Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 457: Waking Up Two Years Later

Oli was entirely enraptured by his soul cultivation. He would tell that years had passed for him if he paid attention, but would have no idea how many. All he knew was that the Infinite Torture Technique had gradually become something Oli was... comfortable with. The tremoring pain had become... welcoming. After training the Infinite Soul Technique nonstop for so long, Oli felt that the torturous pain had become a part of him, that it was an everyday, necessary feeling.

Over time Oli felt that this had become his new world.

... Slit...

A short-lived, sharp pain suddenly appeared on Oli’s arm. It was so unusual and unexpected, that Oli blinked and paused his soul training.

“What’s wrong? That wasn’t... Oh. Was that... my body?” Oli finally remembered something. “Right... I was training in that painful formation... But where’s the pain?”

As Oli searched his consciousness, he found no pain or discomfort whatsoever. It felt strange to not be using his Infinite Torture Technique after it had been maintained for so long. But Oli also started to feel a strange sense of relief and relaxation overtake him now that he had stopped training.

“... Can I... actually leave here?”

.....

It took Oli a moment to remember how to exit the soul jade. He gathered his consciousness and slowly reestablished the link to his physical body. Once he could feel the twitches of his muscles, Oli’s mind was pulled back into reality.

Blink... Blink. Oli opened his eyes for the first time in... he didn’t know how long.

“Good. You’re still aware of yourself. That means it was a success!”

Blinking more, Oli took a few deep breaths as he gradually moved his body. The entire space was pitch-black so Oli couldn’t see anything or anyone with his eyes. But Oli’s senses were far clearer than ever before, even if Oli hadn’t yet noticed the difference.

“Here.” A glowing crystal appeared on the ground. At the same time, a shadowy figure stepped into view with the removed IV bag in hand. “It’s been a while, Oli. But I’m glad that you’ve pulled it off.”

Oli rolled his shoulders, swayed from side to side, moved his head and arms in circles. After making sure that he could feel and move every part of his body, Oli sighed, “... I guess I did. How long was I out?”

“Almost two and half years.”

“WHAT?!”

“Calm down. You woke up within the time allotted,” added the man. “You actually overcame the formation a few suns back. But I could sense you were near a breakthrough with your Infinite Torture Technique, so I left you to finish cultivating. Now that you’ve fully mastered the third level, the elder level, you’re finally ready to challenge the Mortal Championship. And you’ve even scratched the surface of the technique’s perennial level. Congratulations are in order!”

“... Um, thanks?” Oli chuckled. Everything still felt surreal to him, so it was taking him some time to adjust back to reality. “More than two years? Then, inside the soul jade...”

The man nodded and finished Oli’s sentence, “You spent the equivalent of more than twelve years inside the soul jade. And that’s how you cracked through the first half of the Infinite Torture Technique, the second greatest milestone apart from completing the entire thing.”

“Really? So... Then-”

“Completing the third level has a multiplicative effect on your soul power, not an additional effect. So all of your soul arts have grown far more than I’d anticipated by this point in time.” The man chuckled, “I didn’t expect you to train the Infinite Torture Technique while in that situation, but I’ll admit that it worked and it’s more genius than I would’ve previously given credit. Well done.

“Now, there are some things that I want to say. You’ve proven your willpower and determination, succeeding to overcome the formation and boost your essence sensitivity drastically. As a reward for those efforts, and as an official partner, allow me to explain some things that you’ve been dying to ask.”

Oli nodded. Even after being in the soul jade so long, Oli’s intrigue for the mysterious man had never faded. It had actually grown thanks to seeing some of his father’s memories.

“My name is Eeole,” stated the man, bowing his head courteously. “I’ve been living longer than two hundred thousand years.”

“WHAT-”

“Oli. Please. Let me explain without interruptions, no matter how shocked you become.”

When Oli nodded and cooled down, Eeole continued, “I witnessed the rise of Dominus and Azar, the dragon-ape duo that changed the world. It was Dominus who became the first ever creator. That’s what we called the realm beyond the divine class, beyond the level of gods. Dominus was the first in the world to achieve that, making it simple for him to dominate and gather the entire world under his rule. With Azar, the man who has been falsely labeled the Demon Ape, at Dominus’s side, they ruled for tens of thousands of years.

“After Dominus one day disappeared from the world, Azar took a back seat and focused on his family and clan. But eventually, the over gods sought to remove him, seeing him as a threat that would stop them from taking full control of the world. Many gods gathered to attack and annihilate Azar and his Tyrant Ape Clan, and they succeeded. It cost the lives of well over a dozen gods, but it left the survivors in charge of the world.

Sighing, Eeole remarked, “I wasn’t a part of that ambush. In fact, you can consider me a close friend of Azar. For that reason, I’ve spent tens of thousands of years preparing for the rise of the apes, making sure everything was in place.

“While Kartzal gathered some of the remaining gods to take over most of the world, they left me and my followers alone so they wouldn’t antagonize me. But all this time I’ve been plotting to overthrow the world order that they created, abused, and corrupted. Of course, they’ve also been plotting to keep me in check or even eliminate me should they be given the opportunity. That’s why I forced you to take a human form. To hide the truth of your bloodline.”