Chapter 151: The Undying Sun

Jet had never been so relieved to see an ordinary stretch of wilderness in his entire life.

After escaping the volcanic region, he had continued running until the distant mountain disappeared behind the surrounding hills, only slowing down when he was absolutely certain the Volcanic Inferno Lion wasn’t following him.

His clothes were soaked with sweat, his muscles ached from maintaining the Asura Physique at its limits, and his Mana reserves had fallen considerably.

Nevertheless, none of those inconveniences could suppress the enormous smile spreading across his face.

He had succeeded.

The Primordial Solar Ember was safely stored inside his Red Moon System inventory, and the Grade Five Origin Treasure was now his to use.

Considering that he’d stolen it from beneath the nose of a Lord-Rank Mana Beast, Jet couldn’t help feeling that he’d accomplished something rather ridiculous.

"That damn lion nearly gave me a heart attack," Jet muttered, laughing as he leaned against a tree. "But I suppose I should thank it for guarding the treasure all these years."

He rested for several minutes before continuing through the wilderness. Awakening Ilios was now his priority, but attempting such a dangerous process in the open would be foolish.

He needed somewhere secluded, preferably a location where no wandering Mana Beast or passing Awakener could interrupt him.

Fortunately, Jet already had somewhere in mind.

After searching the surrounding area, he eventually discovered an abandoned building standing beside the remains of an old road.

Its roof had partially collapsed, and thick vines covered most of the exterior walls. Jet entered through a broken doorway, examined the empty interior, and confirmed that nothing dangerous was hiding inside.

Then he activated his Teleportation Gate to travel to the Beyond.

The surrounding scenery changed instantly.

One moment, Jet stood inside the abandoned building. The next, he appeared beneath the towering trees of the Thousand Boughs, surrounded by the familiar atmosphere of the Beyond.

He had returned to the location he and Frey had previously marked as their return anchor.

Jet looked around briefly before setting off through the forest. Although the Beyond was hardly a safe place, its enormous size and the relative isolation of the Thousand Boughs offered him an opportunity to find somewhere suitable for the awakening.

Several minutes later, he discovered a cave concealed beneath the tangled roots of an enormous tree.

Unfortunately, it was occupied.

A hulking, four-legged monster emerged from the entrance, baring several rows of jagged teeth as it charged toward him.

Jet immediately drew the Vorpal Blade, avoided its initial attack, and delivered a powerful slash across its neck. The creature collapsed before it could attack again.

"Sorry, but I need this place more than you do," Jet remarked, shaking the blood from his weapon.

After removing the carcass, he entered the cave and examined its interior. The chamber was spacious enough for him to move comfortably, and the thick stone walls appeared reasonably sturdy.

More importantly, the entrance was naturally concealed by hanging roots and dense vegetation, making it difficult to notice from outside.

Satisfied, Jet settled near the center of the chamber.

It was time.

---

Jet opened his inventory and withdrew the Primordial Solar Ember.

The magnificent golden-red crystal appeared in his palm, immediately illuminating the surrounding darkness.

Its translucent surface contained a miniature sphere of brilliant golden fire, surrounded by countless streams of swirling flames.

Even without activating any abilities, Jet could feel the extraordinary concentration of Fire Mana contained within it.

The temperature inside the cave rose slightly.

Jet examined the treasure for several seconds before opening the information concerning his third Divine Rune.

[Divine Rune Release Sequence]

[Next Eligible Divine Rune: Ilios — The Undying Sun]

[Rank: SSS]

[Current Status: SEALED]

[Primary Authority: Sun | True Flame | Divine Fire]

[Associated Concepts: Sun | Vitality | Endurance | Restoration]

[Release Conditions:]

[Condition I — Vessel: Reach 2-Star Awakener.]

[Condition II — Kindling: Obtain and absorb a sufficiently powerful Fire-aligned Origin Treasure.]

[Condition III — Ignition: Survive the awakening of Ilios within the heart.]

[All conditions must be fulfilled before the Divine Rune can be safely released.]

[Warning: Forced release prior to satisfying the required conditions may result in catastrophic Mana pathway collapse or destruction of the heart.]

Jet studied the information carefully.

The first condition had already been satisfied when he advanced to 2-Star. The second could now be fulfilled using the Primordial Solar Ember.

Only the third remained, and unlike the previous two, it required him to survive the actual awakening process.

His gaze lingered on the warning.

Destruction of the heart.

That was certainly an unpleasant possibility.

However, Jet hadn’t traveled all the way into the volcanic wilderness, risked being eaten by a Lord-Rank Mana Beast, and nearly exhausted himself escaping an erupting mountain just to abandon the opportunity now.

He tightened his grip on the crystal.

"All right, Ilios," Jet murmured, looking down at his chest. "Let’s see what you’ve got."

Almost immediately, another notification appeared.

[Ding!]

[Compatible Grade Five Fire-aligned Origin Treasure detected.]

[Condition I: Fulfilled.]

[Condition II: Compatible kindling acquired.]

[Condition III: Ignition trial available.]

[All prerequisites for initiating the Divine Rune Release Sequence have been satisfied.]

[Warning: Awakening Ilios — The Undying Sun will subject the user’s heart, Mana pathways, and physical vessel to extraordinary concentrations of Divine Fire.]

[Do you wish to initiate the awakening process?]

[YES / NO]

Jet stared at the options for a moment.

Then he selected [YES].

The Primordial Solar Ember immediately began trembling.

Before Jet could react, the crystal dissolved into countless golden particles that gathered together into a brilliant beam of light.

The beam shot directly into his chest, disappearing beneath his skin at the exact location of the sealed Ilios Divine Rune.

Jet’s eyes widened.

