Reborn: Evolving From Nothing

The Force Orb slammed into Dorian's chest like a meteor. The moment it hit Dorian, he was able to sense the gargantuan amount of force behind it. It was not a lie to say that this sole attack was the heaviest blow he had ever taken.

However, despite the colossal weight behind the orb, the attack itself felt restrained. Instead of trying to annihilate him, it was more like the orb was slamming into him and knocking him backwards.

'The Shade King's still holding back so he doesn't accidentally kill me.' The fact raced through his mind in an instant, his body straining as his bones creaked.

WHOOSH

Dorian's legs sank into the ground as he was blown backwards and then continuously shoved away. In just a single second, a 10 meters long gouge in the earth appeared as he was forced back, straining with all his might to stop the attack. Shards of rock, clumps of dirt, and bits of grass were thrown into the air, forming a chaotic cloud of debris.

"Arrrgh!" He grunted out loud, his body burning.

'I can't let it keep pushing me or I'll be overwhelmed!' Dorian's arms and legs were bulging, Law Energy flushing forward to block the attack. The orb blew past everything, through the defensive prowess from his Law of Gluttony, his attempt at locking down space with the Law of Envy, his enhanced physique from the Law of Valor and Law of Pride, the attack energy from the Law of Wrath and Law of Mercy, the defensive power of his Mystic Armored Body.

Every single layer he threw up was instantly blasted through with impunity, as if they weren't there at all.

'Damn, so this is Angelic Class.' Blood spurted from his lips as the insane pressure continued, his arms trembling.

The gap between his current level and a true-blue, Angelic Class expert, one of the ultimate peak figures in the 30,000 Worlds, was still quite wide.

'Reality… become imperfect!' He grasped hold of the Law of Original Sin, using his rudimentary understanding of it to cause reality to twist in front of him.

For a brief moment, a crack appeared in reality, right in front of the Force Orb. This distortion twisted the air, causing space to fracture.

BOOM

A small explosion echoed out as the Force Orb collided with this crack and shivered for an instant. For a brief moment, it seemed as if the Force Orb was about to shoot off away from Dorian at another angle.

A moment later and the crack collapsed, a backlash slamming into Dorian's soul. It felt like a huge hammer had smashed into his mind, a blinding headache forming.

'Damn, it's too strong.' Unlike Leader's arrow, this Force Orb was the condensed attack of an Angelic Class expert.

Dorian's understanding of the Law of Original Sin was far too low to be able to hold up when he tried to direct it. Even if he tried to twist Fate, the cost of stopping or changing an attack like this would be far too large for him to bear.

However, the reality shifting managed to slow the Force Orb slightly. It was still smashing against him like a meteor, blasting him along the ground, but it was also moving slightly slower.

'Arrrgh! I just need to stop it!' His arms were blocking the orb, crossed over his chest in an X. As he felt the orb slow slightly, a spurt of hope flared up.

Since switching forms was obviously out of the option, Dorian went for Plan B: Be Shameless.

Artifact after Artifact zoomed out from his Spatial Ring, the large store of offensive and defensive Artifacts he'd gradually collected flung out one after another. He had always been one to focus on using his own Abilities, eschewing most Artifact use.

As a result, especially after all the treasure he'd gained or enemies he'd defeated, he'd gained quite the store of Artifacts that lay dormant in his Spatial Ring. Magical Black Flame Shields, Exploding Sword Charms, Green Vine Bombs, Defensive Mire Shields, he threw out more than five dozen Artifacts of various power.

BOOOOM

Explosion after explosion rang out as energy ricocheted in the air as a flurry of Law energy shook the air. Each treasure he used had power at least at the Lord Class level, or higher, bringing its own unique twist to the fluctuating power in the air. It was a menagerie of various Laws, smashing against the excessively heavy Force Orb.

Dorian's various usages of Law Energy, as well as his raw strength, had managed to slightly slow the Force Orb. When this combined with the store of Artifacts he practically dumped on the Force Orb, that effect grew stronger and stronger.

Soon, the Force Orb was only crushing him at 30% its original speed.

'But it's still not enough…' He mentally swore, his eyes bloodshot. His entire body was wracked with pain, the seemingly unstoppable blow pushing him farther and farther. This was a blow that even Pseudo-Angelic experts would be unable to stop, let alone Dorian.

CRACK

His left arm cracked under the strain, his bones creaking and trembling. In his Perfect Body state, for a bone to crack was a huge deal. The more injuries he sustained in this state, the harder they would be to heal.

'Wait!' As a wave of pain swept through him, Dorian's consciousness fell on one particular Artifact he had yet to use.

The Artifact that Excelsior Gamin had given him.

He flicked his wrist.

Immediately, a small, green stone carving of what looked like a crane standing in front of a small pond appeared.

He had never been told what this Artifact did, only that it would come in handy.

With few options left, Dorian immediately activated the Artifact, sending energy from his soul into it to command it to awaken.

The moment he did, a flash of cool, green light spread out around him…

And the Force Orb that was slamming into him vanished, freeing Dorian from its incredible pressure.

