Reborn: Apocalypse

Meanwhile, while Micheal was in the midst of experimentation, various conversations were spreading across the Stardust Cluster.

"H-he what?! He slaughtered dozens of Morenkai like they were rabbits?!"

"Yes sir, and even several Abnormals!"

The Saru Group, the Black Flag Pirates, the Tobagin Party, the Godfather Organization, all four of these groups in particular were beyond stunned as they each heard a variety of reports from scouts, informants, and those that were trying to use the information to leverage themselves into the relative safety of one of the groups.

Everyone there recognized the danger the Morenkai presented. The terrifying strength even the normal ones had, the deadly threats that the Abnormals carried.

Fighting a large group of Morenkai could be considerably dangerous even for a B Ranked human, especially if you threw in several Abnormals. At a minimum, they would take at least some injuries clearing them out.

If Micheal had to face up against a real B Ranked human, he would have a very tough time winning, simply due to the sheer difference in physique and the powerful Abilities the opponent might have. He was largely outclassed in that regard, mostly because he had only been here 2 days, while most B Rankers had been here for 2-3 years.

However, when facing the Morenkai, his Life Orbs and sword skill gave him a unique advantage. Thus, while he might not win against a real B Ranker, he could make it look like he could.

"You said he was horribly injured? But he didn't die?"

"No sir- well, it was a bit weird. By all appearances, he looked as if he should be on death's doorstep. However, he walked off from the rooftop, away from the dead Morenkai, as if the injuries he had taken didn't bother him and were nothing."

"..."

When the leaders of each respective group heard that, they were shocked.

'How powerful is this Irregular?! How many Points did he start with?! Was he a legendary 250,000 Point Irregular? Maybe a 300,000 Pointer?' None of them could understand how any human could already be so powerful.

A variety of reactions, from eager excitement to brooding caution, overtook each respective leader. One sentiment, however, was shared between all.

"Don't go anywhere near him till tomorrow. Wait to see what he does or if he's still alive first!"

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

Methodically, Micheal began to crush the Essence of Wood. This Artifact was a special type of resource that could be used to enhance many Fire-based Ability attacks. It was a single use item, normally.

Instead of using it to attack, however, Micheal crushed it into a fine dust, smashing it over and over. He didn't bother to try to hide before he began, knowing that time was of the essence.

'With the gruesome mess I left behind and my confident demeanor, there isn't a chance in hell that anyone will try to even contact me till tomorrow. Right now, most people are probably reporting back to their respective organizations about my actions and waiting to see if I will walk out of here alive.' He was confident that the battle on the rooftop would have a sizable impact on the Cluster, spreading his reputation far and wide.


'That might make it easier to convince Sophia to work with me.' He nodded. He could recall that this particular Irregular was kind of like him. She was also looking for lost family members, in this case her younger sister.

Micheal finished his thoughts as he finished grinding the Essence of Wood into a fine dust. He then grabbed one of the vials of water, pouring it into the mortar. The cool water swirled with the magical Essence of Wood dust, transforming into a smooth, brown liquid.

After waiting for a moment, Micheal moved the mortar over to a metal grate that was attached to the top of the burner, holding the mortar above the flame. He then grabbed the Calming Aura Pill, tossing the entire thing into the mortar.

bubble

bubble

The liquid in the mortar began to bubble, churning as the heat from the burner and the magical medicinal power from the Calming Aura Pill began to mix.

The Calming Aura Pill was a magical medicine that could be used to partially heal from dangerous burns or energy burnouts that had damaged one's body and soul. It was especially useful for people that tried to break through to a higher Ki Cultivator tier and failed, receiving a damaging backlash.

The Pill itself had a rather limited effect for higher level Ki Cultivators, but for Mortal or Earth tier, it had a moderate amount of use. Any medicine that only cost around 200 Points would be of middling use at best once past the First Layer.

'Allow those two to boil for approximately 32 seconds…' Micheal mentally counted down as he picked up the Boiling Dragon Ginseng Booster. The small grey pill felt almost electric, full of an undercurrent of energy.

'I need to add exactly 3/4ths of this.' His eyes narrowed as he whipped out his Steelborn sword. He laid the pill on the table and moved his blade over it, concentrating.

Ever so slightly, he made a small cut with surgical precision, in a specific area of the pill. He then carefully cut all the way down, coating his sword in a layer of Sword Energy.

Exactly 3/4ths of the pill lay on one side of his blade. He promptly stored the sword, still counting the seconds.

He hurriedly scooped up the larger pill portion. Unlike some pills from Earth, this pill was completely solid. He carried the part of the pill carefully, staring intently at the boiling mortar.

'10…9…8…'

'3…2…1…'

WHOOSH

As soon as the time reached 32 seconds passed, he shut the burner off and removed the mortar from it. He then immediately tossed in the grey 3/4ths of the pill, watching as it instantly dissolved.

WHOOOOOOSH

Sparks of energy flew into the air as the magical chemicals reacted, several quick snapping noises echoing out. Steam rose up from the mixture, dissipating a good half of the water from the vial into the air. Micheal watched all of this passively, his eyes calm.

Soon, the reaction settled, leaving behind a quite small puddle of grey liquid.

"It worked." He smiled as he saw the results.

This was one of those methods he had learned. A simple recipe to create what was known as Dragon Building Liquid.

"It won't be perfect, and there are probably impurities in it. But I should be able to handle the backlash from that, especially with my Life Orbs." Micheal's eyes flashed as he picked up the syringe, poking it into the liquid. He pulled on it, watching as the liquid was sucked up and filled the shot and needle almost fully.

"By injecting this, it will magically react with my physique, forcibly enhancing my base Strength, Recovery, and Endurance. The increase will be tied to my Ki Cultivator Ability, meaning my progress will be even quicker." He sighed as he looked at the slightly ominous needle,

"Only… I know it's going to hurt. It always hurts." He shook his head ruefully.

This method took an incredible amount of foresight and delicate control. He would need to consciously use his body to guide the rampaging energy that the Dragon Building Liquid would give off, preventing it from killing him. Something like this would normally require years of experience using Ki to even attempt.

He sighed again.

"I only have one shot at guiding this. If I have to use my Life Orbs to bring me back when its only been partially completed, I won't be able to start over. Only by doing it perfectly will I be able to use this method up to three other times."

"Let's get this over with." He slowly slid the needle up next to a vein on his right arm. He quickly poked it in slightly, just enough to be in his vein.

"God, I still hate needles." His eyes narrowed as he slowly injected the substance. The feeling was unsettling to say the least as the liquid began to flood into his veins.

When he finished, he removed the needle, swiping the injection point with some antiseptic and covering it with a bandaid, two other objects he had snagged from the Shop. After all, germs still existed here, and even with his Life Orbs that likely could heal him from any poison or disease, there was no reason to be careless.

An instant later, Micheal felt a burning sensation spread throughout his body as rampant energy began to blast through him. His arms, his legs, his organs, everything began to burn.

"Hup!" He shut his eyes and sat down in a meditative pose as he sensed this, sweat appearing on his forehead as he began to intently focus.

"Come on now, energy…" He muttered, his voice authoritative,

"Bend to my will!"

.