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Feeling his body being burned by the intense heat, Sekke could only wince in pain. Any sort of movement was impossible for him.
'Seriously, how much did they prepare to make me drop my guard like that? And what the hell is thi—'
Before his thoughts could continue, his body glowed and vanished from the sea of lava.
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Sekke, who had been inside molten rock just a moment ago, now found himself in a vast white space. No structures. No life. Nothing.
He remained motionless for a few minutes due to the paralysis spell, but the moment he regained a sliver of control, he unleashed his mana — destroying the chains that bound him and dispelling the effects of the immobilization spell.
Stretching his hands and legs with a few strong jerks to shake off the soreness, Sekke got back on his feet and looked around.
'You there, Vritra?'
'Yup. You got played there, my other half,' said Vritra dryly
'Haah~, can't even sympathize with people these days. Anyways, where are we? I am not dead right? I drowned in lava afterall.' asked Sekke chekcing his body.
'You're alive. Don't worry about that.' assured Vritra.
Sekke nodded and looked around again but saw nothing. Having no idea where he was or where he should go, he simply sat down on what felt like the ground.
"Man, life's been pretty f*cked up for a while now," complained Sekke.
'True — one set of unfortunate events after another' replied Vritra. It was almost as if someone was deliberately pushing his host into dangerous situations, like an author writing a story.
The dragon soon shook his head, dismissing such an absurd possibility.
Suddenly, the white space trembled, and everything was engulfed in a golden light.
Looking up, Sekke grew alert, gripping Extase in his hand and summoning his Sacred Gears. His ki told him that whatever this presence was — it was far too strong.
"Stay calm, Sekke Bronzaza," said a familiar, emotionless voice.
Sekke and Vritra sighed in relief. "Don't scare me like that, Mr./Ms. Will," grumbled Sekke, putting Extase back in its sheath.
"Apologizing. It was not my intention," said the Will before conjuring a glowing magic display in the air.
In it, Sekke saw scenes of utter chaos — earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, tornadoes. The entire world was tearing itself apart.
"The beings of my world are causing the destruction themselves in order to initiate the reset," said the Will.
"Why would they do that?" asked Sekke.
"Once the world resets, its purpose will restart. The dimensional gate will be rebuilt as well."
"And the people?"
"Their souls will be sent for resurrection. If you had died, yours — and the dragon's — would have been among them, allowing the others to harvest you once the gate was remade," explained the Will.
Sekke clicked his tongue. "These bastards sure are persistent…"
"How are they causing the reset? How did they get this kind of power?" he asked.
The display shifted — this time showing a colossal humanoid figure, towering even beyond Sekke's titan form.
"It's the first Mana King of my world," said the Will.
"Wait, the Mana King stuff was real? I thought they were just making crap up at the time," said Sekke in surprise.
"I don't know what they told you, but Mana Kings do exist. This one, however, is corrupted," replied the Will.
"Corrupted?"
"His self was consumed by a divine force. Right now, he's being controlled by the so-called 'divine beings' of my world. They're using his power to bring about the destruction."
Sekke watched the screen silently — a being who could command the mana of an entire world… that was terrifying.
"So how are you going to stop him? Or are you letting the reset happen?" he asked.
"No. This must be stopped. Reset is necessary, but not on their terms. The purpose of the world will be lost if this continues."
"Alright, good luck with that," said Sekke casually.
"On that note, I hope that you assist me," said the Will.
Sekke blinked. "Assist you? Look, I might be able to fight that thing, but I can't restore your world. It hurts my pride to admit it, but it is what it is."
"The current you can't. That is true," said the Will.
'I sense foreshadowing,' muttered Vritra.'No shit, Sherlock,' replied Sekke.
"However, if you were to become my champion… things might change."
"…What?" asked Sekke in disbelief.
"I want you to become my champion and suppress those beings whose greed knows no bounds."
"What happened to the 'divine beings are the last hope of the world' talk?" asked Sekke.
"They are no gods — only incarnations of greed, willing to sacrifice an entire world for their desires."
Sekke folded his arms. "And what exactly does being your champion entail?"
"Suppressing the divine beings and the corrupted Mana King, restoring the world, and aiding me in the controlled reset. For now, those will be your goals."
"I'm not from your world. You're seriously trusting an outsider?"
"If there were another way, I'd take it. But you are the only one capable of handling this," replied the Will.
Sekke smirked. "Damn, such sweet words…"
"How will I suppress them if they can just keep reviving after death?" he asked.
"As my champion, you will control the resurrection mechanism," replied the Will.
A wide grin spread across Sekke's face. "Now that's what I wanted to hear. Alright, I'm almost sold on this champion thing."
