Its life force stirred, weak, but growing.

Cracks spread across the stone shell.

Chunks fell away, melting into sand that scattered across the ground.

Beneath, smooth infant skin emerged, unblemished and hairless, like that of a tiny monk.

The last of the stone dissolved, revealing a robe embroidered with swirling white and gold symbols.

The baby's eyes were closed, its chubby hands clutching a stone book.

Then, suddenly, its eyelids fluttered open.

A flash of green light ignited within them as the book in its hands burst into brilliance and vanished into thin air.

The remaining bits of stone crumbled from its pudgy fingers.

The baby... or whatever kind of being it was, turned its head.

Its plump cheeks wobbled with each motion, eyes gleaming emerald as they locked onto the source of the chaos shaking the forest.

It raised its gaze.

The forest and the sky above it were distorting, eroding and tearing apart like a film being burned away.

A look of pain, sorrow, and unwillingness filled the baby's eyes.

Is this how my clan is going to end?

To think that we were once the most respected clan in the entire Familiar Plane... and now, we've been reduced to desperate survival, still doomed to fade away without restoring our former glory.

Indeed, fate is cruel.

There he sat, eyes closed, blood spilling from nearly every pore, his expression twisted in agony yet filled with stubborn resolve.

Then... without warning... the baby vanished.

In an instant, it reappeared before Aron's circle of clones.

The clones, previously calm and meditating, snapped to their feet in perfect unison, forming a tight circle around Aron.

Their combined aura burst out, each radiating the power of the Soul Formation Realm.

Yet the strange baby only stood there.

Its oversized robe dragged across the dirt as it regarded Aron with calm, knowing eyes, eyes that seemed to see through the illusion of all else.

It didn't move. Didn't speak. There was no anger, no malice, only silent observation.

The clones kept their battle stances, unmoving sentinels guarding their master.

At the center, Aron sat amidst streams of colored light that flowed into him from the disintegrating world around.

But his condition was far from divine.

Blood seeped from his pores; his body trembled.

[Talent Upgrade: 94%...]

The message flickered faintly amidst the chaos.

--

"A fool who cannot face his own truth dares to aim for sainthood?"

The voice rang from the copy, dripping with disdain.

"You, who still cling to mortal emotions, dreaming of transcendence? What delusion gave you such courage?"

Stone bindings tightened around Aron's body, crushing him as blood burst from every wound.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Aron screamed, struggling to free himself, but the more he fought, the tighter the pressure became.

"Just give up," said the Copy, expression blank, lips twisting into a grin that didn't reach its eyes. "Yield, and I'll let you go. End it peacefully."

Aron's only answer was another scream.

"Don't be stubborn," the clone continued, its voice almost bored. "There's no shame in defeat. You can always live to fight another day."

But Aron refused to answer.

His only response was a low, guttural groan as he continued to resist.

Aron's teeth clenched as blood trickled from his lips.

"You know what this means," the clone said, stepping closer. "Either you give up… or you transcend. And to transcend, you must let go of all mortal bindings."

It looked down at Aron, whose life was hanging by a thread, but still defiant.

"Do you wish to ascend?" it asked quietly.

"Yes…" Aron's voice came out weak, barely a whisper.

"Then do you let go... of hate, of ego, of revenge, of all mortal ties?"

"Hah... hahahahah!"

Aron suddenly started laughing.

Blood splattered from his mouth as his body shook.

His life force flickered like a dying flame.

"Who are you," Aron spat, his eyes flickering with madness, "to set me conditions before I could Transcend?"

His lips curled into a wild grin.

"When I wish to hate - I hate.

When I wish to love - I love.

When I wish to kill - I kill."

He bared his teeth in a grin that bordered on madness.

"If I wish to transcend, who dares to stop me?"

Aron threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing like thunder through the dark world.

"So what if I can't ascend to sainthood? Then I'll simply go beyond it!"

Light erupted from within the stone that bound him, bright enough to swallow the world.

The clone stumbled back, horror twisting its face.

"Impossible... utterly impossible!"

...

..

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Damnnnnnnn, aguyvis! Thank you, thank you, thank you for the Dragon Gift! 😭🔥

You have no idea how much this means to me. Seriously… thank you so much.

I can't thank you enough for the massive support! 🙏

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