novelraw Chapter 237: 8th Regression First Day
Chapter 237: 8th Regression First Day
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Louis opened his eyes, coughing golden blood from his lungs as he gasped for air. He found himself kneeling on the fifth layer of Sinners Academy Dungeon.
"Louis?!"
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"Huh? Are you that mad we wanted to speak with them?"
He was surrounded by his friends, his family, and his love. His eyes trembled as he fought back tears, but he failed. The moment he saw Mirai, he pulled her into a tight hug.
"L-Louis? Ah!"
Her eyes widened as a connection formed. She glimpsed a few memories of the future: the destruction of the sect and Louis falling unconscious. That was all she saw. She had no other context.
"So those cultivators are really evil? Girls, wait! Don't talk to them yet…"
As Louis calmed down, he realized where he was. He had returned to the moment just before he fought the three cultivators and slaughtered the Ki Blade Sect.
Now he doubted everything.
The Sinners Academy.
The students.
The teachers.
The world…
Was any of it real? A dream? A memory?
What was real and what was not?
Was he even real?
His hands trembled. He fell to his knees, unable to think clearly.
"Louis?" Timothy asked. "What's gotten into him all of a sudden?"
"He started coughing…" Agustina said. "Let's give him some healing potions."
"Louis? Are you okay? Let me heal you…" Melisa walked over and hugged him, slowly restoring him with her magic.
"Melisa…" Louis sighed. Behind her, a silhouette emerged: a four-winged angel made of silver and white metal.
Melisa seemed unaware, but she was already awakening and developing a Spiral. It looked different from the Spiral of Compassion he had expected.
"You okay?" Selene asked, tilting her head as she approached.
Behind her, Louis saw another silhouette: a large, bulky beast with the head of a ferocious wolf, long claws, and a metallic black-furred body.
Selene was awakening her own unique Spiral as well.
He looked at the rest of his friends. Timothy's Spiral of Harvest was visible, and behind its Incarnation, two more figures appeared. Agustina had a unique Spiral resembling a tall, muscular female blacksmith made of red and black steel, wielding a burning hammer. Finally, his gaze landed on the silent Anastasia. Her Incarnation was a slender swordswoman made of bronze, holding a long needle-like rapier of ice.
All those who were not characters in the original game were developing completely unique Spirals. The sight left him utterly stunned.
But that was not all.
Why could he see them so clearly now?
He placed a hand on Melisa's shoulder and focused on this new, mysterious power.
"Awaken, Melisa."
"Eh? Uwaah?!"
FLAAASH!
In an instant, Melisa awakened. Her eyes gleamed bright gold, wings sprouted from her back, and she gained her Spiral of Incarnation.
Through this power, Louis felt a connection form, sharing her power with him.
"...?!"
He learned the Spiral's name.
The Spiral of Hope.
Its Ninth Tier was "Innocent Child," its ability was "Blessing," and its Incarnation was "Cherubin."
"I-I awakened my own Spiral! No way! Did you do it, Louis? Thank you!"
Melisa hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek, giggling adorably.
Everyone else stood stunned.
Even more so when the power of the Spiral of Hope flowed through Louis as well. He gained the same abilities.
"What is this?"
He realized his abilities had evolved after everything he had endured. His soul had shattered and been forcefully healed while absorbing the Essence of Limbo, which contained both White Heaven and Purgatory. His soul was now strange and warped, overflowing with immense power of white light.
This essence had expanded his consciousness, strengthened his Fantasy Heart, and made all his Spirals larger and more powerful. It resonated with his Cultivation Methods, combining them further.
Yet this was not entirely new. He had shared power with those he bonded with before. Now that ability had evolved and grown even stronger, perhaps because of the pain, grief, and Oberon's sacrifice.
"Louis, what happened?" Anastasia asked.
"Wow, you awakened Melisa?!" Timothy exclaimed in shock.
"Incredible…" Agustina said. "I had no idea you possessed such power…"
"Me neither!" Selene added.
