Boundless Cultivation
Chapter 103 - The Final Foe

Alaric crouched beside the crystal clear river stream that coursed through the forest bed at the base of the hill. He doused his face with the pristine water before gulping a few mouthfuls from his cupped palms.

The cool water did wonders to alleviate the exhaustion of his training. Turning around, he surveyed the graveyard of dismembered cyborgs - all his own doing - and let out a smile.

The beautiful green hillscape, the sparkling water body, and the fallen opponents - none of them were real. They were all a projection of his subconscious mind.

It had been close to a month since Alaric had started training inside his inner world, and yet the mind-boggling realism of his dreamworld still astounded him.

Sure, he could consciously visualize such a realistic environment during meditation or daydreaming - but only for a brief few moments. Sustaining a lifelike simulated environment that mimicked the laws of the real world - or completely negated them - was another matter entirely.

It required the immense processing power of the subconscious mind, which many cultivators remained oblivious of throughout their lives.

In fact, he could bet that this simulated environment was every bit as marvelous as the one developed by the system - the tutorial rift. However, he commanded complete control over it and thus, more freedom.

More than once, he was reminded of why he had spent countless hours inside his inner world in his previous life - not only for training, but also for reconnecting with his inner self.

Training inside this simulated environment had proven to be tremendously fruitful, just as he had expected. Time flowed differently inside the dream realm - all according to his whim and the amount of energy he could allocate.

So the hour-long training session each night transformed into a multiple-hours long training session in his experience.

Alaric had fought with almost every variety of monsters that he managed to dream up within his inner realm - even facing old opponents - all while donning the special training garments gifted to him by his father.

Not actually wearing them, of course. But even as a simulated replica, they enabled him to get used to the sensation of fighting while wearing them and improved his adaptability in the real world.

Now, almost after a month of body-breaking effort, Alaric could proudly claim that he was able to unleash over 90% of his energy capacity without losing control.

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Time was slipping away from his grasp. Tomorrow, he would challenge the hidden boss of the final zone. So he would have to attain a breakthrough by today.

I need to clash with a stronger opponent to overcome my limitations. Alaric grinned as the graveyard of enemies slowly dissolved into air.

Since he sparred with Edgar and his father every day in The Whispering Woods, there was no benefit in fighting a simulated version of them inside his inner world - at least, not for now.

Fortunately, he had the perfect opponent in his mind. A powerful presence manifested behind his back as he slowly turned to face an old adversary.

“It’s been a while, Alaric,” said the familiar voice of Alpha Prime. The android looked confused, scanning his surroundings as if he wanted to unravel some deep mystery. “This is a beautiful place, but also a bit strange. I cannot recall how I arrived here. Where are we?”

Alaric inspected the powerful form of Alpha Prime - as pristine and formidable as ever. Of course, the android before him was only a figment of his dream world, made more magical by the unpredictability of its actions.

It was a byproduct of coexisting in a realm where his subconscious remained very much active. And, although he hadn’t completely handed over the reins to the dream world to his inner self, his subconscious did most of the heavy lifting.

“You’ve always wanted to explore the world, right?” Alaric said with a grin. “What if I tell you that you can visit anywhere in the world, and even beyond, right here?”

“What’s the catch?” Alpha Prime tilted its head as he crossed his arms.

“Nothing you wouldn’t enjoy,” Alaric replied with a shrug. “Just try your best to defeat me,” he added with a grin.

“Challenge accepted,” the android scoffed, before launching himself at Alaric.

***

Waking up under the caress of the pleasant morning sun rays was always a delightful experience for Alaric. But he had more than one reason to be happy as he pulled himself out of his bed to execute his morning routine.

The clash between him and Alpha Prime turned out to be just as intense as their previous bout inside the tutorial rift.

Still, in the end, he had managed to defeat the android by unleashing his full power while retaining control over his body. Now, all he had to do was verify his command over his new body during the morning sparring session.

While eating his breakfast, various thoughts swirled in his mind. His life would take a turn in another direction after tomorrow - his 14th birthday. Soon, he would have to leave for the capital city to join an academy.

That thought made him chuckle. Although he wasn’t looking forward to socializing with teenagers, the thought of visiting a new location and learning more about this world deeply intrigued him.

He shook his head, exhaling a deep breath. No matter what, I have to defeat the hidden boss today. Alaric had refrained from challenging the final boss until now because he instinctively knew he wasn’t ready. Now, he was, and he was looking forward to it.

A tingling sensation shot through his temples before subsiding. He gently massaged his temples before sipping a glass of water.

There was only this one thing that worried him right now. Ever since he acquired his lucid inner world ability, he could feel the presence of a foreign entity attempting to invade his dream world.

