Reborn as an Extra Chapter 566: The Curse of Eternal Suffering. Part-5.
Previously on Reborn as an Extra...
’At this point, I’ve got two paths ahead... I could uncover the nature of his world authority and seek out a way to slip through some gap in it...’
’Alternatively, I might need to head straight toward whatever it’s fixated on and discover precisely what this beast is anticipating...’
The cube of possibilities remained locked onto the shadow dragon king’s twisted form, unyielding in its gaze, leaving Rio with little recourse except to ponder his following moves.
’If he were conscious, at least I’d have an opportunity to clash with him or pinpoint his vulnerabilities, but...’
Gazing upon the enormous, warped tree-like figure, Rio could merely exhale a breath of frustration.
’Yet right now, spotting any flaw is impossible since it isn’t shifting or reacting in the slightest...’
Foes that shift and counter are far easier for Rio to handle, given how his sword arts boast countless methods to pierce through the guards of heavily armored adversaries.
However, when an enemy remains motionless, enveloping itself in every ounce of defensive might while concentrating purely on protection, it poses a formidable challenge for Rio to overcome—unless, naturally, the foe is inferior in strength to him.
’It’s akin to... imagine Link freezing in place, receiving Riya’s most potent ongoing healing spell, saturating his frame with ultimate defensive abilities, and layering it all under dense coatings of ’Dao Rhythm’...’
’Everything piled up in layers, then crowned with world authority... what a nightmare...’
Beyond just the shadow dragon king’s essence, that colossal and immense frame housed the spirits of numerous mature dragons; their fused might rendered the entity so formidable it appeared invincible!
’I’m not sure even assaults from titans like Ashtel Rex or the present dragon king could dent this... not without unleashing their full arsenal of ultimate strikes...’
’Considering the fragile weave of space-time within the spirit realm... it probably couldn’t endure the fury of an unrestrained clash between such mighty SS-rankers...’
The massive tree’s attention stayed riveted on that remote, enigmatic presence high in the heavens, utterly indifferent to Rio’s proximity as he examined it from every angle.
’Is it deliberately overlooking me, or is it genuinely incapable of dividing its focus from the one obsession gripping its resolve?’
Perched atop a huge rock, Rio found himself swirling with a torrent of theories in his thoughts.
’Could its fixation stem from the knowledge that even a momentary lapse would doom it to eternal madness under the miasma’s sway?’
Much like people, every creature across existence harbors feelings, and sentiments such as hope, resolve, affection, and more serve as the strongest bulwarks against the taint of miasmic decay.
For countless SS-rankers, their native lands and kin act not just as bonds tethering them to their human essence, but also as vital anchors preventing their emotions from spiraling into miasma and ruin.
Rio stands as the ideal case; his devotion to Lia is the only force halting him from attaining full command of ’Perfect Sword Intent’ and evolving into an unparalleled engine of devastation worldwide.
Perhaps the same holds for this titanic draconic abomination; it has channeled its last shreds of reason into an unshakeable conviction that its awaited prize will inevitably come back to it.
’Yet what exactly are you holding out for?... a millennium of vigilance... to what end?’
Should it possess the capacity for speech, Rio would eagerly engage it in dialogue, but regretfully, no remnant of lucidity remained for such an intricate exchange.
As Rio grew increasingly baffled over his next course, a fragment of the colossal tree’s pristine soul energy managed to escape the bounds of its world authority.
This wasn’t unfamiliar; Rio had witnessed it occur among various individuals before.
Even Ashtel Rex’s soul energies and psychic emanations had once radiated outward in every direction during his deployment of world authority.
Rio was well aware that an SS-ranker’s ’World Authority’ essentially amounted to their dominion over specific ’laws’ of the ’world,’ requiring the expenditure of mental and soul energy to activate.
Typically, no mana or supplementary energies were necessary to amplify it, since world authorities already brimmed with devastating potency on their own.
Though Rio grasped all this, the current predicament sparked a vivid recollection of his duel with Lia during the ’Supreme Talents Tournament.’
In that bout, Lia had matched him stride for stride by sensing his ’mana flow,’ and afterward, she revealed to Rio her awakening of a special gift that allowed her to perceive a person’s mana currents, soul energies, and impending fate over the coming moments.
Through this, she glimpsed brief futures, and bolstered by Kai’s exceptional instincts as a top-tier SS-rank divine spirit, she could foresee nearly every move an adversary might make.
Rio had triumphed over Lia by shielding his soul energies and fate from her scrutiny via ’True Immunity,’ then manipulating his mana flow through sword intent to mislead her perceptions.
’If... on second thought... would Lia’s foresight power function against someone shrouded entirely in world authority?’
Rio’s ’true immunity’ ability was exceptionally strange and potent; its strength nearly rivaled that of a ’world authority.’
Yet Lia hadn’t pierced it during their encounter.
’Did that stem from our equal ranks at the time, or because her power simply fails against those wielding ’world authority’ or similar exceptional talents like mine?...’
’No, that doesn’t feel right... I sense she couldn’t overcome the barrier due to her insufficient strength then...’
’As she ascends to greater pinnacles ahead, her gift could very well evolve to unprecedented levels...’