Path to Transcendence

The intricacies of his soul weren't something that he understood very well.

As for how it was going to fuse with his other body and core, that was something he understood even less so.

There were too many variables to predict how it was going to go. The fact that he was reincarnated into a different world was just one issue. His soul damage and history of scarring his soul was another one. And then there were his many high-ranked skills that needed to be considered.

Alice had told him that there could be some complications when he advanced to Tier 3 due to his unique situation. However, she also told him that as long as he could endure it, he would be fine.

He didn't necessarily know what she meant by that. He didn't like the word 'complications' when she had been explaining that to him. But she wouldn't expand on it either when he pressed her for more information.

Before he had time to prepare, just like the fusion of his core and his body, it started immediately, with no warning.

However, unlike the fusion that just happened, his consciousness went into his soul space. Something he was only aware of because of his previous venture into it when he almost died to that random Tier 3 and gained his Phoenix Concept.

He noticed his skills right away, the bright balls of light indicating their existence. He instinctually knew exactly what each skill was, there was no need to touch them or label them. This was his soul and each skill left its mark on him.

Without even realizing what he was doing, he reached out and touched the closest skill. It was [Spatial Perception] and it pulsed warmly under his palm. The skill itself was almost greeting him in a way.

It wasn't just that either. The moment he touched it, he felt his entire being react to the connection he established with the skill. There was a reaction in his body as well. It felt like the power of the skill entered his body and made slight changes to his body and soul.

Interesting, he noted to himself. Was this what people meant by saying that it is best to have as many high-ranked skills as possible before advancing?

Once, he got used to the sensation he gathered it up and went on to the next one. This time it was [Kinetic Augmentation] and just like he had with [Spatial Perception], he gathered it up as well. This time, he could have sworn that he felt more changes to his physical body than before.

Smiling as he enjoyed the feeling of this new sensation, he started to collect his skills like precious stones that he wanted to carry around in his pocket.

Next was [Flash Step], [Soul Tempering], [Barrier of Severance], and eventually [Empowerment of Will].

Within a short amount of time, he managed to gather all of his rare skills into his arms, each managing to forge a connection with his body and soul. The only ones he didn't touch yet were his epic skills.

Those were the skills he was worried about the most.

Even just looking at them it was obvious at the raw difference in quality they were compared to his other skills. These orbs were much larger and glistened with this lustrous sparkle that made his rare skills look plain in comparison.

The question was which one did he want to try and assimilate first? Did he want to go with [Armaments of the Arcane]? It was his first epic skill and held quite a dear place in his heart because of that.

It was also the only epic skill that his Concept of Sharpness really synergized with. The other two skills didn't have a direct connection with the Concept.

Or did he want to choose [Phoenix Renewal]? It was probably one of the most powerful skills he had in his skill sets and it had the Phoenix Concept as well. The fact that the skill was specifically meant to heal him whenever he was hurt also made him want to choose it.

Then there was [Sage of Savagery]. It was primarily a focus-based skill, however, it was also one of the most used skills he had. He used it for many applications. Whether it was for pain tolerance or using it to focus his mind when using another skill, it has always been useful.

Additionally, it directly used his Concept of Will to evolve into an epic skill. Inexorable Resolve didn't really have any offensive capabilities as his Sharpness Concept did, but it excelled at being a support Concept.

He wished he had asked Alice or Dante which skill he should assimilate first when he had the chance.

With that being said, there was a big chance that they wouldn't be able to answer that either even if he did.

One's advancement was deeply personal and everyone advanced down their own path. For Alice's and Dante's Tier 3 advancement, it was highly likely that the two of them had undergone a completely different method of combining their core, body, and soul.

Their soul space could look vastly different than his.

However, he eventually decided after much thought. He would try and assimilate [Sage of Savagery] and his Inexorable Resolve first.

He had a feeling that merging his Will Concept before he attempted the others would help him greatly.

So with more confidence than he was actually feeling, he reached out and touched the shining blue orb that was his skill.

