Chapter 51 – Floor 3 – Lavilin, The Demon

The scene shifted into the future.

"I will never let you do this Lavilin!" The younger Clico shouted at Lavilin.

After stealing the Destiny Seal, Lavilin fled into the Pyrite Desert. Clico knew Lavilin well and caught up to him before the Council could predict his movements.

"My dear Clico, you can't stop me. Just leave before you get hurt." Lavilin coughed out. After his fight with the King of Galeon, his condition was terrible. Despite his injuries, he was still significantly stronger than Clico, who was currently at the C Rank Sage Realm.

"I'll stop you. Skill: Runic Aural Network!" Clico used his runes to artificially create an aura network in his body. Due to his physique, he couldn't physically use aura, but because of this rune, his physique was effectively repaired as long as the rune lasted. This was a complex tier two rune, and Clico's persistence in using and creating it was a miraculous feat for an Auraless.

"Futile." Lavilin waved his hand, and Clico was sent flying.

Lavilin walked up casually to Clico, who lay on the ground.

"Skill: Demon's Possession." He touched Clico's forehead after bending down.

"There, now I will always be guiding you. I placed a remnant part of my soul into your mind." Lavilin laughed.

"You're lying!" Clico yelled, struggling to stand.

"Just like I killed Emilia and trapped Nillvia, I have defeated you. Don't follow me into Hell. You will die." Lavilin turned to walk away.

"Hell?" Clico gasped.

"You're going to Hell? How?" Clico called out, but Lavilin ignored Clico.

"Goodbye, old friend." Lavilin muttered as he continued to walk away.

"No!" Younger Clico cried out, unable to hear him.

The older Clico watched the scene in silence.

"Lavilin still considered me his friend?" Clico wondered. Lavilin's situation became more and more complex and strange as Clico learned more about his former friend.

Clico watched the scene fade into nothing, and he was now at the bottom of the Ocean of Souls. In the darkness, he could breathe. Clico looked around, and Lavilin was behind him.

"What did you think about our time together in the past?" Lavilin appeared before Clico once again.

"What happened to you, Lavilin?" Clico earnestly asked. Was Lavilin in his right mind all along?

"I was given an opportunity, and I took it. It's unfortunate that people got hurt, but when I conquer Hell, the lives saved will outweigh the lives lost."

"Do the ends justify the means?" Clico wondered out loud. It appeared like an Authority gave Lavilin an opportunity to conquer Hell, but The Demon didn't give any specifics.

"I'm not the Lavilin you once knew, my dear Clico. Out of respect for my former life, I have indulged you thus far. Nillvia and my old self were just casualties in the endeavor to conquer Hell. When The First Deathless is set free, the future security of the universe will be solidified." Lavilin explained.

Clico frowned. That couldn't be the truth.

"Just tell me the truth."

"I can't." Lavilin smiled weakly, and the Ocean of Souls melted into nothingness.

***

Hell, Floor Three.

"Clico, are you okay?" Realeh looked at Clico. He was the first to awaken from the illusions of Floor Three in the Medical Bay.

"I- I think so." Clico looked around. In the hospital room, he was surrounded by other sleeping patients.

21 immediately entered the room.

"My dear, sweet Clico, it's good to see you again." 21 smiled.

"Cut the crap, 21. Are you aware of my illusions?" 21's timing was too spot on.

"Of course." 21 tilted his head. Shouldn't that be a given?

"Who is Lavilin?"

"Lavilin is The Demon, Lavilin is your friend, or perhaps, Lavilin is not the Lavilin you once knew."

"Stop speaking in riddles, 21."

"Sorry, I can't help myself at times. I'm afraid his true identity is a spoiler." 21 giggled.

"Then why are you even here?"

Realeh watched speechlessly, not knowing what to say.

"I'm here to inform you that you should focus on expanding your foundations with other aura realms. You are still quite weak still."

"Foundations? As in the Chosen?" Clico asked.

At Agate Academy, those who were stronger than their actual Aura Realm were called the Chosen. Because of their richer families, the Chosen could temper their bodies and have access to extraordinary Artifacts and equipment. Because of their lucky births, they could fight two or even three times stronger than the typical person at the same Aura Realm. Nillvia was considered to be Chosen because of her physique.

Because Clico's past was a bit unfortunate and unlucky, he was slightly weaker than those at the same realm. In the Wizard's Association, most called this phenomenon a person's Foundations. Usually though, foundations grew because of excess resources or superior physiques.

"Not quite. You still need to broaden your horizons a bit more…" 21 sighed. Clico's idea of a genius was Nillvia and Lavilin, but there were other geniuses that didn't rely on their physiques to grow. Ziphe and Tyermsy were two examples.

"At the Deity Realm and above, it is not atypical for Gods and Goddesses to have foundations that far surpass the norm. Take the Goddess of Floor Zero, Diana, for example. Her foundations are quite complex, meaning she could fight about five times as strong as normal people at the same realm," explained 21.

"Five times as powerful, is that even possible?" Clico couldn't imagine it.

"Indubitably." 21 grinned.

