Once it was clear that Electra wasn’t negatively affected by the Vitae coursing through David’s body, he proceeded with a few tests. He went on a hunt, [Aether Breath] unleashed to the fullest to replenish his Source and the other energy storages, but he was reluctant to use Vitae to kill any monsters.

There was no way he would end up like the Voidlings, transforming entire nations into wastelands… but what if he fell victim to the addiction to Nihilum’s power? David didn’t want to take any risks. He cleared a settlement of Aetherwreathed Orcs. They were exactly what he needed to fill his reserves with pure Blood to cast and then overclock [True Restoration] on the damaged Beast Core.

It might take another day, possibly two, to fix the Beast Core, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t restore Electra to full power. [Bloodlife Echo] had been upgraded thanks to the System’s last notifications and could now create Echos with a grand total of 700 Blood droplets. He toyed with the thought of creating multiple Echos but decided against it after a moment. The Sacred Beast had helped him greatly in dire times. It stalled the invading Nihilum long enough for him to claim the Maelstrom.

Thus, once the Blood Storages were filled to the brim, David created a stream of pure Blood toward the Class Skill Rune, filling it slowly. The Echo’s tattoo on his arm glowed brighter as the pure Blood infusion continued. At the same time, David continued producing more pure Blood. Once drained of all lifeforce and condensed Aether, he shifted again.

Though he didn’t wish to devour everything around him, he had to know if it was possible. Vitae was different from Nihilum and might therefore not have the same destructive properties. It worked well against Nihilum, but that didn’t mean it would devour corpses and other things.

He went through his research and gathered all the information he had about Voidlings, the Fissure, and Nihilum to understand the process of draining the surroundings of everything—to leave a landscape stripped bare.

David kneeled before one of the smaller corpses and pressed his left hand firmly against it. Vitae trickled from the tip of his finger and poured into the corpse without hesitation. It did not resist and responded to his command with ease.

However, as soon as he thought about consuming the corpse, the Vitae within him and the corpse reacted drastically. It surged toward the Aetherwreathed Orc’s body and riveted through it with fierce efficiency, devouring the lifeless remains within seconds.

A grimace crossed his lips, yet David didn’t stop the process. He studied it intently instead.

Vitae doesn’t devour corpses without my command. It doesn’t surge outward or expand into the ground or toward nearby corpses, either. There’s no doubt that it has a ‘desire,’ but it remains obedient and follows the given orders.

He had to continue the test with a second corpse because the first was devoured before he could command it to stop. Vitae swept through the second corpse even faster than the first, and David barely had enough time to send out a mental order, forcing the altered energy to a halt. But it didn’t stop immediately. It slowed down with eerie hesitation and only came to a full stop once it was clear David’s command wouldn’t change.

It listens to all orders, but it has a mind of its own as well.

That could be troublesome, since Vitae responded faster to commands it preferred and moved slowly—as if deliberately showing defiance—whenever it had to do something it didn’t quite like. However, that was something David could work with, as long as Vitae didn’t begin acting out of the ordinary.

Once I know all about its likes and dislikes, the laws revolving around its existence, I can act accordingly.

He nodded slowly, the thought of absorbing more corpses lingering in his mind.

The first corpse had no soul—but do I really want to devour more corpses, potentially falling victim to the Void’s power? Whether I managed to alter Nihilum doesn’t really matter. Once I’m addicted to it…

David understood that Vitae was unlike anything he had encountered since the integration. Using his new power was going to be deadly—whether to his body, mind, or soul. It could kill him the instant he made a mistake. However, as dangerous as it was to fall victim to the Void, Vitae Nihilum was just as useful against the Fissure. It was a dealbreaker.

Vitae Nihilum was powerful. Clearly, it was potent enough to overwhelm Maelstroms and ordinary Nihilum. It required more Vitae to drain the Maelstroms of Fragments, and a bit of external support such as [Origin Lightning], but it was a formidable power—bound to be incredibly useful against other enemies as well. After all, the Void beyond the Fissure had forced the forces of the cosmos to unite.

But despite the Fissure's threat to the cosmos, he couldn’t ignore his other foes. The Poisonous Beast God, William, and many more would obstruct his path in the future. Possessing the means to use the very power that threatened the continuance of the cosmos against those foes could lead to more issues, but it was a great asset to reveal when all odds pointed to his demise. It was the perfect trump card and something he would have to nurture to wield in combat.

He was confident he could defeat Saplings with barely any energy by using Vitae to break down their Void Barrier. It shouldn’t be impossible to defeat Void Fragments either, as long as he unleashed everything at his disposal. But what about Voidre and even stronger Voidlings? Could he handle them once they returned? Especially with a lack of Nihilum to devour and annex?

David couldn’t take the risk. Wielding the Void’s power was one thing. It was great—something no lifeform of the cosmos seemed to have achieved yet—but it wasn’t enough just to possess it. He had to learn how to wield it. How to make it more malleable to use with his other powers, and how to nurture it relatively safely to fight his greatest foes head-on.