"Louis, it's like when you shared my power too, right?" Mirai wondered.
"Kind of," Louis replied. "Might as well do it now."
He spread his Fantasium Aura and touched everyone who could awaken further, helping them unlock their Fantasy Hearts, Spirals, and Incarnations.
All of them awakened.
Anastasia gained the Spiral of the Justiciar. Her Ninth Tier was "Squire," her Incarnation was the "Fencer," and her ability was "Pierce."
Agustina awakened the Spiral of the Forger. Her Ninth Tier was "Metal Bender," her Incarnation was the "Blacksmith," and her ability was "Forge."
Selene awakened the Spiral of the Beast. Her Ninth Tier was "Young Pup," her Incarnation was the "Werewolf," and her ability was "Berserk."
Louis remembered that Selene had awakened a Berserk Spiral in the game, but this version was completely different.
"You awakened them!" Mirai said. "Amazing, Louis. You've become so strong… Wait, but what happened? Those memories must have been…"
"It's complicated…" Louis sighed. He felt the power of the Spiral of the Justiciar, the Spiral of the Forger, and the Spiral of the Beast coursing through the expanding veins of his Fantasy Heart, forming an Inner Sea. His Fantasy Sea had already awakened, appearing as vein-like spiritual rivers across his body.
"Master… I am worried about you, just like everyone else," Zorba said. "But those cultivators have already found us."
Louis' eyes widened. He looked up to see the three cultivators glaring down at them from above. They seemed ready to attack but were still observing.
"Ah, wait! Can't we negotiate?" Agustina asked.
"Are they really monsters?" Melisa wondered.
Mirai, who now knew the truth, stepped forward. "They are, girls. Step aside. I will handle them."
"No…" Louis shook his head, stopping her. "I will."
"Eh?"
Mirai and the others watched as Louis stepped forward to confront the three cultivators. He unleashed his aura, revealing his Sword Qi and Cultivation level, shocking them all.
After what he had endured in that "Dream World," his understanding of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Intent had reached Grand Perfection. He had also advanced to the Second Layer and seamlessly combined it with his Sword Breathing, creating an aura far beyond his actual realm.
"...!"
"...?!"
"That's…!"
The three cultivators were left speechless by the overwhelming power and aura radiating from Louis.
He knew one thing about these beings: they had once been real. What he saw now were reproductions, perhaps their souls forever trapped in this limbo, cursed by the being they called the Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable during the festival.
This entire dungeon layer had likely been taken from one of the Venerable's domains or realms within the Dimensional Labyrinth. It had manifested as a Fantasy Realm and been carelessly added to the Sinners Academy Dungeon.
Or perhaps it had been done with intent.
In the game, none of this had mattered. It was simply another layer full of enemies. But this was reality, and Louis could no longer compare the two.
He wondered whether these cultivators were fragments of the Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable or separate entities. When they died, they turned to gold. When he absorbed the soul of a strong one, he was thrown into a Dream Realm governed by the Venerable.
In a way, they were all vestiges of the Venerable, his legacy, yet they also possessed some level of self-awareness.
Thus, Louis chose a different approach.
"You can understand me, can't you, seniors?"
"...!"
"...?"
"...?!"
They were shaken that a "lowly worm from the lower realm" could speak their language and radiate power far above their own cultivation.
Indeed. In that Dream Fantasy Realm, Louis had lived as Yang, the Sect Master. He had learned their language, one that could only be spoken through Qi.
"Praise the Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable, fellow cultivators."
"...!"
"You know about the Venerable?"
"So you're not… a worm?"
They were stunned beyond belief.
"I am a cultivator from the lower realms. I have ascended to the Immortal Mountains seeking enlightenment with my fellow servants. Forgive their ignorance. They are foolish but possess great potential. I wished to introduce new techniques, methods, and resources to the sect. As you can see, I am an old disciple of Elder Kai," Louis said with a warm smile, bowing respectfully. "Would you escort us to your sect? I promise I will repay you kindly."
Louis opened Pandora, revealing a creature the cultivators had never seen, and retrieved several Fantasium Crystals.
