Rise of the Lustful Evil Monarch (Re)

Ethan's POV

For a fleeting moment, I felt as though my heart if I still had one in this form had stopped.

There's someone in that washbasin.

The realization hit like a thunderclap.

On the surface of the purple liquid, a bloated and grotesque face stared back at me. It was devoid of eyelids, hair or a nose.

Its pale dark pupils locked onto mine and its irises were unnaturally small. A strange red luminescence glowed from its forehead that added to its eerie visage.

The encounter lasted only a moment, but it left an indelible mark on my mind. My thoughts raced. Is it alive? Is it conscious and watching me?

I forced myself to calm down. One of my feelers patted my jelly-like body instinctively and this small gesture of mine helped me regain control.

As I heaved a metaphorical sigh, I concluded that it was likely an inert remnant of some kind and not a conscious entity.

Yet, to be safe, I transmitted the image of the washbasin and the face to the Eterna Nexus. Keeping a safe distance, I waited as the Nexus processed my query.

Soon, a golden chart materialized before me that gleamed and displayed a row of glowing golden text.

[Detected a Crystallized Soul Fragment of a *****.]

I was struck with confusion as I stared at the asterisks. What does this mean?

I was frustrated so I transmitted another query and demanded some sort of clarification from Eterna Nexus.

The reply came swiftly and was delivered in the calm monotonous voice of Auralis Prime.

[Successor doesn't have the power to handle the capacity of such information and the authority to access the same.]

The response left me dumbfounded and silent for a short while.

Excuse me, even more mysterious than that Grade 8 broken saber? I wondered. Is that why the Eterna Nexus can't reveal its details? And what's this about "capacity of information"?

Driven by curiosity, I pressed further.

"What do you mean I can't handle the capacity of such information?"

The Nexus's reply was immediate:

[For now, the successor can only know that the immensity of the revelation would be detrimental to your existence. Furthermore, you lack the authority to access this information.] Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire

Frustration bubbled within me. "Why is it detrimental to my existence? And how do I gain this authority? What must I do for it?"

[The successor is too weak to withstand the immensity of that knowledge. To gain the required authority for this information, you must first grow stronger and repair the Eterna Nexus crystal to at least ten percent of its prime state.

Additionally, world essence is required to ignite its core runes which will help it to perform to its best of the best abilities.]

The magnitude of the task left me reeling. "Are you saying you can function like this with even less than ten percent of your original power?"

Before I could process the implications, Auralis Prime's calm voice cut through my thoughts.

[To be precise, less than one percent of the Eterna Nexus's core runes are active currently. Currently, its energy is sustained by consuming the successor's soul energy and magic power in a sustainable manner to ensure that the successor doesn't get in too much danger.]

I felt embarrassment creeping over me. Though Auralis Prime's tone was monotonous, its repeated reminders about my weakness stung a little.

But I clenched my feelers with determination and refused to let its words dishearten me.

Suddenly, I remembered something crucial that I had forgotten to ask about the grotesque face floating in the purple liquid.

Without hesitation, I transmitted my thoughts to the Eterna Nexus again. When the reply came, I eagerly read it only to be left dumbfounded by it.

[Not detected anything. Does not match existing data. It may be a mutated or amalgamated form of a soul construct. Successor should be aware that new and strange phenomena are constantly birthed in the vast and boundless Astral Realm.

The coagulated and abstract nature of the Astral Realm is one of the reasons it remains difficult to understand or be defined, even for the greatest powerhouses.

Based on my assessment, it poses no significant danger. If there were malevolence or negative implications, I would have detected them.]

I sighed and a mix of relief and frustration washed over me. Though reassured by the Eterna Nexus's words, I couldn't shake the unease lingering in my mind as I decided to continue my attempt.

Pushing past it, I continued edging closer to the enigmatic washbasin as my curiosity overpowering my apprehension.

This time as I stared into the creepy eyes of the floating face, I felt no fear.

Its bloated and deathly appearance reminded me of a corpse which had died due to drowning and consequently left to decay in a water body.

Its features were eerily lifelike to a person yet its face bore no emotions, no expressions—just a vacant and haunting stare that seemed to gaze through me rather than at me.

Despite the Eterna Nexus's assurances that it posed no threat, my nerves still prickled as I cautiously extended a single silver feeler toward the washbasin.

The moment my feeler touched the face, the grotesque visage shrank like a popped balloon and it flattened into a thin mask-like form that floated lifelessly on the surface of the purple liquid.

The sudden transformation startled me but I steeled myself and extended another feeler as this time I attempted to scoop the strange object out of the basin.

It's like a mask. The thought came unbidden, and I couldn't shake the feeling that this object held some deeper significance. Yet, despite my efforts my attempt to lift it failed.

The mask remained stuck on the surface of the purple pool as though an invisible wall held it firmly within the pool.

I tried again and this time I even covered my feeler in dark soul energy to amplify my strength. But no matter what I did, the result was the same and the mask didn't budge.