bookpower Chapter 202: The Evolved Power
Chapter 202: The Evolved Power
Chapter 202: The Evolved Power
< Chapter 202: The Evolved Power (1) >
It was the moment I held the fifth artifact of the Angel Race.
Intense pain, along with a feeling of exhaustion, consumed my entire body.
"Ugh!"
An overwhelming sensation of fatigue, to the point where I could barely move a finger.
I instantly understood what this meant.
"This is the overload."
The overload and side effects due to the accelerated growth of the new Adam's mark that Shin hyung of this timeline mentioned.
That's what these symptoms indicate.
As expected, five was the limit.'
The anomaly I felt in my body was immense, just as anticipated.
First, let's set the artifact down and catch my breath.'
I dropped the artifact and knelt on the floor, taking deep breaths.
After a short while, once I felt I could move a bit,
"Hoo."
I stood up.
My body felt heavy.
It felt as if I had regressed to day two of my rehabilitation training.
The exact sensation of my body not obeying me.
"Phew. I'm drenched again."
The soaked clothes from sweat reminded me of yesterday.
With trembling hands, I managed to unbutton and take off my shirt.
And just as I completely removed it,
"Huh?"
My eyes widened in shock.
"What's this?"
First, I saw the darkened mark of the Angel Race on my chest.
Of course, having just used the Angel Race artifacts consecutively, it turning black was expected.
But that wasn't what surprised me.
"Was the overload supposed to deactivate all marks?"
Not just the Angel Race's mark, but all marks engraved on my body from various Races had turned black.
This means they've all been deactivated.
"I didn't expect this."
This wasn't mentioned in the Everything about Adam's Mark' gift from Shin hyung.
No, it was mentioned.'
Though this state wasn't described, it did mention that if an overload occurs, the body would be in a state unfit for proper combat for at least a day.'
Indeed, I can't fight properly in this condition.'
I scratched the back of my head.
"The Angel Race's mark hasn't evolved to a higher level."
I wondered if the mid-level Angel Race's mark might evolve to a higher level with the five artifacts, but that was just wishful thinking.
The Angel Race's mark remains at the medium level.
This indicates that evolving the mark isn't so straightforward.
However, it's a natural course, so I decided not to be overly concerned. There are countless artifacts I can acquire.
Given enough time, I'll eventually reach a transcendental stage. There's no need to rush.
"What's important here is how long this overload will last"
The crucial factor is time. Thus, determining how long this overloaded state persists is vital. I opened the notebook titled "Everything about Adam's mark" given by Shin hyung.
As expected, it only mentions, "You'll be unable to engage in proper combat for about a day."
"So, does this mean the overload roughly lasts for a day?"
If that's the case, it's quite a gain. If I can synchronize with five artifacts after just a day's rest, it might not take long to elevate the marks of the Angel or Dragon Race to the transcendental level.
That would be a significant advantage.
"I'll have to observe how it progresses."
But somehow, I feel it won't be too long. I'm confident about that.
"Next"
I flipped about five pages in the notebook.
"Changes in the body of an Adam's mark user according to the acquisition and increase of synchronization with each racial artifact."
That was the title on the page. I focused on the entry at the bottom of the list:
"Physical changes in an Adam's mark user synchronized with Angel Race artifacts."
"1. Increased resistance to mental attacks"
"2. Enhanced quality of sacred power"
"3. Increased efficiency in using sacred power"
"That's why I didn't notice."
Each Race-specific physical change listed here matches the effects of complete assimilation' I knew before the evolution of Adam's mark.
Since the physical changes in other Races like the Beastman, Dream Race, and Elf Race match the effects I knew, it's undoubtedly the same.
"I couldn't detect the 2nd and 3rd effects since I couldn't properly use sacred power."
They say that even a toxic plant can be medicinal if used rightly.'
I'll have to mediate well. As I continued my stroll in the garden,
"Mr. Seo-yul?"
"Heavenly God?"
I encountered Heavenly God, sitting in a gazebo at the center of the garden, gazing up at the sky. Was she resting? She wore a more casual outfit than usual, and her hair was neatly tied up, highlighting a different charm.
"What brings you out at this late hour?"
Heavenly God gave a faint smile.
"I had a lot on my mind. Thought a light stroll might help."
I approached the gazebo where Heavenly God was seated and sat down at a reasonable distance.
"And you?"
"Hmm."
Heavenly God looked up at the sky.
"I was gazing at the stars."
Heavenly God's expression appeared quite complex as she said that.
"Do you have something on your mind?"
It's a well-accepted notion in academia that when one feels the need to look up at the sky without any reason, they're usually deep in thought.
"Just A lot is on my mind."
Heavenly God gave a forced smile.
"I'm concerned about the Demon God's silence. And I'm also concerned about your injury"
Her expression seemed rather somber.
"What frustrates me most is my own incompetence."
""
"The god of the heavens is considered the counterpart to the Demon God. It's laughable that such a being, even with the aid of terrestrial powers, can't handle the Demon God."
She chuckled as if mocking himself.
"Ini said the same thing."
"Pardon?"
"Ini said something similar about herself. How pathetic she felt for being bested by Demon God and how she was so ashamed that she didn't know what to do."
Heavenly God's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Dragon Lord?"
"Yes."
Considering the usually cheerful and optimistic demeanor of Ini, it was a side one would find hard to imagine. That's probably why she was surprised.
"That's why I told her to snap out of it."
""
"I never thought I'd have to say the same to you, Heavenly God."
I looked straight into Heavenly God's eyes.
"Pull yourself together. If the joint leaders representing Heaven and Earth are like this, we can't win any battle."
Heavenly God's smile became even more bitter. Her expression seemed to say she knew it intellectually, but emotionally, she couldn't control herself.
"What does it matter if we've been losing for 7 years? We just need to start winning now."
I said confidently, pounding my chest, as I looked at Heavenly God, who appeared to have lost her self-confidence.
"Besides, you have me now. What's there to worry about?"
""
"You saw it, didn't you? Me using divine power. I'm currently not at my full strength, so it was a bit clumsy, and I'm suffering the after-effects, but given time, I'll be able to use that power effortlessly."
I was lying.
I try not to lie if I can help it, but I felt I had to this time. This was the best way to boost Heavenly God's morale.
"So, just trust me and follow my lead. I'll show you that Demon God is nothing to worry about."
I remembered something a child once said.
Even if it's a lie, it's comforting when someone asks you to trust and follow them with confidence.
It's true.
"Understood?"
With confidence, I looked straight into Heavenly God's slightly trembling eyes. She seemed a bit surprised, her pupils dilated, and then she gave a faint smile.
And then she uttered a single word.
"Yes."
With a single word of affirmation, she nodded.
Soon, Heavenly God's face returned to its usual soft smile, with no sign of anxiety left.
Whew.'
I sighed with relief internally. I was worried that Heavenly God, the de facto leader of the Saviors, might psychologically break down. Fortunately, it was well-resolved.
"Huh? Seo-yul?"
"Yes?"
Heavenly God pointed at my body with a surprised look. I quickly checked myself over.
"There's a light coming from your body"
Just as Heavenly God said, bright lights were emanating from various parts of my body.
Adam's Mark?'
All the marks carved throughout my body, the Adam's Mark, were flickering.
< Chapter 202: The Evolved Power (1) > End.