Blake's heart pounded as an immense force reverberated in the depths of his mind. The booming voice roared inside his head, threatening to tear him apart.
"You! How did you get here!" The voice thundered.
Another voice, sharp and laced with power, followed. "Did he summon you here!"
"It's impossible! He's been dormant for ages!" The third voice pierce through, although feminine, he could still feel the power in their voices.
"There's no need to think much about it. He can't leave here alive! Death is the only fate for those summoned by him!" A cold voice said casually, with a chilling tone.
Death? Again?
Blake felt a wave of suffocating pressure pressed down on him all of a sudden. Slowly, bright lights flickered into existence, forming into radiant yet imposing figures right before his eyes. He could make out two distinct ones—one feminine and the other masculine. The remaining three appeared formless, neither masculine nor feminine.
"What's this?" he thought, barely able to make sense of what was happening.
"This is... a first." The feminine figure stepped forward, moving with grace, her form radiating an ethereal glow. Standing just a few metres away from Blake, a cruel smile slowly formed across her lips.
"Human..." Her voice boomed loudly and filled with disdain. "You should be grateful to witness the divine before your death.
Stretching her palms, just a few inches away from Blake's head, she stopped all of a sudden with wide eyes. It wasn't one of surprise but one filled with—dread.
"Black... star," she muttered in dread as she stepped back. Her eyes darted to the others. "I'll need the help of y'all on this! The human is different!"
By the tone of her voice, the others rushed forward in an almost unnatural speed. Soon, the same expression of dread spread on their faces as they stared at Blake.
'What? Why are they staring at me like that?' Blake watched with a mix of confusion and growing amusement. The divine beings, one of unimaginable powers, were afraid of him? His thought seemed absurd, but that was the only thing that came to his mind right now.
A slight chuckle escaped his mouth as he stared at them. "Are the divine ones scared of this lowly human?" He wasn't oblivious to what she wanted to do a few minutes ago, yet she had paused in her action for some unknown reason.
"You!" The masculine one growled, his face etched in disdain. Raising his hands forward, a massive ball of energy shot forward from his palms, obliterating everything in its path.
Blake felt cold sweat instantly. He could feel the sheer destruction in the air before the ball even reached him. "Where did that sudden courage come from?" He cursed silently, momentarily closing his eyes.
BOOOOM!
The explosion tore through the air, sending a shockwave that obliterated everything further away. Yet as the dust and debris settled, they could see a black shimmering barrier flickering faintly around Blake.
"You idiot! Your power alone won't be enough!" One of the formless figures exclaimed in fury, stepping forward. A large ball of energy quickly began to form at the tip of their finger.
"What a nice welcome." Blake said, the black star within his eyes flaring to life. "I won't forget to return the favour."
Before the figure could react, Blake figure was wrapped in a dark glow and was whisked away from the area just as the ball of energy erupted forward.
The ball of energy slammed into the statue with a cataclysmic explosion that rocked the area. The ground shook as debris and dust enveloped the area. The aftermath was revealed after a few seconds. The statue was nowhere to be found, totally obliterated, and a trail of destruction extending further.
The figure stood motionless with fists clenched. "I'll find you!" They couldn't help but let out a furious yell, eyes filled with rage. "Even if it means coming down!"
***
Blake found himself once again in the void.
[Congratulations to Blake Allsworth for achieving an encounter with the Divine]
[Your soul has grown stronger...]
"Not the right time." He thought, with a hint of irritation. His mind was still reeling from what had just occurred. He stared at the void, which was now an endless vast expanse of darkness. Above him was a vast canvas of nothingness threatening to drive him mad.
Being alone in the dark space, he had enough time to gather his thoughts.
In that moment, Blake made a decision. He was done with his old life. He no longer wanted to be a nobody, he was tired of being trampled by the strong. He refused to remain a lowly human. His life couldn't just end without making a difference.
No!
He yearned to become powerful! Powerful enough the world would fear and tremble before him. Powerful enough to protect his loved ones and give them everything they'd ever dreamed of.
Without Blake realising it, his time in the tower, facing countless trials and dangers, had changed him. He had see how fragile life was and never wanted to feel that helpless again. The memory of Kent getting killed before him still lingered in his mind, and he had vowed... vowed to never lose anyone dear to him again.
He would rise, rise high enough and surpass even the so–called divine beings and the mysterious system with its uncanny powers. He would become a monarch of his life!
And then the fleeting thought from back then echoed in his head again. Embrace death...
Blake clenched his fists, his teeth grinding together. "Why would I embrace death? Death a force he had fought against all his life, a foe he could never forgive. Now he was told to embrace it?"
Ughh. He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "I don't have time for that now. What I need to think about is a way out of here."
As if answering his thoughts, he felt a sudden change within the void. As if it was shrinking. The feeling was a strange one, nearly driving Blake mad.
He felt his breathing constricting and his vision dark for a moment. The weird sensation suddenly stopped.
Opening his eyes—which he had shut unconsciously— the first thing he saw was a distant ceiling filled with glowing rocks.
Ughh, letting out a soft groan, he slowly rose from the platform, which he lay. Looking at the dimly lit room, his eyes finally landed on his body. He was still in the tattered clothes smeared with blood, but his injuries were nowhere to be found.
Pinching his cheek hard, he finally let out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness, it's real."
'I'm I still in the tower? This will be a good time to check out those notifications.' One by one, they popped up, his eyes widening each second.
[Congratulations to Blake Allsworth for achieving an encounter with the Divine...]
[Your soul has grown stronger...]
[Your SS-RANK Degeneration ability has upgraded to SSS-RANK...]
[You've levelled up to level 15...]
[Congratulations, Blake Allsworth has reached the threshold to obtain a class...]
[Due to countless near death experiences and your strong desire to live, you've unlocked a ??? class...]