Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking

Chapter 526: First Step; Void Exposure

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Cedric never thought that he'd be a mentor to folks way older than him, but here he was...

The project, Ancient Chaos Alpha, was something that surprised him. It was the chancellors and paragons who endorsed him to be leader of this project simply because there's nobody else qualified for the position.

This project was born after the deliberation of the Border Patrol Office. They collectively agreed to offer a chance to a few select people to participate in the project so that they can collect more data. The goal was to canonize the Ancient Chaos Path—as they decided to call it—which will not only elevate Life Evolution to the next level but also allow living creatures to resist the Void.

Cedric couldn't refuse this invitation. Especially considering that he's the first person, since the Ancient Era, to step into this path. Moreover, he didn't feel comfortable allowing others to do this project without him since they simply don't understand the Ancient Chaos Path like he does. If bodies start to pile up because of his negligence, his conscience won't be able to take it; that's why he agreed.

And this brings us to the present...with Cedric overseeing a field tainted by the Void as his 'guinea pigs' did their best to resist its influence with only their bare bodies.

"Fortify your mind. Stay true to who you are and don't fear the darkness." His calm and serene voice echoed in the enclosed space, providing some semblance of comfort to the pain they're experiencing.

For this to be the first test these people had to endure could only be said to be cruel or crude. Everyone here knows that the Void is harmful to living creatures, and interacting with it without wearing a void suit was nothing short of suicide.

Cedric would admit that this was awful; he wouldn't deny it. But he had to start somewhere since this project has already started. Find more chapters on My Virtual Library Empire

It's not like he hadn't tried to think of a way to introduce this to them. To dampen the impact, per se, but other ideas just won't work. Cedric only had his experience to draw inspiration from, in the end.

As the project participants experience the erosion and madness brought forth by the void's influence, Cedric paid strict attention to their overall state. The moment he sensed that a participant reached their limit, he would ask the staff to take them away to receive immediate treatment. Cedric himself worked as a medic, so he knows when it becomes too much, and his abilities allowed him to prevent the void from damaging them too much, so in a sense, he can save them from permanent harm.

This was how the project started...through 'shock therapy.'.

The chancellors and the paragons were paying close attention to this. Which is normal since they too wanted to see results. Their desire to tread the path of Ancient Chaos was a barely concealed secret. After all, Cedric displayed just how useful he became against the void once he stepped onto it.

Actually, this Void Exposure was only the first step to this project. The goal of this step is for the participants to get used to the virus infection and, if possible, gain some innate immunity against it.

"But I feel you, young one. All of us here are on the same boat." The old man sighed. "Whether it's people like me, who doesn't want to die yet. Or like you, who yearn to break the shackles that binds you, all of us are eager to see progress and stake our lives for a small chance."

"Yeah." The young man sighed. His eyes glazed for a bit as he recalled his experiences.

All his life, he'd been reckless, the fact that he still lives to this day was nothing short of a miracle, really. He's been hailed as a genius all his life, and that belief has gotten to his head. His road to life cultivation has always been smooth, and that's precisely how he landed himself here.

He met his first bottleneck upon reaching the Grand Solar Realm. He could still remember how difficult it was for him back then and he how he felt the world crumbling before him since he wasn't used to any difficulties during his cultivation. From the warrior stage to the grandmaster stage and finally the sage stage. Each one was an arduous and uphill battle he had to face.

What truly broke him was how difficult it became for him to build his foundation for the Transitional Realm.

Just like many others before him, he too learned the Cosmic Furnace Spell. And as if proving that he wasn't, and never was, a genius, he could only master the five elemental refinement chapters. The rest was an unsolvable enigma to him. He tried everything, from meditation to inviting teachers and mentors; however, his mind just refuses to comprehend it.

In his despair, he could only move on with what he had. And knowing that he wasn't even qualified to think about breaking through the Cosmic Lifeform level caused so much despair in him. He couldn't accept that he's not even allowed to gaze at the very realm he yearned to be in.

He had tried many ways, stuck at his 9th transition, to no avail. He tried accumulation, external pressure, meditating over concept laws, and consuming all manner of resources, but none of it worked.

It's been hundreds of years since then, and he had been humbled thoroughly. However, his desire to break through his shackles never faded. He dreamed of reaching the peak of this realm. He swore that he would do so even if it cost him his life.

He was about to make one last desperate attempt, one that would be extreme. But that's when he was invited to participate in this project.

At first, he was doubtful, but he decided to go and see it for himself. He practically had nothing to lose at this point anyway.

It was when they first met with the project leader, Dawnbringer, that he was convinced that there might be another way out. Especially after he displayed what he could do.

The path that not even the patriarch of the Wise Dragon Clan can walk on...it gave him hope.

And even if means dying in the process, he will see this through the end.