"Qi Spirit Stones?"
"And of such high quality!"
"He might be telling the truth, senior…"
The two younger disciples looked at their senior, who still rubbed his chin in doubt.
"Hmmm… I don't know… He appeared out of nowhere…"
"Would this show my sincerity?"
Louis offered a scroll containing the Sword Breathing Method, written in their runic language of inverted Chinese characters.
"Hmm?!" the senior gasped, his long hair swaying in the wind. "T-This is incredible…! Very well, I believe you, junior. Come with us! And make sure your servants behave. I don't want them acting like beasts in the great jade hall."
"Please don't worry," Louis said. "And thank you."
To the disbelief of his housemates, Louis led his friends toward the sect. Through telepathy, he explained what these people truly were and how to speak with them.
Once they reached the sect, the guards grew wary but opened the gates when they realized Louis could speak their language.
Inside, Louis was called to confirm his identity with Elder Kai, who seemed pleased to see his other disciples (whom Louis had previously killed) returning safely.
"You…" Elder Kai glared at him with concern, narrowing his eyes. "You're not from this realm, are you? Why did you lie to them about being my disciple?"
Once they had a moment alone, Elder Kai confronted him directly.
"Because I didn't want it to end in the same massacre as before…" Louis sighed, his eyes filled with regret. "I'm sorry, master…"
"W-Wha…?!" Elder Kai was stunned. Louis' eyes held nostalgia and memories of a life he had never lived, yet had fully experienced.
Louis knelt and bowed to the old master, tears falling.
"I couldn't protect Ming… I couldn't protect anything…"
"...?"
"But your teachings remain in my heart… even after the Venerable consumed everything into gold."
"...!!!"
BZZZZ!
Suddenly, buzzing sounds echoed in Elder Kai's mind. Broken memories and shattered images surfaced, along with the endless routine he had lived here over and over.
"W-What is this…?!" he gasped, coughing. "A-Ahh…! You…! What… what did I see?"
"I don't know," Louis said. "But it is clear you had a response to it…"
Elder Kai sat down, slowly rearranging his memories and truly recalling what he had seen.
Then dread consumed him. He gasped heavily and clutched his heart.
"Our city… our world… immortalized into gold… These Immortal Mountains… we have been here since we died. Some believed it was heaven, but I… I…!" Tears streamed down the elder's face as he gripped Louis' shoulders. "Boy…! How did you know this?! Even while he is watching us right now?!"
"If my other self's sacrifice meant anything, the Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable is heavily wounded. His eyes no longer function properly," Louis replied.
"...?!" Elder Kai gasped. "What?! Y-You mean… there is a way to escape this prison?! This endless torment?!"
"Yeah…" Louis said. "I will assimilate this entire layer of the labyrinth. All of you will become part of my Fantasy Heart. That is the only way I can save you, Ming, and everyone else."
"...!" Elder Kai was shocked and confused, but Louis quickly explained the concepts and powers that existed beyond this fantasy world. "I see… how confusing… but there is a way. Why would you help us? I don't remember you at all… and you were never from our world either."
"I…" Louis fell silent for a moment. "Yeah, I wonder why I'm doing this… Maybe because I want every decision I make to be meaningful in some way."
"..."
"I cannot waste my life. Even if I may die soon, I want to create some change, no matter how small," Louis explained. "So, master…"
"Very well…" Elder Kai understood the dreadful state they were in. "We may agree, but what about the other sects? Do you think they will listen? You will have to fight them. Will you kill them all?"
"No. We just need to defeat them. If we work together with my team to overwhelm the other sects, take their array stones, deactivate the barrier, and reach the golden pagoda, it is possible to end this once the boss is defeated."
"The boss… you mean the Ruler of these Immortal Mountains?!" Elder Kai asked. "The Golden Emperor?!"
"Yeah. I believe he is an avatar of the Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable," Louis said. "Though he is likely dormant and weakened now that the Venerable has been attacked and damaged by that other being I saw. This is our only opportunity to change something, master."
