Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

Just as Eliomor finished its explanation, everyone frowned yet again. Each new term seemed even more ridiculous than the previous one, and they were already struggling to understand the process of creating an entire world inside themselves despite the explanation they had received.

Now Eliomor was telling them that they also needed to create a second self to imprint their existence onto that inner world? It was becoming increasingly difficult for them to understand how such a complicated process could be considered a breakthrough.

Atlas remained completely silent as he thought, ‘Create a second self? Is it like separating a part of our Soul?’ Before he could consider the possibility any further, Eliomor’s voice brought his attention back to the explanation. “The second self establishes a permanent connection between you and that world, making the inner world uniquely yours.”

The World Will paused briefly before continuing, “However, creating it is slightly tricky. You need to break down and transform your Astral Domain into your second self by separating a tiny part of your Soul.”

Eliomor paused and examined everyone’s reactions, only to find that they were all utterly baffled by the method it had described. Atlas himself was no exception, as he tried to understand how an Astral Domain could be broken down and transformed into something else, ‘Huh? Break down the Astral Domain? But I don’t even have an Astral Core or an Astral Domain yet…’

He remembered that even the Dragon Emperor and the Ancient Pope had spent thousands of years cultivating, yet neither of them had reached Astral Domain yet. Atlas wasn’t foolish enough to assume that he could understand everything they had learned in such a short period.

After all, he had only about a month and a half remaining, and the difference between his cultivation time and theirs was simply too enormous to ignore.

‘Only a month and a half… that would have been impossible if I don’t alter the logic of my comprehension speed.’ Atlas smiled faintly for a brief moment before shifting his attention toward the others.

He wondered how they would accomplish such a complicated breakthrough, although he wasn’t particularly concerned about Seraphiel. Even if she couldn’t reach the Emperor Rank at this stage, it wouldn’t be a problem for him. He would help her in any way he could, without hesitation.

‘She’s still at S-rank. I doubt that even if I altered the speed of her cultivation, she could reach the Emperor Rank this quickly.’ Atlas shook his head and looked toward Eliomor again as the World Will continued its explanation. “So, does everyone now understand the entire breakthrough process? First, you destroy your Astral Core, then create your inner world, and finally construct your second self.”

Eliomor’s spherical form remained suspended in front of everyone as it continued speaking. “Once you pass through all these stages and reach the Emperor Rank, the subsequent breakthroughs become much smoother. You won’t need to fulfill so many complicated conditions every time you advance.”

Having finally finished its explanation, Eliomor seemed to relax slightly as its spherical body descended a little.

Atlas watched the orb carefully, his eyes narrowing as another suspicion resurfaced in his mind. ‘Melina said that a World Will cannot speak at all. So how is Eliomor talking and moving?’

It was the same question he had considered when Melina had first explained the nature of World Wills to him, and nothing Eliomor had said so far had given him a satisfactory answer. He kept the question to himself for the moment, unwilling to interrupt the meeting without a reason.

After Eliomor finished speaking, everyone eventually nodded, acknowledging that they understood the general process even if they still had questions about its finer details.

Zaakrax was just about to leave the meeting when Mostleon suddenly spoke up, “Zaakrax, the meeting isn’t finished yet. Let us share what actually happened to us.”

The Dragon Emperor turned his gaze toward Mostleon and remained silent for a long moment before finally giving a small nod.

…

Two thousand years ago, when Luberion was preparing for his Ascension.

A man sat cross-legged in the lotus position atop a mountain cliff, his entire demeanor calm as an unusual golden aura surrounded his body. Although he was clearly Human, his appearance was striking enough to draw attention.

He wore a loose white robe that barely covered his sturdy chest and abdomen, and the fabric fluttered gently in the wind. His long jawline was clean-shaven, and his youthful features made him appear far younger than someone who had lived long enough to surpass the oldest people currently residing in Eliomor.

The man’s eyes suddenly opened as he sensed a familiar presence approaching. He turned his head slightly and looked toward the spherical orb that had appeared nearby. “Eliomor? What is it? You know I don’t want any disturbances right now.”

His voice was heavy yet smooth, carrying the calm authority of someone who had already reached a level far beyond the ordinary inhabitants of the world. The man was none other than Luberion, who was preparing for his long-awaited Ascension.

Eliomor approached him in its familiar spherical form before stopping a short distance away. “Luberion, I need your help. I know you don’t owe me anything, and I have nothing to offer you in exchange, but I need your help regardless. This is a plea from the world you have lived in.”

Luberion stared at the orb in front of him and noticed that it was trembling slightly, the unusual sight made him pause, as he had rarely seen Eliomor behave this way.

After a brief moment, Luberion finally asked, “What help do you need?”

Eliomor raised its spherical form slightly until it was level with Luberion’s eyes before continuing. “You know what happened a million years ago, don’t you? The outsiders may invade again, and Orivian has already prepared for his resurrection.”

Luberion nodded slowly as he began to understand why Eliomor had come to him, although he waited for the World Will to explain what it actually wanted.

“So, you need me to help you retaliate against the outsiders and stop Orivian when he returns?” Luberion asked. Eliomor immediately shook its spherical form. “No, I know that isn’t possible, especially since you will soon ascend. Instead, I want you to hide my existence from the rest of the Galaxy. As for Orivian, I need you to act as a mole within his plans.”

Luberion remained silent as he finally understood Eliomor’s true request. He closed his eyes and thought carefully about what he had just heard, weighing the consequences of interfering in matters that would continue long after his Ascension.

Eliomor didn’t interrupt him, allowing him to take as much time as he needed. A full minute passed before Luberion finally opened his eyes again, a small smile appearing on his lips.

“Perhaps this is my way of repaying you for all the time I’ve lived since I was born in this world.” Luberion raised his hand and snapped his fingers without hesitation. “I will help you, after all, a grown child can never bear to see their parents’ tears.”