Shadow of the Abyss

Listening from their respective locations, the Gods all stood frozen, mesmerized by the child's words, for what he spoke of was not used for manipulating Mana but divinity. Yet here he was, a child, barely Ten spitting theories that had been long proven from scratch.

It frightened them, for they understood he was a mortal who had yet to experience any real tempering of his soul or mind. Altair was a blank slate in their eyes. One who possessed the comprehension of a God despite being a mortal.

The Gods were all but salivating at the thought of possessing the Prince.

Three days Later. When Altair had fully recovered from his cracked bones and torn flesh. He continued his journey once more. With a new profound look than before, like with Dark Moon Blade, Altair kept the Eye of Sacfilage active in a perpetual cycle of his mana. Never allowing it to dim.

His eye glowed a demonic scarlet beneath the moonlit night through the icy caves that went on forever. In the weeks following his victory over the Lamia, Altair had discovered a small crevice hidden beneath the bone pill the Lamia created, revealing an unending tunnel in which light did not exist.

[Eye of Sacrilege Proficiency has Increased by .02%]

[Multiplier: 2x]

Proficiency: [50% → 50.04%]

He'd quickly discovered that seeing through the darkness was something that came naturally to him. Allowing traversing the labyrinth to be easier than normal. However, what existed down here had shown Altair it wasn't just serpents that lived within the Serpents Outreach.

Strange criptids he'd never seen before bearing insect-like features existed. Most were quite weak, but there had never been a single creature for him to solo but an entire swarm, forcing him to flee at times. Nevertheless, the Prince with the Eye of Sacrilege that enhanced his perception to inhuman levels became able to fell most creatures in three strokes or less.

"It's getting hotter," The Prince moaned, pulling out the wooden flask in his backpack. He hesitated and placed it back, unsure if he'd ever find water. It had been three days since he last took a sip and three days since he began to manage his daily intake of jerky. "It's a good thing I didn't bring Ren. She'll have driven me mad." He laughed, somewhat disheartened.

It had felt weird to journey without her. Traveling was as silent as it was lackluster. Losing much of its earlier charm.

[Eye of Sacrilege Proficiency has Increased by .02%]

[Multiplier: 2x]

Proficiency: [50.04% → 50.06%]

[Dark Moon Blade Proficiency has Increased by 1.5%]

Multiplier: 2x

Proficiency: 3% → 6%

Altair grinned at his passive skills and glanced at the Circle of Gluttony completion with an even bigger grin.

[Circle of Gluttony Proficiency: 1.5% ]

"I've been taking it easy with my injuries. But ever since I've upped my Mana Manipulation, I've been able to up the speed at which I devour Mana. I'll begin upgrading my purity once I get to five percent. Ten should be the highest peak of most First Circle Warriors.

And since Mana is five times stronger than someone's physical body, I should be able to destroy if not slaughter, any tier-one monster with a single spell."

If the Aros men could hear him, their eyes would have shone as much greed as the Gods listening. But the prince wasn't in the least bit satisfied with his progress. Using his shared mind with the Dark Moon Blade, Altair began practicing as he traversed the dark caves.

[Grave of Night proficiency increased by 2%]

[Grave of Night proficiency increased by 2%]

[Grave of Night proficiency increased by 2%]

[Grave of Night proficiency increased by 2%]

[Grave of Night proficiency increased by 2%]

[Multiplier 2x]

[Proficiency: 4% → 24%]

Spending his days and nights training in the dark, the Mana within the cave continuously began to thicken, fueling his Circle of Gluttony. Altair became lost, losing most interest in exploring as he trained. He bore the heat, ignored his thirst and hunger, eating and drinking when the need truly arose.

He trained every fiber of his being, slowly discovering that mana could delay the effects of not eating, sleeping, or drinking water.

A month passed until an azure light shimmered, garnering the prince's attention. He'd thought he would have missed the light, but it was the furthest thing from the truth, as he found the glimmers of light irritating. Nonetheless, his curiosity was peaked.

Assuming he was near the end of this never-ending labyrinth, Altair stepped towards the light, finding a vein of azure stone engraved into the wall. The stone glowed with a mythical light, swirling with energy at its center.

"Mana… It's a Mana stone." He muttered, trailing his fingers over a small vien, and followed after it. For hours, he moved, pausing as the intense heat began to force perspiration out of his pores, forcing him to cover himself with mana. Altair grimaced at the loss of perspiration. He cursed but continued forward, knowing he'd need to leave the dungeon soon to replenish his supplies.

He had run out of food days ago and had been eating the insects for liquids and protein. But it wasn't very sustainable.

He stopped hours later over a large unending pit lit with azure stalagmites that stood as summits within the cave, reaching far and wide over the rugged land into ravines filled with plentiful water that glowed natural light within the dark. Various flat plains forged of raw Mana stones housed a lavish ecosystem, from grass to trees to movement, Altair could barely make out.

[Divine Being, 'Daddy' is impressed you've found the center of the fractured Realm]

Soon, the sound of the beast howled, followed by a great clash that sent tremors across the land arose.

[Divine Being 'She Who Hunt' eyes shimmer with anticipation at the wonderful hunting ground.]

[Divine Being Archeon is looking forward to your progress.]

The Prince wiped the sweat from his brow, annoyed at the intense heat that didn't seem to have a source. He growled when, all of a sudden, his eyes went wide as a thought echoed through his mind.

"... The Souls I collected. It's been a month… What's going on?"

Name: Altair

Mana Circle: [Second Circle 1.5 → 4%%]

Class: Young Prince Lv 5 [First Awakening]

Strength: 4 → 8

Dexterity:4 → 7

Constitution: 6 → 9

Wisdom: 14

Charisma: 14

Mana: 9

Skill:

Dark Moon Blade [E]

[Proficiency: 6% → 30%]

Infernal Bane [F]

[Proficiency: 58% → 98%]

Survival Instincts [F]

[Proficiency: 79% → 93%]

Grave of Night [F]

[Proficiency: 24% → 80%]

Eye of Sacrilege [C]

[Proficiency: 50% → 60%]

Mana Manipulation [D]

[Proficiency: 0% → 10%]

Fallen Necromancy [F]

[Proficiency: 0%]