"..." Elder Kai thought for a moment. "The problem is how we convince the rest. Not everyone will have the same response… Not everyone still remembers what came before this hell."
"Call Ming. I think I can help her remember as well," Louis said.
"...Very well," Elder Kai nodded.
Elder Ming arrived. She was older now, yet her beauty remained, along with her long, striking silver hair.
"Who are you?" she asked. "Kai, is this your new disciple?"
"Well…"
Louis used his Fantasium Aura to gently inject memories into her, helping her recall everything, though the process was painful.
"Y-You! What did you do?! Ah…" She sat down, coughing. "Impossible… a prison… this is an eternal prison… The Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable… how could he have done this to us?!"
"I'm glad to see you doing well, Ming Shieng," Louis said with a warm smile.
"..." Ming blushed as the handsome young man smiled at her so kindly. She was an old woman who had never experienced romance, so the affection shocked her. "W-Why are you looking at me like this, young man? I am an old lady, you know?"
"Hahaha, you're the same as always," Louis laughed, shaking his head. "I am well aware. I just said I'm glad to see you again."
"We've never met before though?" she wondered. "Though… I wouldn't mind getting to know you better…"
"Maybe… but my heart already belongs to someone else," Louis said gently. "Friendship and family are still precious bonds I am willing to share with you and Elder Kai. And don't think this is common. I am not the type to be kind to everyone."
"Hohoho, it feels like we've always known him somehow," Elder Kai laughed.
"He… he reminds me of Yang when he was younger…" Ming sighed.
"Yang… he'll be hard to convince," Elder Kai added.
"We'll work together to do it."
And they did.
Yang and the entire sect gathered at the request of the two elders. With Louis' guidance, they explained the truth, using the fact that the Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable could no longer oversee everything as before.
Some remembered fragments and regained their reason, but most remained skeptical, wondering what nonsense they were hearing.
"So you want to join these foreigners and wage war to unify all sects against the Ruler of the Immortal Mountains?!" Sect Master Yang roared. "Old Man Kai, you've finally gone senile! And Ming Shieng! Have you fallen so hard for a handsome young man that you're willing to go this far? What a desperate woman!"
"Yang, I am your master! We are telling you the truth!" Kai insisted. "We want what is best for you and the sect!"
"This is hell, Yang! We are endlessly looping! This is not how we should live! We all died under the Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable's eyes of judgment. Our deity was the culprit all along!" Ming cried.
"Nonsense!" Yang roared. "I will not let you speak ill of the great Ancient Celestial Calendar Venerable! He blessed us with Qi Cultivation, the stars, and our world! If you truly want this, then there is only one way: take the position of Sect Master from my hands! Can any of you do it?!"
Kai and Ming felt his immense pressure and stepped back in fear.
But Louis walked forward.
"I can."
"Hoh?"
Louis' sharp eyes infuriated Yang, whose eyebrows twitched at the sight of the foreigner.
"You damn foreigner. Just because you can speak our language doesn't make you one of us—"
"I am backing him."
"Me too!"
"And me!"
"He speaks the truth, Sect Master!"
"Please believe him!"
Kai, Ming, and the eleven other cultivators who had regained their sanity supported Louis, grateful for the sanity he had restored.
"Hmph! Hah! So be it!" Yang declared. "Move to the arena. We will settle this with a one-on-one duel!"
"Fine by me," Louis nodded.
Both stepped into the arena.
The battle began with swift exchanges of sword energy.
Louis' swords clashed against Yang's divine blade.
CLASH! CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!
Yang moved faster and more precisely. His attacks carried the radiance of Yang fused with Sword Qi: sharp thrusts, downward slashes, upright strikes, and cleaving blows. He knew them all.
His aura surged, launching dozens then hundreds of swords, overwhelming Louis.
However, Louis was no longer the same.
He reinforced his body with Sword Energy and Sword Qi until he gleamed bright silver, as if made of metal. His veins pulsed with liquid silver-colored sword energy and qi combined. He had become a living, sharp sword-human.