.. .. .. .. .. ..

Hundreds of meters above the city of Cracktyl…

Excelsior Gamin cracked his knuckles lightly, wiping a small dribble of blood away from his lips as he floated in the air.

'Family General Balbinus is as strong as they say. I'm only his equal in terms of attack power. He might even be a little better than me at that. In defensive prowess, however, I outmatch him.' Gamin admitted the fact to himself, feeling no need to lie.

Several dozen meters away, a red haired vampire in a ripped and torn suit looked back at Gamin, wielding a long, glowing scythe in his hands. Blood dripped from several large injuries on this warrior, sizzling in the air due to the heavy Aura that covered the Vampire.

"This is an exercise in futility, old man!" Balbinus' voice echoed in the air, sounding slightly exhausted and harried.

The battle between the two had been fantastic, yet seen little in the way of results. The two were at a stalemate.

Gamin simply looked back, waving his hand slightly. Wind began to gather around him, green energy flashing as a protective layer covered him.

At that exact moment, as he was preparing to jump back into the battle, Gamin's eyes widened in surprise.

'Lord Inigo is using the Crane Sealing Pond Artifact I gave him?' He blinked as he felt a surge of energy emanate deep in his soul.

The Crane Sealing Pond was a special construct that he created himself, an Artifact that was linked back to him. As a master of the Law of Wind, and an extremely powerful fighter, Gamin had put years of effort into researching various ways to utilize his unique Law.

One of those was the Crane Sealing Pond.

This Artifact was special in that it had multiple uses. It could be used to attack, to defend, or to escape. It could only be used once, but which ability it showed depended on what the user needed the most when they activated it.

'He's using it to defend himself!' As he realized this, he braced himself slightly.

The Crane Sealing Pond would magically warp any attack Lord Inigo was facing away, absorbing it and redirecting the blow towards Gamin himself. That was the price of such a powerful and versatile Artifact with so many different possible uses. Most of its powers depended on Gamin itself.

Still, Gamin had no qualms with it. He was a powerful Pseudo-Angelic Class expert, one of the strongest beings in the world. Very few attacks could cause him any trouble.

'Alright, let's see… what do you have for me, Inigo?' Thankfully, the attack had come during a lull in the battle between Gamin and the Aurelius Family General. Even if it was an attack from a Pseudo-Angelic expert, it would be weakened by the Crane Sealing Pond and therefore blockable.

WHOOSH

Family General Balbinus looked on in surprise as the air in front of the Excelsior shifted and warped with light. Emanations of energy shot out, some type of Artifact activating.

As he sensed this, he held his scythe up in a tight, guarded formation, ready to defend himself against anything.

Back over with Gamin, a single emotion was currently filling his mind.

'Is that…' A sense of sheer horror dominated his heart for an instant.

'Is that one of His Highness's Force Orbs?!' His jaw dropped.

BOOOOOOOM

'How?!' Gamin's last thought before he was smacked down from the air and cratered into the ground down below, smashed down like someone swatting a fly, was one of pure outrage and confusion.

'Your Highness, why me?!'

.. .. .. .. .. ..

"Was that… Excelsior Gamin's Crane Sealing Pond?" The Shade King's mouth fell open as he saw his Force Orb vanish, feeling the connection he had with it sever. It had been transported through space directly, removing any control he had over it.

Dorian didn't respond as he fell to one knee, exhaustion slamming into him. He barely had the energy to stay conscious, let alone respond. He took several deep breaths, throwing a Light Pill in his mouth to help recover some energy.

"You withstood my Force Orb… but you relied partially upon outside help." The Shade King looked at Dorian for a long moment.

If the Shade had to describe his feelings in a single word, it would be 'Shock.'

'He managed to slow my Force Orb by a decent amount… despite only being at Lord Class. He clearly is using multiple Laws, an almost unheard of power, with a soul that far outstrips every Lord Class expert in existence.' These thoughts raced through Hasith's head in an instant.

'My Shade race has finally birthed an incredible genius.' He clenched a fist behind his back slightly.

'If he is allowed to grow safely, let alone beating the Vampires, my kind might even gain another Angelic Class expert.' Even Hasith couldn't claim that Dorian's talent would 100% mean he would reach Angelic Class. But in terms of potential… the Shade King had never met any being with a higher chance.

'I cannot let him waste that potential. But he clearly is very attached to this Vampire.' Dozens of thoughts ran through the Shade King's head as his eyes hardened.

For the first time, in a very long time…

The Shade King did not know what to do.

"Arrrgh." Dorian slowly made it to his feet, his arms and legs trembling. He made eye contact with the Shade King, his spirit unbreakable.

WHOOSH

The air around Dorian shook as he slowly began to gather energy, able to use just the tiniest amount to prop himself up.

As the Shade King saw this, he frowned ever so slightly.

'No matter his potential… I must put our people first. I cannot sacrifice the security of the Shade race's continued survival. The Desecration Curse is down to mere years till it activates.' The Shade King made his decision.

"I value you, child, but you are still too weak. Maybe in the future, you would be able to change my mind. But we simply do not have enough time left." He shook his head as he grabbed hold of one more dagger on his robe, holding it in his hand.

