Chapter 42: Soul Stats

He had never heard of such beings in the game.

Then again, he had never heard of anyone possessing a Sixth-Dimensional Nature like his own, either.

Perhaps there was still a lot about this world that he didn’t know.

He shrugged.

’Well, I hope they avoid me too.’

Taking a deep breath, Aaron summoned his system once again.

This time, however, something finally happened.

A series of enormous golden runes materialized before him, emerging one after another as though they had been waiting for this very moment.

Their brilliant radiance illuminated the vast Soul Realm, and Aaron’s attention was immediately drawn to them.

For the first time since entering the dungeon, he felt a genuine sense of anticipation.

Name: Aaron Goldilock.

Nature Rank: Sixth Dimensional.

Existence: [Low Second Dimensional Existence.]

Soul Cores: [1/6]

Soul Count: [1/2000]

Nature Ability: [UNBOUND TO FATE]

Nature Ability Description: [You are a forgotten existence in the great Tapestry of Fate. Unlike others, this erroneous negligence allows you to manipulate and influence the indomitable webs of fate however you see fit.]

Nature Abilities: [0/5]

Life Bond: [Velma Goldilock].

Obtained Lineages: —

Spirit Animals: —

Armors: —

Weapons: —

Charm: —

Nature Weakness: [Children Of Chaos].

Aaron squinted his eyes, studying his nature ability.

’Unbound to Fate.’

Velma had failed to see it and he also didn’t see it when he used the couple bond to peer into his stats three years ago.

It was a strange nature. Usually, people nature allows them to control one of the four elements. Some are usually capable of doing strange things outside controlling Air, Water, Fire or Earth. A very good example was Velma.

Her nature allows her replicate Animals natural characteristics.

However, someone possessing such a strong connection to something as mysterious and intangible as Fate was practically unheard of.

It was almost like having the ability to control Time.

Time was something unseen, something beyond the control of ordinary beings. It was an abstract concept that governed the existence of everything, yet remained untouchable.

Natures and abilities connected to such fundamental concepts weren’t supposed to exist in the first place.

Aaron’s eyes widened slightly.

"No wonder the Sorcery said it’s coveted by Gods."

He hadn’t accumulated enough Soul Counts to activate his Nature Ability and discover its full capabilities. Nevertheless, one thing was certain.

He was going to become capable of things that would probably leave even the most powerful beings in this world astonished.

"Also..."

His gaze suddenly shifted to another rune.

One that immediately caught his attention.

Life Bond: [Velma Goldilock].

Aaron stared at the inscription for several seconds.

Then his expression twisted.

"Why the hell would Velma now be VELMA GOLDILOCK?!"

He practically shouted.

They weren’t merely bonded.

They were practically married!

’What the hell is this?’

Aaron stared at the rune for another moment before releasing a helpless sigh.

There was no point dwelling on it now.

With that thought, he withdrew his consciousness from his Soul Realm.

In an instant, the golden sea and star-filled sky disappeared, and he found himself standing once again at the edge of the gigantic Colossus’s head.

He glanced down into the seemingly bottomless darkness.

He had genuinely hoped to discover some kind of ability that would allow him to fly or, at the very least, slow his descent.

Unfortunately, his expectations had been misplaced.

His Nature seemed to have made him more of a Seer or Oracle than someone possessing extraordinary physical attributes.

’Well, that’s disappointing.’

Sensing that time was no longer on his side, Aaron abandoned his thoughts and reached for the sword hanging at his waist.

With a firm grip, he unsheathed it from its scabbard.

He took one final glance at the darkness below before stepping into the open air.

And immediately, gravity took hold.

His body plunged downward.

The darkness swallowed Aaron almost instantly.

He couldn’t see a thing.

The only sensation he could perceive was the violent wind rushing past his body, whistling so loudly against his ears that it nearly drowned out every other sound.

He tried shifting his body, desperately attempting to navigate his descent, but it was futile.

There was nothing to grab onto, nothing to guide himself with.

He was in a complete free fall.

And he had absolutely no control over it.

As he continued descending, however, a peculiar sound gradually reached his ears.

Crack!

Crackle!

Flap! Flap! Flap!

The sounds were coming from beneath him.

And they were getting louder.

’Damn!’

Aaron cursed inwardly.

Those sounds were unmistakable.

They were the sounds of Shadow-Winged Bats!

Creatures notorious for their enormous numbers and vicious feeding habits. Their terrifyingly sharp fangs were capable of tearing through flesh and muscle with frightening ease.

Individually, they weren’t particularly difficult to deal with. A reasonably capable individual could fend off a few of them without much trouble.

But collectively?

They were an entirely different problem.

Their greatest strength lay in their numbers. Once they swarmed their prey, escaping their relentless assault was almost impossible.

And to make matters worse, they particularly enjoyed feasting on human flesh.

’Why the hell are there bats here?!’

Aaron tightened his grip around his sword.

’Damn! Damn!! DAMN!!!’

He was descending straight into their territory at an uncontrollable speed, completely blind to his surroundings.

He couldn’t see where they were.

He couldn’t tell how many there were.

And he certainly couldn’t tell how close they were.

Before he could think of a solution, the sounds suddenly erupted all around him.

Flap! Flap! Flap!

Crack! Crackle!

Aaron’s expression changed.

They were already here!

In the next instant, he found himself falling amidst a chaotic storm of fluttering wings and sharp, bone-chilling crackles.

The Shadow-Winged Bats had surrounded him!

Their wings flapped violently as countless pairs of eyes and vicious fangs emerged from the darkness around him.

Aaron didn’t waste a second.

With his sword held tightly in his grasp, he began swinging wildly in every direction, relying entirely on his hearing to identify the approaching creatures.

CLANG!

A sharp metallic sound rang out as his blade struck something.

A split second later—

SQUELCH!

Something wet splattered against his arm.

He had hit one.

But before he could recover, several more sounds of flapping wings rushed toward him from different directions.

’Shit!’

Aaron gritted his teeth and swung again.

He had no idea how many of them were coming.

But one thing was certain.

He was going to have to fight his way through the darkness!