Regressor In A Strange World
Chapter 24: Unnatural Transformation.

Chapter 24: Unnatural Transformation.

I felt a certain hotness rise within my chest. With a strangled groan, I fell to my knees, tightly clutching my chest in an attempt to restrain the intense pounding of my heart.

Ba- dump! Ba- dump!

The erratic beats thundered in my ears, each one more violent than the last, as if my heart was trying to break free from my ribcage.

"What...?!"

I barely managed a groan, confusion twisting my features.

This contradicted everything I knew about Arcane Awakening. In theory, it wasn’t supposed to be painful or agonizing. After all, it was more of unlocking something that had always been there, lying dormant within.

So... realistically speaking, it was supposed to emerge naturally.

Not...

Forcefully.

BOOM!

A crushing pressure bore down on me, locking my body in place.

It felt as though something deep within me was breaking- seals shattering one after another, each rupture unleashing a wave of excruciating pain.

I clenched my teeth, biting down hard to muffle a scream as agony unlike anything I’d ever felt, tore through me.

"Ugh-! Ugh-!"

A strange energy stirred within my soul, rising like a tide and slowly seeping into every corner of my being.

Wherever it passed, the searing pain dulled, replaced by a soothing warmth- an eerie, revitalizing sensation, as if my very essence was undergoing an unnatural transformation.

And then-

I felt it.

Somewhere within me, a blinding star was burning furiously, waves of heat were radiating from it, slowly spreading through every fiber of my being.

Under the overwhelming temperature and pressure, I felt my bones snap and reattach themselves, my limbs twisted and straightened in an unnatural transformation, and my muscles and blood vessels contracted and expanded in a grotesque blend that sent terror through me.

Each transformation should have been unbearable. It should have shattered my mind.

Yet, somehow- I endured.

"Ukh-!"

I stifled a pained groan as bloodshot veins ran through my pupils.

And then-

It came.

Through the blinding pain, I felt it.

Something was changing within me.

Slowly, everything was being rebuilt and revitalized.

I was becoming... stronger.

Faster. Sharper.

The feeling was euphoric- an intoxicating rush unlike anything I’d ever felt. And with each passing second, the transformation became clearer. It became much more profound.

Then, just as suddenly-

The star burning furiously within me cooled down, a soothing coldness spreading through me.

Zzzzrr~

The coldness washed over me, taking away all the pain and agony as if they had never existed. Though I knew it was anything but that.

The pain. The tears that had threatened to spill. The suffering that had nearly shattered me-

They were all real.

’...As real as real could get.’

Slowly, all the aches and agony disappeared completely as though they had never existed in the first place.

"Hu..."

I exhaled shakily, my body still trembling from the aftermath.

And then-

Whoosh-!

An invisible force seized me, yanking me into what felt like an endless abyss.

"What the-?!"

I gasped, panic surging through me.

"....!"

Seconds later,

My eyes snapped open- only to be met with a sight that made my breath catch in my throat.

Before me stood an imposing gate, and beyond the walls of the closed gate- etched with intricate runes of unknown language- laid a colossal tower that stretched towards the heaven, its very presence radiating an unfathomable pressure.

My lips parted slightly, my body freezing in place as if caught in the grip of an unseen force.

"....?!"

I had never heard of anything like this before.

Judging by the sea of soul that surrounded me, I didn’t need to be told to know where I was.

But-

Staring at the towering gate and the colossal tower, I frowned, my breath caught in my throat.

I had never heard of anyone possessing such items in their soul space.

With my gaze lingering on the colossal tower ahead of me, I really doubted it could even be called an item. It had to be something else.

But, even then-

Ba- dump. Ba- dump.

What was it doing in my soul space?

After all, without my prior acknowledgement or consent, nothing should be able to enter my soul space.

Unless, of course, said thing, forcefully invaded.

But I didn’t feel like that was the case.

Somehow...

Step~

I took one step forward, towards the ancient gate, the runes etched onto it sending a throbbing pain through my head.

I felt it call to me.

Step~

The pain intensified, and blood was now dripping from the corner of my eyes- something that was supposed to be impossible in one’s soul space.

Yet~

Step~

I couldn’t stop. As though bewitched by the thought of what lay beyond the gate, I continued moving forward.

Appearing before the gate, my heart pounded in my ears, the intensity growing stronger with each passing second.