With sword-like nails, he cut through the qi swords one after another.
"What sort of attainment of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Intent is that?!"
"Incredible! He has internalized the sword qi!"
"Does he have a Heaven-Splitting Sword Physique?!"
The spectators gasped. Louis' friends watched in awe as everything moved too fast for them to follow.
Louis stepped forward. With Niflheim in hand, he swung, freezing Yang's techniques and then his body.
"Kuuaaaagggh?! I-Impossible!!!"
Yang, who had been such a difficult foe before, was now easily defeated. Louis slashed through his chest and severed his Intent with his own.
In mere minutes, the fight ended with Louis as the victor.
"N-No…! It can't be! How…?! HOW?! Fight me again! I want a rematch! This isn't fair!"
"Fine. Let's have a rematch."
They fought four more times. Each time Yang tried a new trick, but Louis overwhelmed and humiliated him again.
In the end, the entire sect admired Louis for his strength and mercy. He had never slain Yang despite the rules demanding it.
"Yang, you're too strong to kill. Join me. I will return your position once I finish what I need to do. I promise."
"…Really?!"
Unsurprisingly, after living as this simple-minded man for years, Louis knew exactly how to convince him.
In just one hour, Louis became the new Sect Master of the Sword Qi Sect. He took the Array Stone and refined it into his Soul Treasure. Instead of shattering it, he chose to refine the stones and make their power his own now that the Venerable was weakened.
"Thank you for coming here today. Our only goal is to escape this world and save all of you…" Louis said. Though he truly cared most about Kai and Ming, he knew they would not leave without their sect. He also needed the power of the other sects to assimilate the entire realm into his Fantasy Heart. "So let's go. We will take the array stones, unify all sects, and oppose the tyrannical ruler!"
"OOOHHHHH!"
Inspired by his strength and ruthlessness, and thrilled by the new methods and Fantasium stones he provided, they set off to conquer the remaining sects.
The Heaven Spear Sect.
The Golden Axe Sect.
The Demonic Sword Sect.
And the Frost Demon Sect.
All four fell in just one and a half hours. With masterful strategy and unit command, Louis unified the Immortal Mountains in no time.
Through these battles, the members of House Frostbane fought, leveled up, learned new abilities and cultivation methods, and improved greatly.
Finally, Louis stood with the sect masters of all five sects, along with Kai and Ming, whom he kept close at all times.
"Master, it's time…" Louis continued calling Kai "master" even though he was now far stronger.
"You don't have to call me master, Louis," Kai laughed. "If anything, I would be the disciple here—"
"No, never," Louis shook his head. "You taught me so much. I will never forget that."
"..." Kai tried to understand him, beginning to believe that perhaps in another parallel world they could have truly met.
"Elder Louis," Ming said. "We're getting closer. The golden pagoda is oddly silent. There is nobody outside either."
"Hm, as I thought," Louis kicked the door open, revealing an old and abandoned palace. No guards. Nothing.
They entered the throne room and finally found something.
But it was already dead.
"What?!"
Louis had expected the Golden Emperor to be weakened, but black-red spears and white-light swords pierced the twenty-meter-tall giant's body. Liquid gold bled from its wounds, its face frozen in clear agony.
"Someone else was here…!" Elder Kai gasped. "But who?! What happened?"
"The Golden Emperor has already been slain?!" Ming exclaimed in shock.
"Hm…" Yang caressed his beard, narrowing his eyes. "Those spears carry demonic energy, like Mirai's. Those swords… huh? They carry energy similar to yours, Elder Louis."
"...?!" Mirai and Louis watched as the energy weapons slowly disappeared. They were indeed similar to their own powers.
"What does this even mean?" Mirai asked.
"I don't know, but we will find out once we delve deeper. This is clearly no longer the Dungeon Games," Louis shook his head. "Let's finish this."
Louis approached the final Array Stone, the sixth one, and refined it.
All six glowed brightly, manifesting as Soul Treasures that rotated around him.
