Chapter 55: Voidwalker

“Oh man, I wish you had a face I could see the look of, Gunthar,” Rainer said while catching his breath, Mana-Well in hand, “Because then…you…would,” The words coming out of his mouth ceased as he took in the scenery around him.

The sky was a deep crimson, filled with various pieces of rock in the distance. The land around him was an empty wasteland of black rock. Mountains and the occasional crag jutting up from the ground. Crumbled stone ruins dotted the distance.

Entering an unfamiliar world was not a new experience for Rainer. He immediately calmed his wayward thoughts as he reached for his Familiar bond. Still feeling his connection to Luna, and even a strange sense of direction toward her, most of his panic receded immediately.

He looked down at the Mana-Well in his hand, recalling the surge of magic that had exploded off the enchantment as the teleportation broke it. Such an explosion led him to slip from the void and land unto this world.

Rainer looked at his status checking his mana, much of which had been depleted from a combination of maintaining [Arcane Awakening] and using [Void-Walking].

[Primary Classes: Archon(2nd) Lvl 14/25, Chronomancer lvl 10/25]

[Titles: Immortal Slayer, Arcane Scholar, Fae Contractor, Arcane Elementalist, Manipulator of the Elements, Basic Elementalist, Dungeon Pioneer, Philanderer, Trollsbane, Wielder of Space and Time, Master of Space and Time, Wielder of Fire and Brimstone, Wielder of Light, Wielder of the Arcane, Energy Drainer, Voidwalker, One who defies Divinity]

[Exp: 16%, 98%]

[Sub-classes: None]

[Race: Human]

[Skill Points: 46]

[Talents: Excellent Arcane Affinity, Human Growth, Gift of the Fae(Luna)]

[Stamina: 6/30]

[Stamina Regen: .1% per second]

[Mana: 12/215]

[Mana Regen: .0206 per second]

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[Arcane Power: 34/120]

[Conversion Ratio: 1-12]

[Arcane Aura:19/19]

[Constitution: 29(+2)]

[Affinity: 215]

[Vitality: 28(+2)]

[Endurance: 30(+2)]

[Strength: 28]

[Dexterity: 28]

[Intelligence: 210(+2)] Thanks for reading on ManaNovel!

[Willpower: 103]

[Arcane Attunement: 120]

[Arcane Alacrity: 16]

[Gravity Control: 16]

[Aura Control: 19]

[Aura Attunement:19]

[Attribute Points: 37]

He looked at the title he had received alongside [Voidwalker].

[Title Gained: Master of Space and Time]

[Master of Space and Time: A true master of the magic that controls the very fabric of the universe's existence. Space and time are no longer existences beyond this one's control. 15% Experience Bonus.]

[Experience Gained: 212%, Deferred]

He had not a clue how the deferred portion worked. Whether it was exclusive to [Chronomancer] or to any class, he reached the 2nd Tier with once more.

He then sensed for his connection to Luna. [Void-Walking] gave him a general feeling that he could Void-Walk using her as a target, but the mana cost was astronomical. Large enough to where he couldn’t fathom how he made it out of Earth in the first place. Something had either opened the way or provided a source of power. What that something was, escaped his knowledge.

And while he could set her as a target, he didn’t exactly know how to get there, even with more mana. It was a confusing feeling. Like looking at Luna’s location on a map but with a giant hole in the middle of it.

He took in his surroundings and opened [Spatial Domain] for a moment to make sure he was as alone as he appeared. But a strange sensation hit him.

The space…it feels…loose.

Loose was the only way Rainer could describe it. The very laws that held space together were weakened. He did a quick cast of [Gravity Domain] and the power of it multiplied in this world, cracking the ground beneath his target.

He reasoned that he had slipped through the void to here not just because of the Mana-Well but, more importantly, because of the weakness of this space. Otherwise, he assumed to have just ended up at his destination an immeasurable amount quicker.

