The Invincible Full-Moon System-Chapter 1527: Time Echo

Rex's achievement of defeating the Singing Lady and getting rid of Voidal Monsters—from the tower, pleased the people of Mahkam Ruin greatly. Finally, the nightmare that had been looming over them for years was erased for good.

All of them were fretting on how to repay Rex when the ruin was in this condition.

So once Viora came with the request for the tower's activation, the people readily agreed to grant it.

No discussion, simple and fast, the people would give Rex what he requested.

It doesn't matter what significance the tower has over the ruin.

Had it not been for Rex, the entire ruin would've been destroyed, so activating the tower was nothing.

Additionally, since the main ruin was destroyed by the Singing Lady, uprooted completely, finding the supposed array to activate the Forsaken Tower became a lot easier. It took only an hour for the people to find the array.

Once the chosen warriors were sent to the tower, Grant activated the array.

He used the key, which was his necklace, putting it into the designated socket.

Once he did, a powerful deep sea-colored energy pulsed from underground and headed in a straight line to the tower. It came from below the main ruin and headed towards the tower. Then, the entirety of the tower came to life, pulsing and radiating with an unbelievable amount of life energy.

Such a thing was dazzling within the Black Rift.

It glowed brightly like an Obelisk of Life, and would surely attract Voidal Monsters.

However, like an Obelisk of Life, the tower's defense mechanism was activated, creating a shield that protected the tower from invasion. A sophisticated, unbreakable shield that blocked all Voidal Monsters that came like moths to a light.

Even the entire Mahkam Ruin got its bubble up and running again with the help of the tower.

As expected, there was a connection between the tower and the ruin.

Viora and Grant observed the tower's activation from inside the bubble with mixed feelings.

"I'm surprised you didn't use this opportunity, too," Grant commented.

A light, self-pitying chuckle escaped Viora's lips, "I don't think I deserved to be there—and utilize the opportunity," She said with guilt, knowing that she had done quite a lot of damage already that couldn't be easily forgiven. "I'll sit this one out. Besides, I need to do something. Can I stay somewhere, Grant? Just until Lord Rex comes out."

"Of course, I'll settle you in." Grant nodded.

Both turned around, heading back to the ruin where the people were busy rebuilding.

But this time, there was no sadness lingering in the air.

All the people weren't forced to rebuild since now, this time, the ruin could finally stand on its two feet.

Meanwhile, inside the Forsaken Tower.

At the top-most floor, Rex was currently still sucking in as much life energy as he could, greedily pooling them all inside his Soul Artifact Mark. No matter how much he absorbed, the level of life energy inside the tower remained the same.

More importantly, no matter how much he absorbed, his Soul Artifact Mark was never satiated.

It kept greedily absorbing life energy without a pause.

Occasionally, there were surges of life energy coming from below.

Some of the warriors in the lower floors were also progressing nicely, increasing the combat power of the Mahkam Ruin to the level of a mid-size city. But the most rapid surges came from the top floor, as there was only one with an Imbalanced-type Spiritual Veins among them.

Ngoong!

Around Rex, who was levitating mid-air in a meditative position, was a distorted layer of power.

One could see the life energy he was amassing in the form of a few electric currents around him, blitzing like lightning, charging his body with immense power. His Red Dawn of Kaiser was now blinking with more and more power, fueled by the torrent of life energy that it was absorbing from the surroundings.

Rex's brows dipped a little in focus, he was nearing a breakthrough.

Behind, on his back, there was a glowing insignia right on his Soul Artifact Mark.

It was the Dark Auctoritas Echo, and it was now being absorbed by the Red Dawn of Kaiser.

Upon reaching the Immortal Spirit, one would complete their Spirit Genesis, which was unique to their own Soul Artifact. Now, to reach the Master Immortal Spirit rank, one has to improve their new Spirit Genesis to a higher grade.

To do that, an Echo needed to be used.

Rex was in possession of the Dark Auctoritas Echo, a perfect match to his Red Dawn of Kaiser.

Since it dwells in the power of dark commands, he could use it to increase the potency of his Inevitable Death Spirit Genesis. Unlike before—when the Inevitable Death would allow him to cause irreparable damage to an opponent, he now could add a command.

He could tell someone not to resist so that he could kill them without much fuss.

Other than that, if he succeeded, his voice would also gain the power to command others.

However, the hypnotizing power could only work when the command is a dark one.

If it wasn't, the Dark Auctoritas Echo would deny the command and give no enhancement to it.

At this moment, Rex was devouring the Dark Auctoritas Echo to make it his own.

Like a sentient being, an Echo has a consciousness, and would not pair with someone that it didn't deem fit to wield its power. A coward would never wield the Golden Heart Echo, or the depressed would never wield the Sun Echo.

Regardless of whether fate allowed them to encounter the Echo, the choice wasn't entirely theirs.

Right now, he was taming the Dark Auctoritas Echo, and he succeeded.

Splash!!

Suddenly, Rex's eyes shot opened—as a gush of dark energy exploded out of his body, unfurling like a tidal bloom of light and pressure that swallowed the air around him. His Red Dawn of Kaiser, equipped like gauntlets, now turned more solid.

Unlike before, it wasn't as translucent, becoming thicker a lot thicker.

Rex opened his eyes and looked down at his hand.