Of course, nobody could infiltrate his inner realm without his consent, but it took some effort to thwart their attempt.

It seemed whoever had wanted to invade his dreams had become truly desperate, resorting to a brute force attempt since their stealth attempts had proven futile.

Alaric could’ve invited them inside his inner world and taught them a lesson if they turned out to be a foe. But he hadn’t wanted any complications during his training sessions and opted to wait until he cleared the tutorial rift completely.

Putting down the empty plate, he combed his hair and dressed in a more appropriate garment before heading out for his morning training session.

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***

Inside The Grey Terminal

Alaric strode through the silent forest, determined to face the final boss. There was no birdsong, no chirping of insects, and no wind whispering through the thicket of scrawny trees. The ambience wasn’t inviting, but he hadn’t expected it to be either.

During his morning training session, he had pleased Edgar and the count by wielding his full strength with precise control. The special training garment had fulfilled its objective, and he didn’t need to rely on it any longer.

Without wasting any more time, he had plunged into The Grey Terminal. And upon accepting the prompt to access the hidden area of the final zone, he had been transported to this decrepit forest.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to restrain his excitement any longer. Soon, he stepped through the treeline and found himself within a vast stretch of black, churned earth.

The soil was littered with half-buried bodies, some draped in decaying coils of cloth. What greeted him was a massive graveyard, but there were no tombstones, only limbs protruding from the dirt as if the dead had tried to claw their way out.

At the center of this desolation sat a figure cross-legged with his back turned toward Alaric - presumably, deep in meditation. He was clad only in a torn, white loin-drape. Every muscle in his body was sculpted to perfection, glistening faintly under the dim light of the setting sun.

Alaric halted, briefly scrutinizing his adversary for any flaws. He found none. In his true vision, the entity blazed with otherworldly energy. Yet surprisingly, the being before him seemed completely human with no mechanical components embedded within it.

Huh…what’s up with that? Alaric hadn’t expected the hidden boss to be composed of living flesh. No, he is not a human. Although the hidden boss appeared to be a human, his intuition warned him that it was nothing but a perversion.

Upon further examination, he noted that his enemy derived its energy from a solid mana core - although it reeked of foulness. And unless his senses were fooled, Alaric determined that his final opponent possessed a body comparable to his perfected, supreme-grade reforged body.

Without dwelling any further, he examined the system description of his final foe.

Subject Omega Prime - The Final Variant — culmination of all forbidden experimentation. Born through blasphemous craft, Subject Omega Prime is a homunculus: an artificial being shaped from perfected flesh, soul, and unseen force.

Unlike its predecessor, Alpha Prime—whose power stemmed from machine evolution—Omega Prime transcends technology entirely. Infused with soul energy and life essence, its flesh and bone are not just stronger—they are redefined, elevated far beyond mortal understanding.

Etched into this living vessel are ancient runes of power, granting it mastery over energy, essence, and the arcane laws of existence.

It is the unholy bridge between the physical and the ineffable, capable of wielding power that machines can neither replicate nor understand.

Alaric scrunched his brows, digesting the information he had just learned. An artificial human being? Ancient runes of power?

However, before he could analyze his enemy further, Omega Prime finally stirred - gradually rising and turning his form to face Alaric.

His enemy erupted into a soundless laughter, observing Alaric’s shock, and he had every reason to be surprised. Omega Prime had no face - only a smooth, blank flesh where features should be.

What is this vile thing? Alaric's confusion turned to disgust as Omega Prime’s face slowly contorted into his own - complete with his green eyes and black hair.

Alaric felt queasy, witnessing his face twisted into a vile expression, but quickly regained control. Whatever that thing was - a homunculus - it wasn’t him, and he wouldn’t let it rattle him.

Already, Alaric harbored a strong sense of disgust towards Omega Prim,e who glared at him contemptuously.

“Oh, another unfortunate soul to add to my collection,” said Omega Prime, the contempt dripping from his voice. It seemed the homunculus had already dismissed Alaric as a challenge, intent on digging him a grave.

“You talk big for somebody who is just a replica,” said Alaric calmly. He had wanted to hurt his enemy in a sensitive spot. If the homunculus was as sentient as he looked, Alaric’s quip would've shut him up.

However, Omega Prime looked confused. Apparently, he wasn’t aware of the nature of his existence. Alaric sported a grim satisfaction, refusing to answer when the homunculus demanded an explanation.

“You dare play tricks on me?” bellowed Omega Prime, “I’m a perfected being - a God - and you will kneel before me.”