At the end of the day, he chose to devour the corpses. David didn’t rush or consume them all at once. Instead, he went on a one-by-one basis, examining the System messages.

[+0.01 Vitae Nihilum.]

[+0.005 Vitae Nihilum.]

[+0.008 Vitae Nihilum.]

…

“I know you don’t speak directly, but if you disapprove of my actions, you’ll have to let me know,” David said aloud. “I don’t know what you think, but I am certain you are sentient and watching. So… if you don’t want me to consume corpses to strengthen Vitae, you will have to tell me.”

It was odd to shout loudly when nobody else was present. But as weird as it was, David hoped the System was listening. If not, it might complicate things if the System disliked his course of action.

Thus, as he consumed the remaining orc corpses, he made sure never to touch an orc’s soul. No soul was consumed to strengthen Vitae, but that did not necessarily mean everything was fine. The Aetherwreathed Orc corpses would have nurtured the Earthen Union under normal circumstances, giving nature the nutrients needed to fertilize its soil, aiding the integration and release of more Aether into the surrounding lands.

However, at the same time, corpses were often collected and brought to butchers, their body parts either eaten or used by artisans. Letting Vitae consume them wasn’t much different.

Still, David deliberately left a few corpses behind. He was in need of power, but helping the Earthen Union to grow was just as important. He did not wish to fight the Fissure and the Void beyond alone, after all.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

***

His trip back to the Dwarven Sanctuary took longer than expected. David didn’t even think about avoiding the monsters as he traveled through their territories; instead, he sought them out actively to study how to wield Vitae alongside his other abilities.

Vitae did not necessarily strengthen his Skills and Sparks. If anything, it made them increasingly difficult to wield. Not even halfway through his journey, David gained a deeper understanding of some of Vitae’s properties.

First, Vitae wasn’t compatible with many Skills and Sparks. It reacted in unique ways and sometimes produced unpredictable results.

Second, Vitae weakened the defenses of any target it struck. Even [Blood Blast] pierced the skin of the toughest Elite Monsters he faced on the trip back. And all it required was a thin layer of Vitae coating the blood projectile’s tip.

David had to adjust the coat of Vitae several times to discover the perfect ratio. Too little, and Vitae’s effect would be too lackluster to generate a noteworthy result. Too much, and the projectile would either crumble or drain several times as much energy and willpower.

It was similar with most other Skills. [Origin Lightning] was the most malleable and hardly ever crumbled, no matter how much Vitae he infused into the pristine-white lightning. Most other abilities were not that accepting. [Healing Sphere] and most other healing abilities wouldn’t work at all—at least not in the way anyone wanted a healing ability to work.

Third, it was possible to use Vitae similarly to how the Void used Nihilum. While that seemed obvious at first glance, David was surprised by how easily he could infest his opponents with Vitae. At his level, it was possible for monsters at the peak of the Silver Rank to restrain the spread of Vitae once it entered their body. But just because they could didn’t mean they had the time, energy, or mental power to do so. After all, David wouldn’t stay idle while Vitae spread through the enemy, slowly tearing their bodies apart from within.

He’d strike harder than before and channel more Vitae into multiple weak points, killing even the most tenacious monster within minutes.

There were only two downsides. The first was stopping the Vitae from consuming the soul of the infested creature. Vitae would strike hard, weakening the enemy swiftly, but it wouldn’t stop consuming the instant David called out to it. That, and the damage it caused to the weapons used to inject Vitae into his enemies, was a little counterproductive—something he would have to solve.

His weapons were all soulbound and would repair themselves as long as they were given enough time, but in larger skirmishes and war, that could become an issue.

There was a lot more to study even after a full day of observing Vitae—its powers, strengths, and weaknesses—but then a golden portal appeared before him when he was no more than twenty kilometers away from the Dwarven Sanctuary.

Maja stepped out of the portal, throwing him an apologetic look. A moment later, Zachariah barged out.

“David! Where the hell have you been?” the Regressor asked, sounding oddly accusatory.

“I was hunting.” David raised an eyebrow. “What does it matter to you?”

Zachariah must have noticed that he sounded like a madman. He backpedaled and regarded David. So did Maja, whose eyes landed on his face. No—she was looking lower, her eyes scrunched as they locked onto the black veins that weren’t perfectly covered by the Platineer-shirt.

“Are you okay? There’s something on your neck,” Maja asked, gesturing to her own neck, trying to point out the area in question.

The Regressor looked too and regarded him silently.

Is Zachariah suspicious of me? Not that it matters much. We need more strength, and I did the best I could think of to make full use of my resources, David answered in his head. He had the best Class Skills and the most versatile Relic to do this: to bind the Maelstrom.

What would have happened in the worst case? Nihilum would have corrupted Deryadus’ Arm, forcing David to remove it. While that would have been bad—frustratingly so—he would have done it if need be.