"Master Immortal Spirit rank, still a long way to go to reach the Eternal Spirit rank," He exhaled lightly, clenching his fists a couple of times to feel the unrelenting power inside of him. "But still, this level of growth is already monstrous. I went from Immortal Spirit 1 to Master Immortal Spirit 1. Anyway, how much time passed?"

<Notice: Approximately 11 minutes passed outside.>

"I've been meditating for a whole? That long has passed?" Rex sucked in a cold breath.

He wasn't expecting that much time to pass.

But then again, he lost track of time and was fully immersed in taming the Dark Auctoritas Echo.

From the System earlier, he knew the Forsaken Tower would be activated for ten whole days, and one day outside—equals ten years inside. So, if Rex stayed here for ten whole days, he'd be staying here for a hundred years.

Since the Forsaken Tower is a shelter and a training space, he'd feel every year inside.

It was meant so that the people could train their mastery over their Spirit Genesis and also their martial arts. Unlike the Mortal Realm, age is the defining strength in this realm, and increasing power is really different here.

Naturally, he wasn't surprised by this condition.

Looking to the side, he saw that April was also meditating, tamping her own assimilated Echo.

Then, Rex noticed that there was nobody else inside.

"Where's Linthia…?" Rex frowned and got down, expanding his senses to envelop the entire tower, but he found no traces of her. Other than him and April, there were only the warriors from the ruin training on the lower floors.

Just then, he noticed a sentence carved on the stone wall to his left.

'Continue what you needed to do, Your Majesty. I will go to the Well of the Untold.'

'Please do not chase after me. Let me do this.'

'- Captain Linthia'

Upon seeing this, Rex wasted no time and rushed downstairs, heading straight—for the main entrance, which was the only way inside enow since the windows were all closed down once the tower was fully activated.

He yanked the entrance door open and rushed outside, but stopped at the border of the Time Echo.

"It's only been eleven minutes outside," Rex muttered aloud, looking through the border—with mixed feelings inside. "By this time, she's probably still inside the ruin, or even if she went straight to leave, I can still catch up to her."

Rex clenched his jaw tightly, deliberating his decision.

Knowing that Linthia has no Soul Artifact anymore, he was extremely worried.

She wasn't a Seeker anymore, and she had no way of defending herself now.

If she came across any Voidal Monster, she'd die.

Not to mention, she wasn't completely fit since she had only been healed by Viora earlier.

From the logical standpoint, he knew that she wouldn't survive, and the right thing to do right now was to bring her back—and bring her to the Well of the Untold later. But from the emotional standpoint, he knew that it was best for him to let her go.

At this moment, she'd only be a burden since her Soul Artifact was ripped from her body.

Her spirit body now has no power, and she would be a deadweight.

Rex knew that if he were placed in the same position, he'd probably do the same thing.

He wouldn't stand being a burden and sought to gain power on his own, even if the risk was death. And recalling the things she wrote on the walls earlier, it was clear that he must let her go. No need to bring her back.

Doing that would only be selfish on his part.

Even so… it was hard.

Fighting back the urge to go outside and bring back Linthia, Rex slid down to his knees.

Sweat now made his body slick and wet, and his chest heaved up and down hard, hyperventilating.

All the worst things that could happen to Linthia played on his mind on repeat, causing him to curl up and ball up. Pain was conquered by him, but restraint of something like this—he wasn't used to it. Since he has the power to bring her back, it's hard to restrain himself from going out to fetch her.

It took two whole minutes for him to accept the fact that he must let Linthia go.

"Just as I promised, I already protected him," Rex mumbled, raising his weak gaze. "Now, it was her choice to leave. Her choice to seek power without my help. Her choice to take the brave route so that she wouldn't be a burden. I must accept her decision."

"It must've been hard for her to make this decision too…" He nodded and stood up.

Casting one last look outside, he smiled lightly.

"Good luck, Linthia," He said aloud as he turned and headed back inside. "I hope you succeed."

Meanwhile, outside of the Forsaken Tower's walls.

Linthia stood there for a good ten minutes, gazing ahead into the blackness of the Black Rift, thinking whether this was a good idea or not. Taking the first step was already hard, she was already outside, but nobody had ever told her that the second step was also as hard.

"I have to go on my own," She nodded with determination. "There is no other way."

Once she made up her mind, she took the second step, and then the next, and the next.

For almost an entire day, she was walking into the darkness—following the dark pull that was tugging her heart. She had already felt this pull for a couple of days, or maybe more, but only now did she have the bravery to follow it.

But, not even a day in, she was already on the ground.

"Huakhh!" She prostrated on the ground and vomited black blood.

It was painful, with no shielding from her Seeker power, the Black Rift was eating her alive.

Gazing up ahead weakly, she reached out her hand and began to crawl.

No matter what, she's going to keep going.

But the Voidal Metamorphosis was already taking over, her eyes had already turned black.

"Is there really no way for me to become strong…?" She mumbled weakly, a tear crossing her nose, and fell to the ground. Even though she was the most untalented—out of the captains, she was alive. Why was that the case? That question always lingered in her mind.

Yet it seemed pointless, she always remained weak, incomparable to Dindora or Gelmar.

Silently, Linthia cried, alone and metamorphosing into a monster.

Oblivious to her, once her tear touched the ground, an inky blackness spread underneath her.

It didn't take long before she fell down, swallowed by the inky portal, and disappeared.