He discounted it as an intentional act of the Divine power, even if it were capable of such a thing, why not just smite him directly? Such a premise did not, however, ease his anger. The Mana-Well was not even at the forefront of his rage.

He understood, why an object outside of the system might warrant such an action. An object of untold power. Whether he won it in the fight or lost it, he’d get over it eventually…

Maybe.

But forcing Gunthar to stay in Nalmar, Rainer could never let such an unreasonable action go.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar in the distance. He immediately used [Appraisal] on the horned blackened giant.

[Devil, Male, Devil Lord lvl 17]

Seeing its class Rainer only fired an [Arcane Bolt] toward the charging devil, that stood nearly twice his height. He had defeated a [Devil King] at a much lower level, and so only held little fear toward this creature.

And yet his bolt merely splashed into the skin. Rainer had no idea the [Devil King] he faced in the dungeon had been sealed. And while his Arcane Magic partially broke said seal, it hardly revealed the Devil’s true strength.

The [Devil Lord] reached Rainer in an instant slamming its fist toward him. No longer taking it lightly Rainer flared his [Arcane Awakening] and used [Gravity Domain] to jump backward. Forgetting the peculiarity of this world, he instead jumped straight into the sky.

He calmed himself and shut off [Gravity Domain] while forming another [Arcane Bolt] in his hand. Different from before and in his state of [Arcane Awakening] he charged the bolt with more power. Its violet light did not shine or spread outward, completely contained within the bolt. Such was the difference in attributes of Rainer now.

As he descended from the sky, the bolt shot forward, quiet as the wind, and hit the [Devil Lord]’s head. Its contained magical power ravaged the [Devil Lord]’s insides shattering his bones and killing him. He collapsed in a heap, life no longer present.

Gently using [Gravity Domain] Rainer slowed his descent and landed.

[Experience Gained: .01%, 63%]

[Chronomancer has leveled up to lvl 11/25. Standard Attributes have been distributed. ]

He immediately canceled [Arcane Awakening] though he stayed alert. He needed to conserve his limited mana until he could recover. His focus did not falter for several minutes, but it seemed that the Devil had been alone.

The looseness of the space would help him home, but he needed some clue as to how to navigate the void. He opened the descriptions for both [Void-walking] and the subsequent title.

[Void-Walking: Step through the omnipresent void.]

There is no specification that it can even be used to travel between worlds…

He noted the spell itself was tier 7. It was created from the constant study of sciences and, importantly, reverse engineering of the only two spells he had known; [Arcane Bolt], and the one that was a spell no longer [Sleep Learning]. He recalled [Sleep Learning] did not require mana.

[Voidwalker: A being capable of crossing the omnipresent void. There is no path they cannot tread, no destination outside of their reach. 35% Experience Bonus. Total 25% General Improvement to Space and Time Magic and Skills.]

A total bonus…

It was not additive but applied at the very end of all his bonuses; such was his inference in the past, and it had not changed.

Yet even the greatest ship in the world can accomplish little without a proper way of navigation. He had a target, in the form of Luna, but he lacked a path.

Omnipresent. Then it is not related to crossing worlds; crossing worlds is only a capability.

Even in such a situation where he may be stranded he could not help but grin at this prospect. And with the oddity of the space around him he had no better place to find a way to navigate through this void.

But first, he decided to recover his mana fully.

About 3 hours…

As his mana increased with his Affinity, the time to fully recover did not change much. But compared to his initial mana regeneration, 215 points of mana in 3 hours could not even be imagined.

He sat with his back against a rock and looked out in the distance toward the strange ruins that dotted the landscape. Within him existed a curiosity to explore, but the premise of more Devils in the surroundings kept him in place. He did not know why the [Devil Lord] was so much stronger than the [Devil King] he faced, only assuming it was related to the dungeon, in any case, having no wish to face one here despite his questions.

