My attributes are increasing infinitely Chapter 491: Dark Alliance

The fissure in space didn't rip open with a clamor, nor a forceful tear. It parted as smoothly as silk sliced by a master's blade, unveiling a void of absolute, chilling serenity.

From this rift, the Founder emerged. He didn't take flight, nor did he tread upon the devastated ground. He simply existed. His very presence was akin to a mountain suddenly materializing in a flat expanse, an undeniable reality that could neither be ignored nor bypassed. His robes, fashioned from threads that seemed to capture the dying light of distant stars, remained utterly still. The wind itself had been extinguished, suffocated by the overwhelming density of the Founder’s aura.

The General of the Dark Alliance, a Level 135 nightmare creature that had been taunting Ethan with the detached cruelty of a deity, became motionless. The hundreds of eyes adorning its form, previously flickering with predatory amusement, widened simultaneously. The flame crowning its head, a symbol of its dark vitality, faltered and shifted to a pallid, sickly blue.

"A General of the Dark Alliance?" the Founder's voice, though soft, barely a whisper, echoed deep within Ethan's bones. "Extending your influence into the outskirts of my domain? You have become audacious in your twilight years, Akatsu."

The monstrous Akatsu emitted a guttural hiss. The black hole at its maw vanished instantly, its crushing gravitational force dissipating as the creature’s focus shifted entirely to its own preservation. Despite this, the entity didn't immediately retreat. The fanaticism ingrained within the Dark Alliance ran deeper than its primal survival instinct.

"The Founder of the Aurora Clan..." Akatsu's multitude of mouths spoke in a grating, wet chorus. "To think you would descend for a mere Level 1 cultivator. My senses did not deceive me. This youth... he is the anomaly the Seer foretold. The one who bears the secret of Apocalypse."

The Founder's countenance remained as placid as a frozen lake. He made no attempt to refute the claim. For a being of his caliber, falsehoods were tools for the less powerful. "His level is inconsequential. He belongs to me."

Akatsu unleashed a jarring, rhythmic clicking sound, echoing a laugh. "It matters not if you vanquish me! Even as we converse, my thoughts are being relayed to the Abyss. The Association is aware. The Alliance is aware. You can conceal him within your citadel, old phantom, but you cannot obscure the sun with a single hand. Prepare for relentless pursuit! The hunt has only just commenced!"

The creature shut its eyes, its form beginning to inflate with a volatile, self-destructive energy. It intended to detonate its core, to obliterate its soul and any vestige of information the Founder might attempt to glean.

The Founder didn't even flinch. He simply lifted a hand, his fingers slightly curved as if delicately plucking a grape from a vine.

"Static," he murmured.

The surging energy within Akatsu's body ceased abruptly. The monster's eyes snapped open, reflecting a primal, existential dread. It discovered it lacked the agency even to choose its own demise. Every atom of its Level 135 existence was rigidly affixed to the fabric of reality by an unseen force that defied all physical laws. Before the Founder, a general capable of leveling cities was reduced to no more than a pinned insect within a collector's display.

Ethan, still enveloped in the celestial radiance emanating from his Supreme One Physique, advanced. His movements were somewhat restricted, the residual suppression from Akatsu's earlier assault gradually fading, but his eyes blazed with a cold, deliberate intensity. He regarded the Founder not with the abject awe of a rescued victim, but observed Akatsu with the keen focus of a scientist.

"Sir," Ethan's voice was unwavering, drawing the Founder's attention. "Do you possess a method to meld my soul with this creature's body? Even if only for a fleeting hour... I wish to experience it. I desire to comprehend the sensation of the unparalleled power wielded by an entity surpassing Level 100."

The Founder tilted his head slightly, his gaze settling upon Ethan. For an instant, a fleeting expression flickered within those ancient eyes, possibly surprise, perhaps a somber form of admiration. Most Level 1 cultivators would be reduced to tears or unconsciousness after being targeted by a Level 135 entity. Ethan, however, was inquiring about means to commandeer the monster's power.

[Master!] Yumiko's voice resonated in his mind, [The inherent risks are immense. Your neural pathways are not equipped to process the data flow of a Level 135 existence. It would be comparable to attempting to pour an ocean into a thimble.]

"Then let us construct a superior thimble, Yumiko," Ethan responded internally. "If the Alliance is mobilizing against me, I cannot afford to await the natural progression of levels. I require a schematic for godhood. I must understand the feeling of 'peak' so that you may meticulously simulate it."

