Chapter 869: Memory
Still, when Rain used half of his mana, he was finally able to do that… because the power of that guy was that high with the shield alone.
"You don't have to go that far, and I am willing to share what I know with you now since you have made it this far."
"I am sure you don't feel pressured at all to do that since I can see your annoying expression, and you can't hide your smug face," Rain said.
"Let me give you a hand with this."
All of a sudden, the mental landscape turned dark, and Rain could tell that the shield was changing that… as expected, the guy could do that as well because inside the shield was just like that, a world that he could control completely.
Before long, things got a bit brighter as well, and then Rain saw thing's from that guy's perspective. As the guy within the shield awakened, its eyes flickered open, revealing a surprisingly scene before him. The figure found itself within a glass capsule, submerged in a peculiar, translucent liquid that seemed to envelop the space around it and his body as well.
Gradually, the liquid began to drain from the capsule, leaving the glass encasement eerily empty, its surface glistening with remnants of the fluid.
The guy, now released from the confinement of the capsule, fell to his knees, the harsh gasps of breath echoing within the enclosed space. His weakened state was palpable as he struggled to regain composure, his body trembling with the aftermath of his emergence.
Summoning his strength, the figure managed to rise to his feet, although unsteadily, while he checked his own hands with an air of trepidation, the capsule opened. To his astonishment, faint traces of fish scales began to manifest on the surface of his skin, their appearance sending an air of surprise within him.
The scales materialized in a peculiar yet unmistakable fashion, adorning his hands and making him look like the sea folk even more.
Yet, as swiftly as the scales appeared, they dissipated into nothingness, vanishing without a trace as if they had never been there in the first place. The figure stood perplexed, his gaze fixed upon his hands, bewildered by the weird display of the scales that appeared and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"What the hell is this?" Rain asked.
"This is the first memories that I have with me here. My guess is that the shadow covering my body became part of me at this moment. It looks like at some point, I fused myself with something to improve drastically my water based abilities."
Rain was able to more or less read the thoughts of that guy as well now, so he could tell that he was telling the truth. Before long, Rain was able to see that the guy was inside some old and dusty facility… it wasn't a laboratory filled with hi-tech machines or anything similar.
Considering that he was alone, Rain assumed that this project of his wasn't something that he had the support of many people.
As the figure regained full control of his body, he began to assess his newly awakened abilities, and in the next moment, an intriguing display was showed. With a focused intent, that guy directed his attention toward the ambient moisture lingering in the air, and his gaze fixated on the surroundings.
Gradually, the moisture in the atmosphere seemed to obey his command, responding to his will. As if guided by an invisible force, the scattered droplets of water converged, coalescing and intertwining seamlessly under his control. What once existed as dispersed particles of moisture now harmonized, forming a unified and cohesive and sizable sphere of water that obeyed his every command.
Rain observed this feat with surprised interest, witnessing the remarkable display of control over water manipulation. He studied the meticulous precision with which the individual commanded the element…
Despite that being a memory, Rain felt a subtle shift in the ambient mana, a ripple in the fabric of energies that hinted at the manipulation of elemental forces. While these were mere recollections imprinted within the shield, Rain sensed a faint but distinct presence of mana in the air, suggesting the utilization of magical energies to orchestrate this display. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire
However, intriguingly, Rain detected a clear contrast between the substantial display of power and the minimal utilization of mana. The magnitude of control exerted over the water sphere appeared to surpass the small mana expenditure, leaving Rain puzzled by the inefficiency of mana usage in proportion to the magnitude of the abilities displayed.
"What do you think? Maybe I fused myself with a megalodon and became able to use water like this. Still, considering what we are going to see afterward, that might be far from the truth."
The memories within the shield started to become hazy as if it was being to hide some moments of that guy's life… the speed of the memories seemed faster, too, until it stabilized when he left that place and then appeared amidst a ruined city close to the ocean.
"This place is…" Rain furrowed his eyebrows.
As Rain's consciousness moved deeper into the memories embedded within the shield, a shocking scene materialized before his eyes—a desolate and ravaged landscape that once bore the semblance of Miami, now reduced to ruins under a red sky. The skyline, once punctuated by advanced structures, was in shambles, with most buildings reduced to crumbling remnants that littered the environment.
The air hung heavy with thick clouds of dust, obscuring the surroundings and enveloping the city in an eerie haze. The silence amplified the desolation of the scene, accentuating the sense of abandonment and despair that lingered amidst the ruins.
By raising his hand, the figure summoned forth the ocean's waters, calling them in a swirling vortex around his body. The water spun around him in a controlled dance, enveloping him in a protective barrier as he navigated through the debris-ridden streets and pushed away the dust… until a massive silhouette was revealed in the distance…