Chapter 76: How Many Vassals Are There?

Aden stood amidst the kneeling figures, the cool moonlight catching the new texture of his skin. It looked normal, but the way it absorbed the light, leaving no reflection, betrayed its true nature.

He clenched his fist. The obsidian bones inside felt like iron rods, and the heaviness that came with it was inexplicable.

’Who knew emptiness had weight? But then again, Zero did say Void isn’t exactly emptiness.’

Aden sighed lightly to digest the complexity of his new form. His internal environment had already flared to life to stabilize the new re–allocation of energies, causing the friction to be lifted noticeably.

’It’s been a minute since I’ve seen my system,’ Aden realized. Not daring to postpone it any longer, he called out mentally. ’System.’

The familiar, translucent screen flickered to life before his abyss-black eyes. In the darkness of the cave, the interface seemed to bleed into the shadows, its blue light replaced by a sharp, violet-tinted hue that matched his new frequency.

But as the data compiled, Aden noticed something. The interface had undergone a fundamental Restructuring. The more complex system he’d been accustomed to had been compressed into something less than that.

Aden reasoned that it was struggling to function at its prime state due to his constant changes and irregular power curve, so it chose to degrade.

Though, it still didn’t make complete sense, he chose not to make a fuss over it.

He briefly looked past the system and watched his Vassals, and as expected, they couldn’t see it.

’I wonder why? It’s not like it was some heavenly treasure or something,’ Aden wondered with furrowed eyebrows. Unspoken thoughts already beginning to form in his head.

’Bah, whatever. Let me just see what I’ve got so far.’

[ STATUS WINDOW ]

Name: Aden

Race: Superior Human (Sovereign Paradox)

Rank: Peak-Stage Attuned (Status: CAPPED)

Titles: Vessel of the Obsidian Throne, The Sovereign of Emptiness, Ruler of the Pit, Enemy of the Gods, Sinful Protector, Leader of the Damned.

[ ATTRIBUTES ]

Strength: A+ (Physically augmented by Void-Bone Density)

Agility: B- (Movement hindered by skeletal weight; Burst speed high)

Endurance: S (Adaptive Skin + Obsidian Frame)

Intelligence: A

Perception: B+ (New Trait: Void-Sense)

[ ENERGY PROFILES ]

Adaptive Resonance (Flesh): 4,200/4,200

Status: Compressed. Acting as internal insulation.

Void Essence (Bone): [DATA UNKNOWN]

Status: Unquantifiable / Currently limited by Vessel’s output.

[ NEW TRAITS & ABILITIES ]

Obsidian Circuitry (Passive): Your skeleton acts as a high-density conductor for Void energy. Physical strikes now carry Nullification properties. Impact force increased by 400%, but movement cost for stamina is doubled.

Passive Adaptation (Skin): Autonomous defense mechanism. Hardens into Resonance-Armor within 0.8 seconds of detected threat. (Note: Can be manually overridden for deception).

Sovereign’s Gaze: Your presence can induce Rank-Suppression on lower-tier entities. (Cooldown: None).

_______

Aden stared at the capped status on his Rank. A dry laugh escaped his throat, a sound that seemed to be swallowed by the very air.

’Capped? After all that, I’m still at the Peak of Attuned?’

’Don’t be a fool, host,’ the Entity’s voice slithered through his thoughts, sounding smug. ’Do you think such a primitive system could accurately keep up with your growth?’

Aden sighed at the arrogant tone as he fingers slid across the interface. ’I can’t even see my old skills anywhere, and I’m sure some dumb alphabets barely do justice to my growth. Can’t we get an upgrade of some sorts?’ Aden complained.

’That’s less than a concern at the moment. You have far more important things to do. Leave it be.’ the Entity answered.

Aden shrugged and dismissed the screen with a flick of his wrist. He didn’t need the numbers to tell him what he already felt. He felt like a coiled spring made of dark matter.

He looked at his hand. It looked like the hand of a normal young man, soft and fair.

“Zero,” Aden called out.

Zero appeared at his side instantly, bowing. “Master.”

Aden didn’t change his position, but he could clearly see Zero in his bowing state, as if his two eyes had moved to accommodate him. The Void sense the system highlighted for him, showing its grace.

“Tell me. Why didn’t you breakthrough?” Aden already had an inkling of the answer, but he wanted to make sure he wasn’t jumping into any conclusions before he made his final decision.

“As the Master knows, this humble servant is at the Second Stage of the Aligned Realm according to the Resonance Cultivators’ rankings. The Master’s energy is indeed pure and profound, but it has no effect on me yet,” Zero explained, his body still bent at a 90° angle.

Aden hummed softly. He wasn’t surprised by this, as he’d already suspected that was the case, but noting the healthier features on Zero’s skin, he was sure his energy made some sort of impact on him, one that Zero himself didn’t notice.

’His words are no longer slurred,’ Aden assessed.

Another theory formed in his head. It was highly likely that the further he reached in his cultivation of his Void energy, the closer the Vassals would get to reaching more humanoid forms. Though, he couldn’t be sure about this since Lorelei was a Vassal and was perfectly human.

At least for the most part.

Then another thought struck him like a thunderbolt. ’If Lorelei is the third Vassal, and Zero the fifth. Who’s the first, second and fourth?’

The thought caused his heart to skip a beat for some reason. How hadn’t he noticed it all this while? If the third and fifth weren’t absorbed, they would have humanoid features like Lorelei and would have easily stood out in the Zombie–like procession, but Aden couldn’t spot out anyone who looked remotely intelligent.

Aden shook his head softly. ’This isn’t the time for this. I could always ask him afterwards. Right now, I have to get a grip on this power.’

With a hardened gaze, Aden locked eyes on Zero’s. His obsidian hollows bearing calmly on Zero’s milky whites as he ordered.

“All of the Vassals, including you and Lorelei shall attack me all at once.” The air grew cold at his words, but he wasn’t finished. “Each attack should aim for my life or it will be counted as disobedience to your Master.”

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