An unimaginable wave of heat exploded inside his body.

"AAAAAAARGHHH!"

Jet screamed, doubling over as blood erupted from his mouth.

The blood struck the stone floor and immediately began sizzling, releasing thin streams of steam. His heart hammered violently against his ribs, each powerful beat sending what felt like molten magma surging through his veins.

The pain was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

His entire body convulsed as golden flames erupted across his skin. His shirt caught fire instantly, burning away within seconds and exposing his bare upper body.

At the center of his chest, directly above his heart, the tattoo representing Ilios began glowing.

The previously dormant Divine Rune blazed with extraordinary golden light, its intricate markings spreading across his chest like the rays of a miniature sun.

Jet collapsed onto his knees.

His heart felt as though it had been thrown into the center of a furnace.

Every heartbeat sent another wave of unbearable heat through his body, and his Mana pathways burned as the Origin Treasure’s extraordinary energy circulated through them.

"AAAAAAHHHH! DAMN IT!"

Jet screamed, clutching his chest as his fingers dug into his skin.

His entire body was engulfed in golden flames.

The surrounding stone floor began glowing red beneath him, and several cracks appeared across its surface as the temperature inside the cave rose dramatically.

Jet’s skin felt as though it was being burned from the inside. Sweat formed across his forehead, only to evaporate almost immediately into clouds of white steam.

He attempted to activate the Asura Physique, desperately hoping its reinforcement would help him endure the process.

However, the Divine Fire continued spreading through his body.

His heartbeat grew louder.

THUMP!

THUMP!

THUMP!

Each beat reverberated through his consciousness like a massive drum.

Jet gritted his teeth so hard that blood seeped from his gums. His vision blurred, and his breathing became increasingly irregular as the overwhelming pain threatened to destroy his concentration.

He had expected the awakening to be difficult.

He hadn’t expected it to feel as though his heart was being melted and reconstructed with every passing second.

His consciousness began fading.

For one terrifying moment, Jet genuinely believed he was going to die.

Then, just as darkness began swallowing his vision, the golden flames surrounding his body suddenly contracted.

Every strand of fire rushed toward the Divine Rune on his chest.

His heart delivered one final, thunderous beat.

THUUUUMP!

And the pain vanished.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations!]

[You have successfully survived the Ignition Trial.]

[Divine Rune Release Sequence completed.]

[SSS-Rank Divine Rune successfully awakened!]

[Ilios — The Undying Sun]

[Status: AWAKENED]

[Primary Authority: Sun | True Flame | Divine Fire]

[Associated Concepts: Sun | Vitality | Endurance | Restoration]

[The second of your ten SSS-Rank Divine Runes has been successfully released.]

Jet collapsed backward onto the stone floor, gasping desperately for air.

His entire body trembled from exhaustion, and for several moments, he could barely move his fingers.

However, the unbearable burning sensation had disappeared.

In its place was an extraordinary warmth radiating from his heart, spreading gradually throughout his body.

Jet slowly lowered his gaze toward his chest.

The Ilios tattoo had completely transformed.

Its intricate golden markings now surrounded a magnificent circular sun positioned directly above his heart. Countless delicate rays extended outward across his chest, while a brilliant golden flame burned at the center of the design.

Unlike the chaotic flames that had consumed his body during the awakening, the fire now felt completely natural.

Almost like an extension of himself.

Before Jet could examine it further, another series of notifications appeared.

[Ding!]

[Innate Abilities of Ilios — The Undying Sun unlocked!]

[Innate Ability I: Samadhi Flame]

[Type: Active]

[Description: Grants the user the ability to manifest, manipulate, and control Divine Fire through the Authority of Ilios. The potency, temperature, and destructive capabilities of the flames increase alongside the user’s strength and mastery.]

[Innate Ability II: Solar Physique]

[Type: Passive]

[Description: The user’s physical vessel has been transformed through exposure to Divine Fire. Grants exceptional resistance to heat and flames, enhanced vitality, improved endurance, and accelerated physical recovery. These effects increase under sunlight.]

[Innate Ability III: Pashupatastra]

[Type: Active — Destruction]

[Description: A devastating Divine Fire technique that concentrates the destructive Authority of Ilios into a single projectile before releasing its accumulated power upon impact.]

[Warning: Pashupatastra possesses extraordinary Mana consumption and places immense strain on the user’s physical vessel. Its destructive output is restricted by the user’s current Star Rank and Divine Rune mastery.]

Jet stared at the notifications, momentarily forgetting his exhaustion.

Three innate abilities.

And every single one possessed extraordinary potential.

Samadhi Flame granted him control over Divine Fire, while Solar Physique provided powerful passive enhancements to his body. However, it was the third ability that truly captured his attention.

Pashupatastra.

A Divine Fire technique specifically designed for destruction.

Jet could already imagine the possibilities of combining these abilities with the Eight-Armed Asura.

His first awakened Divine Rune specialized in physical combat, weapon mastery, and overwhelming close-range strength. Ilios, on the other hand, granted him elemental control, improved survivability, and a devastating offensive technique capable of striking enemies from a distance.

The two Divine Runes complemented each other remarkably well.

Jet slowly raised his right hand.

A tiny golden flame appeared above his palm.

It burned silently, illuminating his exhausted face with warm golden light.

Despite everything he’d endured, Jet couldn’t suppress the enormous grin spreading across his lips.

"Hehehe... Now this is something else," Jet murmured, watching the flame dance above his fingers.

He had entered the wilderness as a 2-Star Awakener possessing only the Eight-Armed Asura.

Now, he possessed two awakened SSS-Rank Divine Runes.

And for the first time, Jet began to understand just how terrifying his potential could become once all ten were awakened.