He expanded the barrier across the entire fragmented Fantasy Realm, using his surplus Fantasium, and then…
"Can I do it? Can I? Ugh, no… I need more energy…!"
As Louis struggled, Elder Kai and Ming placed their hands on his shoulders. Yang placed his hand on his back. All the other disciples followed, laying hands on shoulders and backs.
In that moment, Louis felt his power being refined and elevated further. His Cultivation merged with everyone else's. His Qi Refining Realm skyrocketed. From three stars, he gained enlightenment and power to reach the fourth, fifth, sixth… until he attained all fourteen stars within his macrocosm. His Law-Transforming Dantian fully evolved, exploding with internal energy.
BOOOM!
Everything transformed into a larger, more refined star of rainbow light. Louis' consciousness expanded in all directions.
He had attained Divine Consciousness, making it nearly impossible to be surprised or outmaneuvered.
He ascended to Qi Building Realm.
His comprehension rose dramatically. In mere seconds, he attained a second, third, and fourth star. He channeled the power of the realm's false constellations, receiving cosmic energy and forming an inner macrocosm.
FLUOSH!
The inner macrocosm compressed and crystallized, forming a core.
Core Formation Realm!
The core's interior housed his soul and powers, expanding into a beautiful palace. His memories, experiences, desires, and dreams took shape within this eternal golden palace, hardening and solidifying.
Through his journey and regressions, Louis had already attained everything necessary to master this realm at such a young age. Each regression had been profoundly meaningful, evolving his mind far beyond the time spent mastering his abilities.
Once his Core became a Golden Core, it exuded the power of the Celestial Dominion. He gained complete control over his body and life force, becoming incredibly tougher. Even if his head were cut or his heart crushed, he would survive as long as his Golden Core remained.
Moreover, he grasped the power he needed: the ability to turn his own soul into an Altar to create rituals, allowing him to see and manipulate his Fate.
Although it was still too early for Nascent Soul, he had achieved enough strength.
With the unified power of these disciples and elders, now becoming his Familiars, he refined the entire Fifth Layer, defying the Academy's rules.
He did not care about the rules.
FLAAASH!
In that moment, the Fifth Layer vanished completely. The fourth layer now connected directly to the sixth.
For everyone else, nothing seemed to change on the surface. They gasped in exhaustion and dropped to the floor.
"Did it work?" Ming asked.
"It did…" Louis replied.
Within his Fantasy Heart now rested a giant realm: the Immortal Mountains.
"You have all been freed from your fate, but the battle is far from over!" Louis said. "We must continue striving to grow stronger together."
His words inspired many. They celebrated, calling him the new Golden Emperor.
His friends were left speechless, but Zorba showered him with praise.
"Yeah! That's Lord Louis for you! Bwahahaha!"
After a short celebration and a feast with everyone, Louis decided to continue his journey through the dungeon.
"We have to go. We'll visit regularly," Louis said.
"Good luck," Elder Kai nodded. "If you need more guidance in your cultivation, come here anytime."
"I wish we could have met when I was younger…" Ming sighed, her eyes slightly sorrowful. "You're a wonderful man, Louis… Mirai is a very lucky girl."
"Ming… I think the same. Thank you for your friendship," Louis said, hugging her. Ming kissed his forehead. "Good luck."
Louis left with a nod. As they exited the Immortal Mountains (now a physical world within his Fantasy Heart), they found themselves directly in the sixth layer.
"Wow…" Melisa and Selene gasped.
"A wasteland?" Mirai asked.
"No. This is a vast desert," Louis said. "This is the sixth layer… The Junkyard Desert."
It was a beautiful, endless desert of dunes stretching as far as the eye could see. Ancient abandoned temples and giant pieces of scattered technology littered the landscape. Massive spaceships lay broken in the wastelands, slowly being pillaged by the inhabitants. Scrap beasts devoured anything useful to grow larger and more monstrous. Robots and people lived here, similar to the cultivators: entities that were not truly alive.
Beneath the scorching heat of the desert, they set off once more.
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