As the time passed, he kept a constant eye on his Familiar bond with Luna. He could get a general feel of her state. He was a bit confused, at her not panicking at his absence as the minutes passed, but knew of her faith in him and could only assume she was sure in his return.

As he waited, a strange genderless and emotionless voice resounded in his mind.

“Master.”

He felt a slight burning as the rune on his shoulder lit up through his clothes and out came his mysterious second familiar.

A translucent serpent of violet color. He took this chance to use [Appraisal] only to find it lacking as before.

[Unknown]

He didn’t understand why it would be considered unknown, while the Mana-Well displayed a different result.

“Hello?”

“Hello?” The serpent responded back. It repeated the phrase a few more times, twisting its body a bit.

“What’s your name, little friend?”

“Has no name?” The serpent responded twisting in confusion eliciting a laugh from Rainer. He imagined a dog tilting its head.

“Then how about I give you a name?” Seeing no response, Rainer assumed it was something he could do as the Familiar’s master. It stands to reason, he thought, that a parent altered the system when naming their child.

“Are you a boy or a girl?” Rainer asked as he thought of names but the serpent only twisted in response. Just now, he realized, that the serpent had willingly come out when he wasn’t in danger.

So not only is the space strange, is this place free from whatever influence is after it…?

“Then for now let’s go with Little Snake,” Rainer struggled to think of a name, lacking anything identifiable other than its serpent form.

Little Snake did not seem to mind, wrapping around Rainer’s arm in contentment before retreating into the rune, not providing him a chance to ask any more questions. After a few attempts at trying to get Little Snake to come back out, he gave up. It was likely still afraid, only wanted to explore a bit.

He sat and thought over ideas for using [Void-Walking] while waiting for his mana to recover enough. During this wait, he refilled his Arcane Power to the maximum.

Not wanting to waste too much time, Rainer stopped resting when his mana had reached 50. He knew not how reliable his connection with Luna was regarding sensing if she was in danger, and decided to make haste. He, however, made a point to memorize the feel of this space before leaving, in the hope of replicating it in [Sleep Learning].

Rainer opened [Spatial Domain] and activated [Arcane Awakening] half way. He prepared to use [Void-Walking]. He, of course, did not target Luna but a space in front of him. Focusing and activating the Magic, he stepped forward, into the void and found himself instantly at his destination a few feet away. Only a flash of blackness, nearly imperceptible, occurred. Were it not for his intelligence surpassing 300 under the effects of [Arcane Awakening], this sight would never enter his perception.

Teleportation…

It was, of a far different nature to that of the [Arch-Lich]’s he discerned, but it accomplished the same nonetheless.

But even in his giddiness, he was no closer to discovering how to reach Luna. He spent only a single point of mana moving this small distance. Though he imagined, the cost would not be so cheap in a normal world.

He repeated [Void-walking] trying to get a grasp on the brief flash of the void he experienced. Extending forward his will and activating [Arcane Sight] he hoped for his [Archon] class to get him the rest of the way.

As he consumed nearly 40 Mana, he had gained the skill he desired. It left him partially thankful for ending up here. He had no idea if he could use [Void-Walking] in [Sleep Learning] and without the strangeness of this world he certainly couldn’t use [Void-Walking] so easily.

[Skill Gained: Void Detection lvl 1/10]

[Void Detection: Extends one senses out into the omnipresent void.]

Now, even without using [Void-Walking], Rainer could glimpse into the void. He too no longer needed to use [Spatial Domain] in picking his target. Yet it was only feeling; he still lacked the ability to truly see even with the aid of [Arcane Sight].

Rainer sat down and held his back straight. Every part of his will focused on his Familiar bond. He extended [Void Detection] as he tried to find the path to her.

[Void Detection has reached level 2]

He could not openly navigate such a distance yet, but with the aid of Luna’s location, he knew he could reach her and her world. Even if the actual distance within the void was hardly larger, the mana cost grew astronomically.

He was stuck.