"Almost?" asked the Will.
"Yes, almost. You're forgetting one crucial point — how do I deal with that?" Sekke pointed at the screen showing the Mana King unleashing world-breaking attacks.
Even Sekke had to admit — the guy was terrifying.
'From the scale of those attacks… he's at least at the level of a pantheon leader,' Vritra said grimly.
Sekke's grin faded. He was arrogant, sure, but even he knew this wasn't an opponent to underestimate.
'My other half, think carefully. Facing the divine beings was one thing. This… I'm not sure we can handle,' warned Vritra.
"I will allow you to unlock your potential," said the Will. "You have the possibility of becoming a Mana King as well."
"That's true…" Sekke's eyes lit up. "So, I get the whole world's worth of mana at my disposal?"
"No. That being has existed for millennia. His bond with mana is far stronger. You have the favor of mana — but you'll still be treated as an outsider."
"…Then what good is becoming a Mana King?" asked Sekke flatly.
"Your magic output will reach its peak."
"Thirty percent boost at best."
"You'll command the mana of nature."
"Mana Zone. Already have it."
"Your mana capacity will skyrocket."
"Nice, but I already bypass limits with Vritra."
A long silence followed.
"…You do realize you'll be sent back soon to face that being and the chaos spreading across my world, right?" asked the Will.
Sekke frowned. "Can't I just stay here until things calm down?"
"This realm isn't meant for mortals, much less outsiders. You're only alive because I'm shielding you."
"Then just keep shielding me."
"You refuse to aid me yet expect my protection?"
Sekke could feel the smugness behind that monotone voice.
'Great. Even the Will of this world is a blackmailer,' he thought.
'You really do have terrible luck, my other half,' said Vritra.
"Fine! I'll help. If it gives me a better shot at fixing this mess, then let's do it," said Sekke with forced enthusiasm.
"Excellent. Also, brace yourself for the incoming pain."
"What pa— AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Sekke screamed as his body was torn apart and reformed over and over.
'MY OTHER HALF!' Vritra roared, only to be crushed by immense pressure.
"Stand down, dragon soul," ordered the Will.
'What are you doing to him?!' demanded Vritra.
"His being is being destroyed and recreated repeatedly, infused with mana to accelerate his evolution. At his current pace, becoming a Mana King would take five centuries. We don't have that time."
Vritra wanted to argue — but the Will's power left him no choice but to obey.
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1 Day Later :
A lifeless Sekke lay sprawled on the white floor, covered in sweat and grime. He looked utterly defeated.
'Just kill me.' he thought weakly.
'It's fine, my other half. Don't say that,' consoled Vritra.
'Kill me, Vritra. I'd rather die than live with this humiliation,' Sekke thought miserably, a single tear slipping down his cheek.
'It's okay. No one aside from me and the Will knows you shat and pissed yourself during the process,' said Vritra calmly.
'DON'T SAY THAT OUTLOUD!!!!' Sekke mentally screamed, clutching his heart as if stabbed.
"Get up, Sekke Bronzaza. You are about to break through," called the Will.
'This f*cking-'
'Don't continue that.' warned Vritra, stopping his host before he could curse the conceptual level being.
Sekke glared at the golden light before reluctantly standing. Taking a deep breath, he nodded to signal he was ready.
"Agh!!!"
Pain surged again, but this time he could bear it. He felt his body and mana strengthening beyond recognition. Mana flowed through every pore — pure, boundless, alive.
He finally understood why the process normally took centuries. Assimilating mana into every fiber of his being was no small feat.
The pressure inside him grew unbearable. Something was about to burst.
"Break through the lim—"
"Don't say that. That's Yami-san's catchphrase. He'll sue for copyright," Sekke grinned as his mana exploded outward.
Bronze energy surged around him as the blockage within shattered. His senses sharpened — he could see the mana dancing around him.
The surrounding mana pulsed like a crowd cheering its king.
"Congratulations, Mana King," said the Will.
Sekke looked up and smirked as mana swirled around him in joy.
'MY KING! MY KING!' — that was the emotion he felt through his [Mana Vision].
'Vrita'
'Congratulations my other half.'
'Thank you. Also, Now I too have a title of 'king' attached to me.'
'Yeah, though the dragon king sounds cooler.' replied the dragon king.
'It does not, afterall it's not accompanied by the title of dark lord. Dark Lord + Mana King is definitely cooler than just the dragon king.' said Sekke.
And immeidately the two got into an argument much to the annoyance of the Will.
Making its presence know by supressing both of them, the Will finally spoke.
"I don't think now is the time for pointless banter," it warned.
"Fine, fine," Sekke muttered.
