Igor stretched out his hand and took an old leather-bound book. It was small and seemingly had less than a hundred pages. But looks could always be deceiving.
"Let me see what that research was. I'll make my final decision from there."
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|DxD|- Chapter 79- Devolution
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A thousand years of life, boundless power, and the strength to compete with gods—that very power was what kept humanity at the peak of power even after the All-Father withdrew his blessing. The voice was lost, but means remained.
"For every transgression, the All-Father did not just take away our lifespan, he devolved us."
From a thousand years, to five hundred, and further down it went until the current times. Humans could barely live beyond a century and had little way to defend themselves.
"But a path of return was not completely cut. In all humans exists what is called a divine strand. It is a small thread found inside the thymus gland between the lungs. It cannot be seen through normal means, and only a body rich in vitality and spirit can touch it."
"So that's it."
Atop the hourglass, Igor laid the book to rest on his crossed legs. He always questioned why his ancestors were willing to abandon their mana for an energy as restrictive as vitality.
Only now did he glimpse that vitality was a key energy for the divine strand. Filing that knowledge, he closed his eyes in focus and turned them inward.
His body was a crowded network of amber. Blood vessels ferried his vital energy all over his body. And mixed with that vital energy was a tinge of silver he knew to be spirit energy.
He looked further in until deep inside his chest, he found the thymus gland. It was as long as a finger and sat just above his heart. In it, there was a very faint string-like mass that lay deep inside the thymus. It gave Igor the feeling that it was there and not there at the same time, leaving him doubting his senses.
"The divine strand is dormant in all humans. The method to trigger it is as misty as it is dangerous. Injecting it with a strong stream of vitality seems to be a viable path, but please do not try it, Igor. It is far too dangerous and has taken the lives of many without a success. This book was deemed forbidden thousands of years ago and further research was not continued. If you wish to tread this path, do so once you have exhausted all avenues of power."
Igor read through the research notes right until where they abruptly ended. It was indeed short as he suspected, but it had valuable knowledge on the divine strand. The library had other books on the divine strand he'd referenced, but they were very few and all arrived at the same conclusion.
"Other books are now available to you, Igor. There are techniques on vitality and training methods that can help you grow in power and will promise you ultimate-class power as long as you put in the work. At least until then, please do not meaninglessly gamble on your life. Rather, I would prefer you attain your own insights into the divine strand before any reckless attempts."
"I know."
Igor responded to the ball. He placed his elbow on his thigh and rested his chin on his palm. He pondered as his eyes rested on the endless horizon. One option was cut, saving him the burden of choosing between the two.
The power of the ancestors was great, allowing them to walk anywhere in the world. Triggering the divine strand could bring that sort of power, but Igor was not narrow-minded. If awakening the divine strand came with guaranteed mortality, then he wouldn't be arrogant to believe he'd be an exception.
"I'll consider the matter of the divine strand the next time I return here. For now, it's better to focus on that silver state."
Researching what his ancestors could not solve would be a massive undertaking. Maybe once he reached ultimate-class, he'd consider it thoroughly. Only five years remained. He had to make them fruitful.
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|DxD|
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Time Chamber, 2 Years Later, 12 Years After Entry
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Amber, amber, and more amber. There was so much amber it was blinding, so many explosions it was deafening. Small balls of energy spawned out of nowhere in midair like drops of rain, then rapidly combined and expanded to an all-encompassing dome of destruction stretching a great distance.
Beneath it all, a high-pitched sound betrayed the culprit behind such a terrifying destruction. For everywhere the sound came, spheres the size of a head fell from the skies, the sides—from everywhere around the towering dome, contributing to the destruction by feeding it energy.
It was a grinder of hell, a prison that tore everything inside. The dome was a beautiful curtain of polished gem, but only to those admiring from afar.
*Su!*
A towering figure suddenly appeared several hundred metres from the dome. His hair, an unruly yet majestic lion's mane, caught and fluttered in the strong winds from the dome. The mesmerising sight reflected in his cold analysing eyes.
This illustrious dome was his creation, a technique made to end thousands of lives. The inside was a meat-grinder designed to crush and tear flesh apart. It was an abuse of his energy reserves, for this dome was large enough to encompass several streets by his estimates. Given time, he was sure he could have it stable enough to envelop an area surpassing the size of Kuoh.
"No. That's too lofty."
He shook his head with a smile. He had no name for this technique but it was conceived from the idea of giving him time. It was supposed to be a method to trap his opponent in a hailstorm of deadly vitality. Somehow, one idea led to the next and it became this daring construction as tall as hills and mountains.
Igor gave the dome one last look. He calculated it would last for a few more minutes, hopefully enough time for him.
He lowered his head and closed his eyes. It was a movement bearing the signs of resignation, but deep in his mind, his well of spirit energy stirred. It overflowed, and a baptism came once more.
Chapter 79
END