Even with the benefit of the space he had not a clue how to make up for the mana cost. After recovering his mana for a bit, he went out into the plain of black rock and toward the nearest ruin. He constantly thought over possibilities as he made his way forward, though he took breaks looking over some of his newly gained skills and titles.

An occasional use of [Spatial Domain] to check behind jutting crags and rock formations told him he was still alone.

[One who defies Divinity: To resist the power of Divinity, to deny their providence, to ignore their proclamation. One who stands above normalcy and complacency. Cannot Channel Divine Power. 50% Bonus Experience. Hidden from Divine Sight.]

[Divine Resistance: Improves one’s resistance against all forms of Divine Power.]

[Arcane Awakening: Final Arcanum: Unleash upon your target the full power of Arcane Awakening in a single instant at the cost of all one’s Arcane Power. Temporarily disconnects one from their Mana pool. ]

Arcane…

As he looked over this ability, he remembered the skill description of [Arcane Energy Manipulation]. It had confused him slightly at the time, but he gave it no further thought, until now.

[Arcane Energy Manipulation: Allows the user to directly manipulate his own Arcane Energy and pull on Arcane Energy that exists beyond this dimension. Mastery will improve all Arcane skills and spells.]

Pull on Arcane Energy that exists beyond this dimension.

He only cared about this point when he first gained the skill because it reduced the cost of Arcane spells.

The whole reason he could use [Void-Walking] to cross back into Nalmar was because some Divine power had already opened the pathway for him. If his issue were too little mana, he would simply use another source.

Rainer decided to rest in the first ruin he reached, and recover his mana fully before his attempt. He used [Arcane Sight] every so often, along with [Spatial Domain] to try and get a feel for the space around him. He soon reached the closest ruin.

He looked at the crumbling stone construction in front of him. He knew not what it was in the past, only a cornered wall it appeared now. Its grey stone contrasted the black rock that covered the whole landscape. After wiping away the dust that covered the small floor of gray stone, he sat down.

He took out the Mana-Well he kept in the coat pocket often saved for Luna. The plain black cube occasionally glowed with blue runic lines. He cycled through his draining skills in a simple test, the most relevant one, [Mana-Drain], had no effect.

Not noticing it before, Rainer could now feel something off about the Mana within the Mana-Well. As if it had a different quality to it. He imagined this was the primary issue in using it directly for magic.

[Stone Block]

[Devil’s Rock]

He took a moment to use [Appraisal] on the material around him. He wished to know what these stones were made of, but his [Appraisal] did not give any truly useful information.

Lacking his spatial rings, and not in a position to take a nap, he instead spent his time working on a weave to replicate the string of a guitar, using as little Arcane Power as he could manage. In his work time passed, yet just before his mana returned to his maximum, he felt a distressing sensation from his Familiar bond with Luna.

He stood up immediately, but he knew he couldn’t rush. If he failed, he would be forced to wait for another shot. He focused on Luna’s location with [Void Detection]. At the same time, he began casting [Void-Walking] while manipulating Arcane Energy.

He brought [Arcane Awakening] to 100% and focused on the pathway to Luna. He grasped for more and more Arcane Energy and his plan came to fruition. A pathway tore open, yet it was still not enough, he judged the mana cost still too high.

Torrents of Arcane Energy rushed by Rainer as he drew more power, tearing apart his magically constructed clothes leaving his chest bare. He could feel the energy burning against his skin.

[Arcane Resistance has reached level 2]

He ignored the pain as he pulled more and more. Streams of Arcane Energy radiated out behind him attracting the attention of Devils. The violet light shining against the black stone beneath.

The stomping of feet rang out in the background, but they were far too late as Rainer vanished through the open pathway. In an imperceptibly longer time, he arrived just a small distance away from Luna.

[Arcane Awakening] still flared to its maximum, Rainer prepared to fight even having only a fourth of his mana remaining.

Yet…