My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 390: Accepting the responsibility

The cavern was once again swallowed by silence.

Above his own cold remains, the soul projection of Edrin Solace drifted, its translucent radiance casting a soft light upon the ancient stone. The atmosphere grew dense, as though the very earth was holding its breath in anticipation.

Ethan did not speak at first.

He remained motionless, staring at the corpse of a legend—a being who had climbed to a height where even gods would bow. Yet, that legendary figure had met with defeat. He had perished in a desperate struggle to shatter the cage that bound all of existence.

To accept that legacy meant taking on the weight of that failure as well.

The human race.

A species characterized by weakness, internal conflict, brief lifespans, and endless imperfections.

A race that slaughtered its own over petty resources, fear, and conflicting ideologies.

A people who humbled themselves before the mighty, surviving only through the arts of adaptation, concealment, and endurance.

Ethan slowly closed his eyes.

Nevertheless, it was also a race that refused to be extinguished.

Regardless of how many times they were crushed, enslaved, or wiped out, humanity always found a way back. Their capacity to learn, grow, and rebel surpassed all others.

They dared to envision the impossible.

With mere mortal hands, they reached for the highest heavens.

Ethan let out a long, slow breath.

"I am human," he whispered.

The words rippled gently through the hollow cave.

"I despise our vulnerabilities. I loathe our ignorance and our cruelty." He tightened his hands into fists. "But despite all that, I love this race."

Opening his eyes, he looked straight into the soul of Edrin.

"If I take this path... do I become the progenitor this very moment?"

Edrin gave a small shake of his head.

"No," he answered. "First, your own Cultivation must reach the level of a Progenitor being."

He lifted a ghostly finger.

"Should you agree to succeed me, I shall bestow my remaining authority upon you. The instant you achieve a breakthrough to the Progenitor Realm, command over the human race will be yours."

Ethan’s gaze sharpened. "Command."

"Indeed," Edrin said with composure. "You will possess the power to lead them, restrain them, or raise them up. However, let me warn you."

The soul’s expression became profoundly serious.

"Merely becoming the progenitor is not enough."

Ethan waited for him to continue.

"You must forge an empire," Edrin declared. "A dominion vast enough to unite the entire human race under your standard and lead them across this cage, across all of creation."

As the weight of his words settled, the cave trembled slightly.

"Once you establish your own law—one as potent as any of the three thousand—and bind it to the human race, they will transform into an original race."

Edrin’s eyes flashed with intensity.

"Only then is there a glimmer of hope to transcend this cage."

Ethan felt a heavy burden press against his heart.

This was no simple rescue mission.

"I encountered inverse humans previously," Ethan remarked suddenly. "Were they also your handiwork?"

A faint, knowing grin touched Edrin’s lips.

"Those are not humans."

He shook his head slowly.

"An inverse entity sought to mimic the human race and birthed an inverse race from that template. But imitation can never equal true creation."

"They are flawed. They possess deep, structural deficiencies. You will see it for yourself if you examine them with care."

His eyes remained fixed on Ethan.

"And I can perceive it. You carry the resonance of the inverse world within your body."

Ethan wasn't shocked that his secrets were being peeled back.

It was irrelevant. That wasn't his true hidden card. His only absolute secret was his infinite origin sea.

"You must finish this evolution," Edrin advised. "Even I cannot foresee what you will transform into. But I am certain you will become something of immense power."

Ethan lapsed into silence once more.

He had one final inquiry.

"One last thing," he said. "If I assume the role of progenitor... can I track every single human?"

Edrin gave a nod.

"Yes. You will feel their presence. You will locate them and hear their pleas."

He hesitated for a moment.

"Naturally, if a supreme existence like myself, or someone even more powerful, is intentionally masking them, you might fail to do so."

His look turned grim.

"You must grow stronger."

Ethan let out a soft, dry laugh.

It was a sound devoid of any real mirth.

"That seems to be the universal solution for everything."

He cast one last glance at the lifeless body.

Then, he straightened his posture.

"I accept."

The cavern shuddered violently.

The soul of Edrin Solace smiled—a genuine, heartfelt smile—for the first time.

"Excellent," he said softly. "Then take it."

From the center of the corpse's chest, a solitary droplet of blood manifested.

It was a dense, golden liquid that radiated an overwhelming authority. Reality itself seemed to warp around it, struggling to contain its sheer presence.

The blood drifted toward Ethan.

The second it made contact with his skin, it plunged inside.

Ethan let out a cry of agony. The energy contained within that drop was beyond calculation, feeling as though it were trying to embed itself within his very soul.

The golden essence fused with his heart.

The corpse beneath Edrin’s soul began to splinter.

In moments, it crumbled into ash.

The soul projection started to dissolve, his final words echoing in Ethan’s mind.

"I hope you can fulfill what I could not."

Silence once again claimed the cave.

Ethan was left alone.

He gripped his chest as the final echoes died away.

"This is madness," he whispered.

Yet, a fierce determination burned in his eyes.

"I’ll see it through."

He understood his next objective.

The Throne of Destiny trial.

To achieve Foundation Establishment in the Progenitor Realm.

To earn the right to lead his people.

But before any of that started...

His gaze softened momentarily.

"I have to find my family."

Ten days went by.

Ten days of focused preparation.

Ten days of quiet before the coming chaos.

When Ethan was finally granted leave to return to reality, the world felt changed.

As he crossed the threshold, his pupils contracted.

The environment greeted him with blatant hostility.

No.

It was anticipation.

As soon as Ethan’s feet touched the soil, the laws of reality shifted, as if the world itself had recognized his presence. An invisible wave of pressure radiated from him, sweeping through the mountains, the oceans, and the heavens.

He sensed it immediately.

Thousands of eyes were fixed upon him.

It wasn't just sight, but wills, intent, and murderous desires.

From the firmament above, where hidden figures watched from behind distorted clouds.

From distant peaks, where ancient masters opened eyes that had been sealed for ages.

From pocket dimensions layered over the world, where other candidates waited like wolves in the brush.

From the void itself, where formless beings paused to turn their focus toward a single point.

Toward him.

Ethan scowled.

The sensation was heavy and suffocating.

"What is happening?" he muttered to himself.

Then, a realization hit him.

He recalled the warning that entering another reality would cause his coordinates to be broadcast.

Ethan wasn't worried about that. A lone candidate was nothing to him, but this scale?

"There are too many," Ethan whispered, his voice remaining firm even as the storm gathered.

Before he could process the situation further, a voice boomed across the world.

It did not originate from the earth or the sky.

It resonated from everywhere at once.

A freezing, absolute command was etched into the mind of every candidate present.

[Slay Ethan Hunt to immediately obtain eighty percent authority.]

"So, they want me dead? Are you truly certain about that?" A chilling smirk played on his lips.

Whether it was one, a thousand, or a hundred thousand, it made no difference to him.

With his current strength, he could obliterate them with ease.

However, Ethan had a nagging suspicion that the will of the eternal domain had orchestrated something far more complex than just this confrontation.