"Ziphe's foundations are absurd, although he doesn't like to reveal that. I won't say for certain, but he is an unparalleled genius."

"Really? Does that mean Tyermsy is that strong too?" Realeh whispered.

"Tyermsy's foundations are systematic and thorough, but Ziphe is the strongest in the world, besides Wizard King Xie. Ziphe's true power is actually sealed away." 21 almost revealed too much but caught himself.

"Sealed away?" Clico knew it was possible to effectively seal away aura realm and Shade Cores at the Royalty Realm with powerful Tier Three Runes.

"Yes, Ziphe used an Inheritance Skill."

"He gave away his aura?" Clico scrunched his eyebrows.

Inheritance Skills were Bloodline abilities used to give another person their foundations and skills when the perpetrator was at least the Deity Realm. Usually, when Deities with an illness or going into a battle they knew they would die from, they would give their inheritance to the nearest person of kin or apprentice.

"Ziphe was stronger before, but now Tyermsy is only slightly stronger then?" Realeh couldn't believe the truth. Ziphe had really prepared to die before starting the expedition!

"Have you caught on yet, Clico? Ziphe has accepted his death. Are you prepared to die to grow stronger? Are you prepared to sacrifice everything for a chance at defeating Lavilin and Hell?"

"Yes." Clico clenched his fists together in resolve.

"If you want to grow your foundations, you should start with your greatest obstacle."

"My greatest obstacle, do you mean my physique?"

"Yes. I propose you change your physique. Weren't you keen on changing Nillvia's physique? Yet, you tried to overcome your own through sheer willpower and runes. Did you never consider it?"

"Twin Souls is a physique that is fundamentally different than being Auraless. I invented the Runic Aural Network to make up for its shortcomings. How could I change my physique without aura?" Clico didn't know what to say. As a pioneer for Auraless everywhere, Clico was an inspiration to many, and it seemed impossible to create a true aural network from nothing.

"Have you considered using runes to facilitate cultivation before?" 21 held back a smile.

"It's possible, but even with the Runic Aural Network, it should be impossible." Clico pondered the Spirit Cultivation Runestone 21 gave him. It was able to work because he was cultivating his soul and not his body.

"Fundamentally, you don't understand Runes, Physiques, and Aura."

"Excuse me?" Clico was getting frustrated.

"All aura is just a means to an end. All aura is used to create skills and to change the fundamental aspects of the world around us. The Seven Paths are just a means to that end. All being Auraless really means is that you don't have aura glands. You fixed that problem with Artificial Aura Glands through runes."

"What does that have to do with my foundations?"

"Everything! Aura is not from the body but from the soul. If you want to achieve the next level, you need to use a Soul Rune to repair your physique."

"Soul Rune, what's that?" Realeh didn't know what that was.

"That's too dangerous!" Clico gasped.

"Realeh, Soul Runes are runic inscriptions inscribed onto the soul itself through a dangerous medical procedure. If the inscription process fails, the soul will become permanently damaged. You may not be able to do it, but I am offering you a free of charge Runic Operation." 21 offered Clico.

"I did see those Unique Runestones, so I know you're the real deal when it comes to runes. What rune did you want to inscribe?" Clico thought this could actually be a great opportunity if 21 was serious.

"A Unique Rune. I call it, the Auraless Soul Rune." 21 waved his hands dramatically.

"Unique Rune?" Clico frowned. Unique Runes were runes that had never been created before and were usually personal trump cards. Using a Unique Soul Rune was simply too dangerous.

"The Auraless Soul Rune is a Tier Three Soul Rune that acts as a remedy to the Auraless Physique."

"How so?"

"It will create a permanent Runic Aural Network."

"Hmm." Clico pondered. If that was possible, then he would definitely be able to cultivate as a normal person could and could then grow the latent potential of his body through elemental cultivation.

"Let's do it." Clico nodded.

21 smiled.

"Realeh, prepare anesthesia to knock him out." 21 demanded. Realeh was unsure of what was happening, but it appeared like she was about to assist with a Runic medical procedure.

"Do it." Clico was resolved and trusted 21 enough now. Realeh knocked Clico out with the medicine, and 21 clicked one of his ten storage rings. A strange Artifact appeared.

"Realeh, watch carefully. This is called a Runic Tool. I will use it to inscribe onto Clico's soul, located in his mind."

The tool looked like a drill, but it wasn't.

Realeh watched as 21 made precise inscriptions.

"I can't afford to make any mistakes here. I might know a lot, but I am just a man. I had to practice a lot for this procedure." 21 muttered to Realeh a lot of random statements as he nervously crafted an exquisite Tier Three Rune.

After hours of muttering, the procedure finished, and 21 heaved a sigh of relief.

Realeh watched in awe. She had no clue what was happening.

"When he wakes up, tell him it's finished."

21 stormed out of the room in a heavy sweat without another word. Realeh had never seen the prophet that nervous before. 21 entered his room and panted for breath. This was one of the most dangerous aspects of the entire expedition. If he had failed that procedure, the whole world would have ended.

Sighing again and again, 21 flopped onto his bed and smiled with relief.