Alaric could only chuckle at that statement. He wouldn’t have heeded the real Omega Prime - if it even existed in the Dark Continent. So he simply couldn't take this replica seriously.

The homunculus couldn’t stomach the insult any longer and lunged at Alaric. To his credit, Omega Prime was the toughest opponent Alaric had ever fought in his new life.

His enemy demonstrated an uncanny mastery over various elements - fire, water, ice, earth, and more. Alaric activated his [Superior Mana Manipulation] ability to negate his enemy’s strategies.

He dodged fire lances, destroyed earthen walls, vaporized tsunamis, and withstood blizzards - all the while flashing a mad grin. For some reason, he couldn’t fathom failing today, although a shadow of foreboding persistently tried to gnaw at his confidence.

The final adversary of the Tutorial Rift was a magnificent opponent, but he was currently the most formidable he had ever been in his new life.

The homunculus clearly hadn’t expected Alaric to be this strong. His face was locked in disbelief, witnessing Alaric counter each and every energy attack with his own.

Frustrated beyond belief, Omega Prime launched a devastating strike, which Alaric matched with his own fist. As their fists clashed, Alaric experienced a ripple of energy reverberating through his entire body.

A tremendous shockwave rippled through the surrounding area, knocking down a circle of trees in the distance. However, his body was left relatively unharmed, mirroring Omega Prime’s condition.

When the dust and debris settled, Alaric unleashed a healing pulse to restore his body to pristine condition. “I had expected a tougher fight,” he muttered to himself.

Omega Prime halted. “You are much more powerful than I initially estimated,” admitted the homunculus, still wearing a scornful expression on his face. “Fine, I will demonstrate why I’m considered a perfected being and you are meant to grovel before me like the insect you are.”

If this had been a duel in the real world, Alaric would’ve charged forward, ending his foe before they could’ve unveiled their full might. But here he had the opportunity to learn, break, and mold himself anew - although his time was fairly limited.

Alaric inspected Omega Prime in his true vision as it encased itself in a cocoon of shadow. It was transforming, mutating into something else. However, Alaric didn’t pay any attention to the transformation itself.

No, he was fully absorbed in analyzing the seven energy bundles blazing within the homunculus’s subtle body - seven chakras. All of them had been purified to the limits, just short of partial awakening.

How is this possible? Alaric couldn’t comprehend how somebody had managed to create an artificial human being. Creating flesh and bone was one thing, but birthing a soul was something else entirely.

It violated the laws of nature, and yet the evidence - the seven chakras in its subtle body - was undeniable. However, it was the least of his surprises as the homunculus completed his transformation.

Overtly, nothing had changed. However, Alaric discerned the ancient runes of power etched into its flesh and bones for the first time. As if they had been dormant and invisible before, and had now activated.

It reminded Alaric of the Anomaly that was responsible for his death in his previous life. The ancient runes of power inscribed on Omega Prime’s form were far less complex, but they bore an uncanny resemblance nonetheless.

Omega Prime didn’t allow Alaric to dwell on this mystery any longer. He instantly shot towards Alaric and smacked him.

Alaric barely parried the blow and still found himself tumbling through the forest floor, before his back crashed into a rock wall.

The sensation of wrongness nauseated his senses, as he felt his body slowly losing energy. The corona of black encasing the homunculus was steadily expanding, and whatever it touched withered away.

It’s sucking the energy out of everything. A cold, parasitic black energy clung itself to the spot where his body had been struck moments earlier. He couldn’t do anything to dispel this freezing, parasitic bundle of black that drained the energy out of his body.

Even rising up proved to be immensely strainful, and so he remained under the pile of rock, channeling his energy to slow down the advance of the parasitic black energy.

“What happened to your earlier bravado?” sneered Omega Prime as he slowly approached Alaric. “If you grovel before me, I will bless you with a quick death.”

Alaric couldn’t deny that Omega Prime suddenly fit the title of a hidden boss to the letter. He found himself utterly powerless against that vile, dark energy that currently fuelled the monster.

However, the smile never faltered from his face. He had one more idea up his sleeve, although he wasn’t sure it would succeed. He needed some more time.

“What’s the use of being so powerful?” wheezed Alaric. “You are locked within this prison while I’m free to chase my whims. You are not even real.”

“Lies!” roared the homunculus with distaste. “I am the real Omega Prime, and you will tell me everything you know.” He slammed his foot onto Alaric’s chest, driving the breath out of his lungs. “And I suggest you hurry unless you want your death to become even more excruciating.”

Alaric channeled the energy of his sacral chakra to deal with the pain, but it was all he could do before the flood of vile energy slowly overtook his senses, inviting him to the call of cold death.