His instinct about the difference between epic and rare skills was indeed correct. The moment he touched it, he felt an overwhelming amount of power surge through him.

If gathering the other skills had felt like picking up marbles off the ground, this felt like picking up a tungsten boulder with one hand. He felt his soul space start to vibrate from the sheer amount of effort he exerted to gather the skill.

However, once he finally managed to, he felt something different. Unlike with the rare skills where he felt some of their energy trickle throughout his body, his epic skill positively surged through it. It was the power of his Will Concept entering his body and changing it.

However, with that power came danger. His body struggled to contain and handle this newfound source of energy. It was the pressure that was the most surprising.

He felt the weight of a mountain getting pressed against his back. Like Atlas holding the world on his shoulders, Julius grunted in effort as he held the weight back from crushing him. It was like this was a test of his resolve from his Concept.

And it was only due to his strong willpower that he wrestled it under control.

His body was absolutely humming with this newfound strength. Not only that, but his mind felt more focused and clear than ever before. In such a way that it scared him because he could easily imagine himself getting addicted to that feeling.

The skill and Concept had permeated his flesh and modified it. It was almost like the Concept had infused his body with an aura of resoluteness.

After a while, the flood of energy settled down and he started to feel kind of normal. The addicted feeling started to ebb away and he calmed down.

It was at this moment that he also realized that he didn't need to assimilate his other epic skills in order to advance. Something inside of him was letting him know that if he wished to, he would be able to take that last step to Tier 3 with just his epic skill and six impressive rare skills.

He fully realized the logic behind this. That one epic skill had flooded his body with so much power that it was difficult to imagine how well his body would be able to take the other two skills and Concepts.

He instinctively knew that if he failed to contain this energy, it wouldn't just mean he would fail his advancement, but it would result in his death.

Therefore, why should he take that chance? He already has gotten to a point that very few people ever reached. How many people in Tier 2 advanced while already having a Concept? He doubted there were many in the entire Empire. The requirements to do that were way too high. It wasn't just a matter of comprehension, but it was a matter of how strong one's soul was.

Reinera had one, but she was considered one of the Empire's great geniuses. Nobody would blame him for stopping here.

And yet…

He would blame himself and for him, that was all that mattered.

He didn't comply with the standards of others. No, he only cared about what his own standards were. And if there wasn't anything he hated more than dying, it was failing to meet his own expectations.

This was simply another challenge placed in front of him. Besides, if there was anything he loved more than anything than the tempting uncertainty of death, it was a good old challenge.

He smiled widely and before the rational side of him could convince him otherwise, he reached out and touched the white glowing orb in front of him.

[Armaments of the Arcane] held a special spot in his heart. It wasn't just the first epic skill he acquired, but it was also one of his favorites to use. He was able to play around with it and do so many enjoyable things with the skill.

How else would he eat his delicious pastries? On a regular plate like a regular person? That was absurd.

With all that being said, when he felt the power surge through him, he was quickly reconsidering his opinion on the matter.

If his Will Concept tested his will, then his Severing Will Concept tested how well he could hold up against an all-out assault.

Similar, funnily enough, but very different experiences.

Instead of a mountain of weight, he felt thousands of blades cutting apart his soul, shredding it into little pieces of confetti. It took everything in his power just to keep his soul together. He knew that if he didn't, he would just fall into the void, lost forever.

Luckily, his idea of merging his Concept of Will worked out, because the infusion of the Concept enabled him to hang on better. His will was empowered by the newly consolidated Concept and allowed him to weather the storm of blades.

He didn't know how long it took, but eventually, he felt the storm peeter off and abate.

Leaving him feeling like he had just run totally naked into a sandstorm but the sand was sharper than a knife.

With that being said, he didn't come out without some benefits either. He felt a similar burst of power that made his entire being feel… sharper.

His mind felt sharper as did his perception of the world. Everything, even within this soul space felt sharper and more crisp.

He laughed excitedly after he was done, but that smile quickly turned more somber as he turned to the last red orb, floating menacingly in the void.