He conjured a shining bronze mirror and checked himself — mostly unchanged, except for the faint glow in his green eyes.
"Will my eyes keep glowing?" he asked.
"The pure mana within you radiates through your eyes," said the Will.
Sekke nodded. "Cool. Glowing eyes suit me."
Suddenly, the world shifted. Sekke found himself standing in a vast garden of glowing lights.
"Now, my final assistance before you return," said the Will. "Select a spirit and become my champion."
Dozens of radiant orbs floated around him — featureless, yet overflowing with energy. Each vibrated eagerly, wishing to bond with the new Mana King.
Sekke looked around curiously. Something — distant, faint — was calling to him.
"Can you guys move a bit?" he asked politely. The spirits joyfully made way.
Then, ignoring them, Sekke began walking deeper into the garden, confusing everyone — even Vritra.
Eventually, he reached a barrier.
"What's behind this?" he asked.
Silence. The Will didn't answer.
"Can I go beyond this?"
Again, silence.
"Well, nobody said no," Sekke muttered and drew Extase.
The moment he gripped it, the sword glowed — reshaping slightly to reflect his new power.
"You sure have it easy, Extase-chan," Sekke smiled fondly. The blade gleamed sharper than ever, capable of cutting anything even without mana enhancement.
He poked the barrier. Extase slid through effortlessly.
Smirking, Sekke carved an entrance and stepped through.
"One step beyond that barrier, and you can't return to choose a spirit," warned the Will. "Are you certain?"
Sekke looked ahead — a massive pit of darkness with a flickering light deep below. Without hesitation, he smiled and jumped.
The Will sighed, repaired the barrier, and vanished.
'Was that a good idea, my other half? Those spirits were powerful — some even matched your attributes,' asked Vritra.
"I know. But something down here keeps calling me," said Sekke.
'Something good?'
"Don't know. We'll find out soon," Sekke replied as he fell.
Before hitting the ground, the mana itself cushioned him, slowing his descent.
Perks of being a Mana King, he thought, gliding toward the lone light in the abyss.
He landed on a glowing platform. Dozens more surrounded him, but only this one held a light — a fading, flickering one.
"Were you the one calling me?" Sekke asked softly.
To Vritra's eyes, there was nothing. But Sekke's [Mana Vision] revealed a massive cluster of faint mana, barely holding together.
The wisp of light brightened, and a small orb — similar to the earlier spirits — floated before him.
"At last… I finally meet my destined king," said the spirit weakly.
Sekke blinked. The previous spirits couldn't speak, yet this one could.
"My king…" it whispered, hovering near him as if savoring his presence.
"…You called me your destined king. Why?" asked Sekke.
"All the mana within me calls out to you. For us spirits, that is destiny."
"Then… would you be willing to become my partner?" Sekke asked.
"It would be my greatest honor… but you should reconsider. I'm at the brink of fading away. Perhaps fate showed me mercy — letting me meet you before I disappear."
Sekke smirked. "Destiny? Please. The only destiny the Dark Lord believes in is the one he writes himself. The mana in me says to choose you — so I'll choose you."
The spirit trembled — happiness mixed with sorrow. "My king, please—"
"Enough talk. Say 'ah!'" Sekke's grimoire flipped open.
[Bronze Magic: Eternal Safe]
He pulled out a handful of Fruits of Life, crushing them and channeling the overflowing energy into the spirit.
"My king! Don't waste such precious—"
"Shut up and eat. You called me your king, right? Then obey the order of your ruler!" said Sekke with a grin.
He couldn't explain it, but this spirit felt special — like fate itself demanded their bond.
"Keep eating!" Sekke commanded, tossing more fruits.
...
"Damn, you ate a lot…" Sekke muttered, holding the last fruit.
"I apologize for wasting your resources, my king!!!" yelled the spirit, now radiating brilliant energy.
"Sigh… whatever. I'll harvest more later. Anyway — nice to meet you. I'm Sekke Bronzaza, the Dark Lord and, apparently, a Mana King now. Take care of me from here on."
"Thank you for this honor, my king. I have no name or form yet, so I cannot bow or give you one," said the spirit regretfully.
"It's fine. I'll name you later. For now, we've got a world to save," said Sekke, placing his hand on the orb.
The spirit glowed intensely, voice full of emotion."The honor of receiving a name from my king! This Sun Spirit King vows to serve you to the best of my ability!"
The room blazed with golden light as every strand of mana surged toward Sekke, merging into him.
Sekke on the other hand stood in awe, a maniacal grin forming on his face.
'Sun Spirit King,' he thought, laughing softly.
'Heh. I'm so gonna Cruel Sun those bastards.'