The dagger shifted and transformed, power condensing around it as a second Force Orb appeared, identical to the first. The air around the Force Orb trembled, the sheer concentrated might too much for the nearby area to bear. Just by holding the Force Orb, the Shade King cracked the earth beneath him.

Before Dorian could react, the Shade King threw the Orb.

"Go to sleep, child."

WHOOSH

Dorian watched it fly at him, his mind feeling delirious. An incredible feeling of helplessness settled upon his shoulders as he saw this, the unfairness of the situation crashing against him.

'No… no!' He struggled with all his might to draw on energy from around him, all to no avail. The exhaustion that had hit him was deep, not something he could just snap his fingers and recover from.

He truly had no way to respond.

Before he could think of doing anything else, the Force Orb arrived. Dorian's eyes snapped shut as he braced himself for the blow, unable to do anything else.

THUNK

BOOM

Dorian's breath wheezed in and out as he stood still, still braced for the blow. A loud impact shook the air right in front of him, the Force Orb slamming into…

Not him.

"Huh?" He blinked, exhaling in confusion as he opened his eyes.

"What?" The Shade King stuttered out loud as well, his voice full of confusion.

When the Force Orb was merely a couple of meters away from Dorian's chest, something completely unexpected happened.

A blindingly pure bolt of white lightning shot down from the sky, smashing into the Force Orb. This lightning moved almost instantaneously, intercepting the Orb and hitting it.

That bolt of lightning caused the Force Orb to freeze in place, its forward momentum coming to a complete stop.

"My… my attack was blocked? What?" For the first time, the facade of absolute confidence that Hasith Shanty wore cracked. Immediately, his awe-inspiring Aura swept forward as the King went on guard, grabbing hold of two of the throwing knives he had attached to his robe.

WHOOSH

A figure appeared, descending from the sky above. A rather familiar, semi-translucent human waving jovially.

"Greetings, my fellow Shades!" Kaladin's voice boomed out loud as he landed on the ground next to Dorian, looking very much like a human and not a Shade. A powerful, energized Aura surrounded the man as a golden-yellow Halo appeared around his head.

When Dorian saw that Kaladin had come to his rescue, an indescribable feeling of happiness and gratefulness filled him.

"An Angelic Class… Soul Body? Who are you?" Hasith Shanty kept his voice calm and controlled despite his shock, raising his hands as if he was ready to attack.

"I am the mighty me!" Kaladin replied, decidedly unhelpful.

'Get away, lad. I can only posture a bit, I am much weaker than a full Angelic Class being. He'll recognize that, and me, before long.' A mental message poured into Dorian's mind, magically sent to him from Kaladin.

'No, I can resolve this!' Dorian couldn't respond in the same way, but clenched his fists, taking a step forward as inspiration struck.

"King Hasith. This is my ally, Bolto, the Lord of Thunder." He spoke out loud, his voice strong and confident.

'Bolto? Really? That was the best you had?' Kaladin's voice whined in his head, a voice Dorian promptly ignored as he continued,

"If power is what I need to have standing, then surely his presence should suffice, yes?"

The Shade King stared back at him silently.

"With this ally at my side, give me a chance! A chance to end this war that you are refusing to end!"

"War… Do you think I want to go to war, child?" King Hasith sighed, the Aura of morose exhaustion returning around him as he slowly lowered his weapons. He didn't lower his guard, keeping Kaladin in full sight as he continued,

"Do you think I want to see millions of my fellow Shades perish, to see agony and violence spread among our people?" He shook his head,

"I have no choice. We must take Evonon. The existence of our kind depends on it."

"You do have a choice." Dorian returned, his eyes flashing as he patted on his chest,

"And that choice is me."

"You?" Hasith blinked slowly and began to shake his head in exasperation.

"You have a reason to need Evonon, right? Something you must obtain?" Dorian had slowly begun to put some of the pieces of the puzzle together as their discussion and fight went on, his Jade Memory picking up on every tell, every clue, and every piece of information offered. His mind was racing ahead of him as he began to understand,

"Helena and I… we are a bridge between races. Neither of us wants this war to continue. We can end this, here and now." Dorian slammed his hand against his chest, his words full of passion.

"Do you think Aurelius would listen to you, child?" Hasith replied, his eyes cool.

"Maybe not to me… but to her." He pointed at Helena, still resting in a magical coma, her soul slowly mending.

"He loves her as a daughter. I will represent our kind while she represents theirs. Together, we can form a bridge between races and stop this unending violence. We can resolve this issue peacefully." Dorian's words carried a strange persuasiveness in them, aided by his Anomaly-Fate-Twisting soul.

"You just need to give me a chance!"

The Shade King stared at Dorian, his face emotionless as Dorian's words echoed softly.

A long moment passed in silence as he studied Dorian and Kaladin.

The echoes of their battle faded away. Everything around them seemed to fall still, an air of peace and tranquility settling.

Finally, the silence broke as the Shade King slowly spoke aloud,

"…You have my attention."

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