“Deryadus’ Arm has grown stronger. I made use of the information the Artificer and Blacksmith gave me last time to strengthen it. The Relic is now fully integrated into my body and soul, and—as you can see—some of its properties affect the rest of my body as well,” David answered instead.

He turned to Zachariah and added, “Since you couldn’t find more Fragments and the like, I decided to have some fun. Spending months slogging away, trying to strengthen my Class Skills to endure the pressure that big-ass wolf emitted to fight alongside you, had become a boring ordeal. Of course, I am happy to have such a strong foundation now, but I’m pretty sure you know how difficult it is to strengthen your Body, Mind, and Soul through means other than Attribute Points.”

Zachariah’s features distorted for a moment, but his eyes never left David.

The silence between them stretched seemingly forever, and David was certain the Regressor would find out the truth any moment, but Maja stepped forward with a smile.

“I think Zachariah was just worried about you since nobody knew where you were. I… was worried too…” She hesitated as her ears turned red, and took a moment before adding, “You can check out the missions at the Familia. I don’t know what happened, but the missions in the Dwarven Sanctuary are much better than they used to be. It might be the increased spawning rate of Rifts near the wastelands you’ve cleansed. The empty spots are flourishing once more.”

David offered a faint smile and nodded. Maja was quite easy to read. She was not as shy as before, but she wasn’t the most talkative either. Only when she was embarrassed or caught doing something embarrassing would she turn into a chatterbox.

“You’re stronger,” Zachariah said suddenly, his voice neutral but his eyes sharp.

“I sure hope so,” David laughed lightly. “I didn’t push myself this hard to fall behind. Not that I’m confident I can catch up with you anytime soon, but I won’t have to cower behind you the next time creatures like that wolf return.”

“I wonder how long that will take,” Zachariah grunted. “For now, we’ll have to fight regular monsters and complete Missions. I made sure the Pantheon and others offer some special ones, but they might be worse than the regular Familia missions.”

His hand slipped through his hair, a sigh escaping his lips. “Maja is right. The Familia in the Dwarven Sanctuary receives more missions than others. I’m guessing—and I’m fairly certain about this—that our work over the last few months hasn’t gone unnoticed. I haven’t received the Earthen Union’s blessing yet, but I think it’s aware, and places the Rifts nearby to thank us. And to fully restore the wastelands after everything you’ve done to remove Their influence.”

David didn’t say anything, but he was fairly sure the ‘blessing’ Zachariah mentioned was related to becoming the Earthen Union’s Champion. He couldn’t be certain, but it looked like Zachariah wanted to become its Champion. It was unclear why a former god would want to become a world’s Champion if he already had a divinity and everything one needed to be a full-fledged god, but there had to be a reason.

Zachariah mentioned the Earthen Union to be an anomaly, didn’t he? That it would be one of the worlds that generated the most Aether and Essence… or something like that. He couldn’t quite recall everything the Regressor had mentioned, yet he was confident that it was somewhat close to what he remembered.

“Either way, there are a bunch of uncharted regions, including some unique Rifts that altered entire regions. The Earthen Union is probably trying to help—generating powerful Rifts nearby to conquer—but the monsters emerging from some of these Rifts are too much for anyone to handle. The emergence of a bunch of Mini Bosses and Regional Bosses at the Gold Rank was enough to force the Familia into offering special missions, promising great rewards.”

Zachariah shrugged and added, “Not that anyone is stupid enough to accept them. More Protectors have advanced to the Gold Rank this month, but as greedy as some of them appear to be, they’re not foolish enough to attack Regional Bosses. Yet. Fortunately, it’s not too late, as most monsters are still fighting each other to claim the surrounding lands. For now, that is.”

David was not particularly interested in the details. The appearance of more Rifts was pleasant, but the only thing that interested him was the Regional Bosses and similar threats. A Rift break would be even better, as it offered a real challenge and immense growth. And, of course, generous rewards.

“The particularities don’t matter,” Zachariah waved dismissively, frustration seeping into his features. “What matters is that I cannot find that damn black Rift. I don’t even know how They removed all Saplings and Fragments from the Earthen Union without anyone noticing. Not even my network can sense them anymore. Even the winds fail to sense their existence!”

Someone’s looking very angry. David tried hard not to smile.

As bad as the disappearance of the Voidlings sounded… was it really all that bad?

Of course, it would be problematic if the wastelands were to spread, consuming the Earthen Union even in the absence of the Void, but that wasn’t the case. David had seen the Regressor’s live-updating map a few times and understood it well enough to tell that the wastelands weren’t spreading.

The wastelands couldn’t spread from underground either. David had studied nothingness and wastelands long enough to know that. Nihilum was required to create wastelands. And even if it was inserted deep underground, Nihilum would push upward, consuming the most abundant lifeforms with the least resistance first.

And, as obvious as it was, the awakened planetary core of the Earthen Union would resist Nihilum. It wouldn’t go down without a fight.