I raised my trembling hands, reaching for the ancient gate. In that instant- I felt an endless expanse of darkness surge towards me, as though to suffocate me.

"Huff... Huff..."

My hands trembled as it lightly grazed the surface of the ancient gate.

".....!"

Nothing unexpected happened and I eventually opened my eyes that had closed involuntarily- most likely due to the fear of what would have occured.

Ba- dump! Ba- dump!

I tried pushing open the door, yet it wouldn’t even bulge.

Staring blankly at the gate, I refused to give up.

’There’s no way I can’t handle some crappy gate. And in my own soul space, no less? Not a chance!’

"Open." I commanded, fully expecting it to obey.

After all, this was my soul space, and I was a "god" within.

A smirk tugged at the corner of my lips, and I felt my energy rapidly drain away.

Yet~

"Aargh-!"

I tried to remove my hand, shock rippling through me.

But-

My eyes widened even more, a sickening realization settling in my stomach.

My hands wouldn’t bulge. I was stuck.

I struggled, again and again, but at some point, I had to accept defeat.

And just then, as if the gate had suddenly grown a conscience.

"Hah..."

The invisible current devouring my arcane energy eventually waned.

And-

"Kgh-!’

I gritted my teeth, not at the fact that I got robbed of my energy.

No- that wasn’t what annoyed me. What truly pissed me off was that, despite draining my energy, the crappy gate still wouldn’t budge an inch.

’Just fuck it!’

I eventually had no choice but to give up.

A while later, after some proper consideration, I distanced myself from the gate.

As the elders do say- prevention is better than cure.

I could hardly imagine what would happen to me if the gate suddenly decided to show no mercy.

"Hah..."

Having such a thing in my soul space was not something I was comfortable with. But it wasn’t like I could do anything about it.

At least not yet...

I had a feeling that as I grew stronger, I’d uncover more about it.

’Hopefully, it’s worth the wait.’

Taking in the scene around me, my soul sea was a lot more lively than I’d expected. Though somehow, I had this nagging feeling that somewhere just beyond the depths of my soul space, something... shapeless, and endless was... were constantly moving.

"Weird.’

Tilting my head a little, I gazed at the unending depths of my soul space and despite the fact that my vision had been improved to considerably extents, I felt I had not touched the surface of the darkness.

I tried to approach it, but,

Ba- dump! Ba- dump!

My body froze. A stifling, suffocating pressure locked onto me, taking my breath away from me.

"Kgh-!"

I gasped for breath, my eyes wide open as pain tore through me. A suffocating pressure pressing against my chest.

Seconds later,

"Huff... Huff..."

It vanished as suddenly as it came. But its remnant still clung to me- like a suffocating echo that refused to fade.

I stood there, breathless and at a loss for word.

...At this point, I knew not to casually poke my nose around... in my own soul space.

Was it still my own at this point?

I couldn’t help but question myself.

Exhaling lightly, I stared at the star hanging above- the visual representation of my soul core- was supposed to be burning with a bright light, filling the soul sea with a warm, blinding glow.

However, my soul was white and... serene. Almost as though it held no impurities.

"That’s strange."

I took in what resembled a white constellation. And at closer examination, it actually turned out to be transparent as though it didn’t even exist in the first place.

"Akh-!"

I groaned in annoyance.

The many weird scenarios and numerous unknowns were really starting to get on my nerves. But, ironically, as if fate was mocking me, there was nothing I could do about them.

"Haa..."

I finally spotted the Thunder Fang dagger in a sphere of light, though the second sphere of light was empty.

After all... the momentum ring was still being worn by me.

I was still confused about a few things, though. The two items are supposedly mystical items- yet still function as arcane artifacts.

’Why is that the case?’ I muttered under my breath, a frown creeping up my features.

But just then-

Ba- thump. Ba- thump.

I heard it. The spell’s voice.

It echoed through my mind, pulling me out of the sea of soul.

[Awakening Aspect Ability...]

’This is it. The moment of truth.’

I exhaled shakily.

Above divine aspect or not, my immediate future would still depend a great deal on the first aspect ability I received.

Hopefully, it doesn’t have anything to do with those useless utility abilities.

I mused under my breath, and somehow, I had a bad feeling about this.

Ba- dump! Ba- dump!

My heart pounded against my chest, the sound echoing through the stifling silence.

And then-

I heard it. The spell.

It spoke once again.

[Aspect Ability Acquired.

[Aspect Ability name: ...