does as what the Lich god had explained to Clay, minus the godhood part.

Although the abilities of the ascended are enhanced to a crazy level compared to “mortals” who have not undergone evolution, they don’t achieve godhood through that. They merely take on the most appropriate upgrade based on the stats, skills and abilities plus the strength of the soul that one possesses.

In the Lich god’s case, his stats were probably only on the one million range, while Clay’s were on the billions or even ten billion range. Which was a far cry from millions. However, even taking this information to consideration, an evolved species’ 100 stat points are to an unevolved individual a chasm that cannot be climbed by mere stats, even by the hundred billion.

Clay was floating in this space as his body was being reconstructed yet again, to accommodate his new and improved, evolved self.

In Clay’s case, the evolution path that he has would 100% be related to heat and energy based on his skills and even his soul’s innate abilities.

The stats did help a lot in expanding the soul vessel and accommodating the skills that one had accumulated in life before evolution. For example, Clay’s ten billion stats across the board would expand his soul vessel at least 100 times than his initial capacity. His abilities will be enhanced to a new horizon and will probably gain new skills as a bonus in evolution.

The golden flame of Clay’s soul was also floating inside the Forbidden Chamber, waiting for his revival.

As Clay floated on the pure white world, he was awoken by the sound of the numerous annoying notifications sounds that rang in his head. As if a smartphone that was deprived of online connectivity for a while, receiving a thousand notifications from facebook’s messenger. That annoying sound could wake anyone with a start, even the strongest of individuals, including Clay.

“Ugh. Shut it off!” Clay grumbled without opening his eyes.

When he did open his eyes, he saw the world he was inside and gaped. Am I back in Safir’s world? Clay thought.

“Hello?” He called out.

“Hello~?” He called again after a few seconds interval, this time longer.

He heard no replies. Having no idea what’s happening, Clay instinctively asked UltiCo for an answer.

“UltiCo, what’s happening?” He asked audibly.

[Host is undergoing “Ascension” process. Please standby]

!!!

What?! Clay thought with a frightened expression. Who was that?!

[Sound function has been enabled after cancellation of command: “Shut it off!” from host]

“UltiCo, is that you?” Clay asked cautiously.

[Skill cannot provide an answer to host’s inquiry. Reason: Skill is Nameless]

Clay was dumbfounded. He could not put his finger around the fact that UltiCo became able to speak and even articulate well enough. And it even told him that it was “Nameless” now.

“Did you also evolve?” Clay wondered. It must have overwritten what I named the Skill earlier when it evolved.

Clay did not hear it answer his question, so he asked again in a different way, “What skill are you?” As expected, the skill answered promptly and said,

[Ultimate Comprehension – Akashic Querynew] it answered concisely leaving no room for questioning. However, naturally Clay was curious.

“What can you do besides talk? I mean what abilities are under you?” It was as if he was talking to some AI that handled queries from some Database and retrieving it for Clay to peruse.

[Ultimate Comprehension – Akashic Query composes of skills Language – Energy – Crafts – Mastery – Archive – Survival and Magic

Under Language are Human – Olden Gods – Abyssal – Relictsnew

Under Energy are Energy Absorption which lists energies that can be absorbed by the Host: Fission, Fusion, Spirit, Magic, Miasmanew, and Soulnew – Energy Reactor which lists the energies that the Host’s body can produce: Fission, Fusion, and Magic – Energy Projection – Energy Conservation – Energy Transfer

Under Crafts are Enchantment – Enhancement – Blacksmithing – Tailoring – Weaving – Dyeing – Rune Engraving – Herbalism and Medicine

Under Mastery are Pugilist – Swordsmanship – Spearmanship and Unarmed Defense

Under Archive are Magic Archive – Galactic Intelligencenew – Language Archive – Runic Archive and Analytic Archive

Under Survival are Passive Detection (Divine Sense) – Regeneration EX – Parallel Thinkingnew – Soul Expansionnew and Soul Regenerationnew

Under Magic are Creation Magic – Space-Time Magic – Null Magic – Dark Magic – Light Magic – Necromancynew – Soul Magicnew – Death Magicnew and Blood Magicnew

End of report]

In front of Clay appeared a new interface of holographic window which listed everything that the Ultimate Comprehension – Akashic Query skill mentioned.

“So, you’re an improved version of UltiCo? So, can I still just call you UltiCo?” Clay was curious and excited to have a personal guiding system with him through UltiCo.

[Warning: Naming skills at this stage runs the risk of the skill evolving]

[Warning: Names at this stage bring enormous risks to Host’s stats]

[Warning: Naming skill will reset INT stat to initial 10 points. Proceed: Y/N?]

Clay was alarmed with the window in front of him flashing red and blue in alternate as the notification bell sounded three times. It must be quite a dangerous thing to name things at this stage, according to the skill. Maybe I should postpone naming UltiCo again… Clay thought as he cleared his head.

Clay decided to not go through it for now and it may have been only his imagination, however, Ultimate Comprehension – Akashic Query seemed and felt like it was sulking a little. However, that was only Clay’s imagination. Having an Intelligent skill was a plus, however, a skill gaining emotion is ridiculous. This was not that time when I reincarnated as a slime!

“Bring up my Status.” Clay commanded and it was done instantly.

Name: Clay

Class: Ascended Hero «Transcendent»

Sub-Class: None «Alchemy Master»

Title: Hero | «Lesser God (Sun God) » | «Alchemy Master»

Stats:

[STR – 1000«Unique»] | [INT – 1000 «Unique»] |

[MGC – 1000 «Unique»] | [DEX – 1000 «Unique»]

Skills:

«Alchemy Master»| «Hyper-Regeneration»| «Solar Augmentative Genenew(improved)»

| «Ultimate Comprehension – Akashic Querynew» | «Physical Voidnew» | «Will of Magicnew» | «Touch of Strengthnew» | «Spiritual Bodynew» | «Physical Vesselnew»

Blessing:

«Guided by the Guide to Souls»| [Safir’s Champion (Connection Lost)] | Ascended Evolutionnew

Status: Reconstructing Physical Vessel «Optimal»

Looking at his own stats, Clay frowned and was surprised at the new skills and even the improved skills. The gains that he got from this evolution were substantial indeed. However, the stat points he had accumulated have been depleted and returned to only the one thousand mark. He was a bit disappointed, however, he was able to recover this number of stats by just leaving his body on the Sun in Alleucanth anyway, so I need not worry. Clay thought.

Finally, when he was about ready to fully reconstruct his body, Clay remembered his son Ryan who he left with the Vampire Ancestor Elkanor.