CHAPTER 170: GLOOMY FOREST

Kael found himself floating in a silent void, surrounded by impenetrable darkness. Unlike before, when he couldn't move at all, this time he found he had some degree of movement, though it seemed he was still restricted in some ways.

The darkness before him suddenly gave way to scenes of what was happening outside.

He saw the Primordial Instinct’s gaze linger on the undead anomaly for a moment before his body turned in a different direction, and everything became a blur.

Beautiful blue flames jetted out of his soles, launching his body forward with such speed that sonic booms echoed around him, concentric waves of air blasting outwards.

He felt the Primordial Instinct strengthening his physique even as he moved. Whenever the Instinct wanted to change direction, it simply pointed a palm outwards, releasing jets of blue flames that propelled his body in the desired direction.

This continued for several minutes, during which the ground became a blur, the skies zoomed overhead, and he appeared and disappeared in various places. It didn't even take him a moment to realize that he was lost.

Even if he wanted to retrace his steps and find his group, it had now become impossible to do. He could only hope his group, at least most of them, had survived that cataclysmic explosion.

Not to mention, he had nowhere to go. The plan they had hatched together was now lost on him.

His thoughts arriving at this point, he tucked his legs into his body and buried his head into his knees.

Honestly, Kael didn't know how he felt at this moment. He felt some measure of anger at the undead, guilt that he hadn't realized the danger he had brought to his group, even if he couldn't actually be blamed for the sequence of events.

He felt regret that he wasn't strong enough even after the grueling sessions of training he had put himself through this past month.

Despair, when the System's voice sounded in his mind, announcing the end of the events, and how the true apocalypse was just about to begin.

But most of all, he just felt…

…Tired.

He could feel it deep in his bones. That fatigue weighing down not just his body but his mind as well.

He simply wanted it all to end. He wanted it all to be just a dream. One he wished he could quickly wake up from.

But reality can be unforgiving. And that was what his hope would always be…a wish.

An impossible one at that.

Despite the myriad of emotions plaguing him, and how much he just wanted to quit, most of his mind still focused on one thing and one thing alone.

How the Primordial Instinct controlled his body.

He ignored the scenes flashing quickly past outside and dissolved his entire perception into his body.

He felt how his heart, which even now was still unclear to his senses, beat and pumped out Energi. He felt how this unique energy resource of his moved through budding channels he couldn't sense quite clearly.

But most importantly, he felt how his Energi bent under the Will of the Primordial Instinct.

Unlike him, who could only think of what he wanted, and rely on the System to automate it for him, the Primordial Instinct actively controlled his Energi. A single unit was continuously broken down into several more, and they were used to bolster his physique, his agility, and even his mind, as he could only surmise, seeing them move towards his head.

Yet, what drew his attention the most was how the Primordial Instinct kept releasing strands and strands of Energi into the surroundings in mystical ways and patterns he couldn't begin to understand.

He felt reality itself respond to this gesture, as golden particles materialized out of nowhere and streamed into his soles and palms.

The sensation was unlike anything he had ever experienced, fascinating him despite his current state.

Despite how down he felt, Kael didn't even realize when he lost himself to the process, and just like that, time quickly passed.

Throughout it all, the Primordial Instinct never stopped. Pivoting countless times and changing direction, its speed remained blindingly fast as it moved through the skies like a streak of blue.

____________

Kael looked up at the crowns of the massive trees that blotted out the skies. Despite the sun having already risen, none of its light could pass through the dense canopy, leaving the entire forest shrouded in dreary darkness.

There was no chirping of birds or crickets.

No rustling of leaves.

No snapping of twigs.

And no buzzing of insects.

There was only silence, a thick and suffocating kind.

He was currently lying on his back on a large branch and couldn't move an inch of his body. It had already been an hour since he had fallen into this state, and during this time, he had allowed his mind to wander.

With not a single unit of Energi left and his body in such a strained state, he couldn't be more vulnerable.

Thus...

He silently shut his eyes.

Images of his loved ones slowly surfaced in his mind, one by one.

His Dad.

Mum.

Rose.

Alice.

Sophia.

And his friends.

He sighed inwardly, since even that simple action was impossible for him now, and summoned his status screen, hoping to understand his current condition.

At the same time, a few thumping sounds suddenly resounded around him, breaking the suffocating silence of the gloomy forest for a moment, before everything returned to normal. But Kael acted as if he hadn't heard anything.

_____

AN: Thanks to all those who are supporting the novel. 

If you want to read 10 chapters ahead for as little as $5, be sure to check out my Patreon. Just click on the link below:

/ThePrimordialConduit/posts/chapter-168-of-174082313?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link