The Founder remained silent for a significant pause. "Soul merging is a forbidden practice, Ethan. To bind a Level 1 soul to a Level 135 vessel, even one rendered inert, is to risk the soul's annihilation under the sheer immensity of the host's life force. It is not akin to donning a suit of armor; it is akin to attempting to navigate through molten lead."

"But it's possible, right?" Ethan pressed.

The Founder gazed at the frozen, petrified Akatsu, then shifted his attention back to Ethan. "I've never attempted this with such a disparity in strength. However... your physique is exceptionally unique. It might just provide the necessary anchor to prevent you from dissolving into his consciousness. Let us return. I will devise a method to bridge this power gap."

With a mere flick of his wrist, the Founder didn't just teleport them; he manipulated space itself, folding the distance between the shattered battlefield and the Aurora Castle. In one instant, they stood amidst the dust and debris; in the next, the crisp, pristine atmosphere of the inner sanctum greeted Ethan's senses.

The Founder indicated a colossal, levitating containment sphere. By sheer will, the immobilized General Akatsu was propelled into it, the creature's numerous eyes fixed in silent, unending screams.

"You will remain within the castle for the time being," the Founder instructed, his voice reverting to the authoritative tone of a stern patriarch. "The Dark Alliance is not a faction to be trifled with; their threats are never idle. Should they mobilize, their inquisitors will flood the borderlands by day's end. I shall arrange for high-tier monsters to be brought to the training grounds. You will hunt and kill them under my direct supervision until you achieve Level 10. Only then will your foundation be sufficiently stable for the soul-merge experiment."

"Thank you, sir," Ethan replied with a bow. He understood this was more than a mere favor; it represented a significant investment. The Founder harbored a keen curiosity to ascertain if Ethan was indeed the "anomaly" foretold by the Seer.

As the Founder retreated into the labyrinthine depths of the library to delve into research on the soul-tethering ritual, Ethan found himself standing alone in the grand hall, his gaze fixed upon his hands. They still trembled slightly, not from apprehension, but from the potent surge of adrenaline fueled by profound realization.

"Yumiko, did you manage to capture the readings?"

[Master, partial data was secured during the Founder’s intervention. The energy signature belonging to a Level 135 entity is... beyond comprehension. It operates on a multi-dimensional frequency. However, should the Founder succeed in the merge, I will be able to meticulously map every synapse, every mana circuit, and every soul-groove of that creature. This will enable me to create the "Overload Protocol" you desire.]

A faint, dangerous smile curved Ethan's lips. "The Dark Alliance believes they are pursuing a lamb. Let them come. By the time they locate me, I shall be clad in the skins of their own generals."

Deep within a separate dimension, where the heavens bore the hue of a fresh contusion and the air thrummed with the sharp scent of ozone and brimstone, a vast cavern resonated with the guttural growls of primordial beings.

At the heart of this cavern, a holographic projection flickered, replaying the final moments of General Akatsu.

"General Akatsu has fallen into the clutches of the Aurora Founder," a booming voice declared. It emanated from a colossal entity resembling a dragon wrought from obsidian, its wingspan eclipsing the cavern's considerable width. This was General Vorax, one of the three principal leaders of the Alliance.

"The intelligence is corroborated," another voice chimed in, its sound like a slither from the deepest shadows. "The anomaly is a Level 1 outsider. However, the Founder's protection renders him invulnerable within Aurora territory."

"Then we shall transform the territory into a prison," Vorax hissed, tendrils of flame escaping his snout. "Directly confronting the Founder would risk triggering a World War we are ill-prepared for at this juncture. Yet, the boy cannot remain ensconced within that castle indefinitely."

A third figure, a spectral wraith shrouded in a hood with piercing blue eyes, advanced. "I have already compiled the roster. We will not dispatch mere fodder. Given the Founder's involvement, we shall deploy the elite. A contingent of thirty, all possessing a cultivation of Level 90 or higher. They will establish a ’Dead Zone’ around all egress points of the Aurora Clan. The instant the outsider draws breath outside those walls, he is to be reduced to ash."

"And should the Founder accompany him?"

"Then we observe," the wraith whispered ominously. "The Founder cannot shield him from every lurking shadow, every insidious poison, every malevolent curse. The Seer has decreed it. This boy represents the fissure in the bedrock of our future. We shall fill that fissure with blood."