It was an amazing feat that Michael had more than 700,000 Summons and just about 200 Awakened in his territory. He had the means to transform the Awakened into real powerhouses once they were also nurtured properly. However, instead of being overjoyed, Michael thought about his mother.
A single thought about his mother soured his happiness instantaneously.
Michael might not like his mother, but she was his only link to the Nest. He was unsure what to think about the Nest, but given his mother's power and abilities, it was obvious that the Nest was strong and knowledgeable. They knew a lot about Curses and the Cursed Seals.
'I wonder what she will think about the World Serpent.'
The World Serpent hasn't resurfaced in the last three months. It stayed inside Michael and spoke to him occasionally. However, it didn't provide any helpful information. Michael didn't even know what exactly the World Serpent was. It merged with him, creating an intricate and detailed image that spread all over his back.
Michael never heard of a Summon capable of merging with their Lord. In the first place, no Link of Loyalty was established between Michael and the World Serpent. Since the Summoning Gate didn't manage to trigger the Link of Loyalty between the two parties, the World Serpent must have been too strong for Michael to handle. But that didn't make any sense.
The Summoning Gate always summoned Tierless Summons. Even the Legendary Summons were Tierless entities until they regained some of their strength. The Silverfangs didn't even die, yet summoning them takes away their progress. That was how it was supposed to be.
However, the World Serpent was different. The moment he summoned it, Michael knew that it was much more than a Summon. It was different, almost like it was never integrated into the Origin Expanse like it was never supposed to be there.
But that didn't make any sense. How could Michael summon something that wasn't supposed to exist in the Origin Expanse? That was not possible. Michael knew he missed an important piece of information, but he had no idea what it could be. That annoyed him far more than his mother. After all, his mother didn't turn his insides into a habitat for a massive serpent.
The World Serpent didn't act up much, but it moved in his skin all over his back. It slithered across his back – or through his back – and sucked the surrounding origin energy in their direction.
The World Serpent's presence was a much stronger origin energy magnet than the energy absorption technique, Pantheon's Dawn, but that didn't make Michael happy. He was still worried that the World Serpent would devour him from within once he showed a sign of weakness.
Even though the World Serpent told him it wouldn't consume him in one of their short talks, Michael couldn't trust it. The massive serpent merged into his body without asking for consent, either. It would do whatever it wanted to, and Michael didn't doubt that for a single second.
"Are all Divine Summons like you?" Michael asked in a whisper. He was not surprised when he didn't receive an answer.
'Cleave Fenrir was not like the World Serpent. Cleave managed to practice the Wicked Spear Arts, and he would have escaped the confinement of the Link of Loyalty sooner or later, but there was a Link of Loyalty in the first place. But there is none with the Link of Loyalty. Our only connection is…that this fucking serpent is inside me.'
Michael felt a sting in the back of his head.
"Show some courtesy and stay out of my head. I don't need a World Serpent rummaging through my mind while the Cursed Seals play with my emotions," He grumbled.
Interestingly enough, the Cursed Seals didn't stir any trouble since the World Serpent and the thing sealed within him clashed. The World Serpent never attacked him, either. If anything, it felt like the World Serpent was curious about him.
'But then again, it sealed itself inside my body.'
Michael could feel the World Serpent's presence inside him. It was similar to the Cursed Seals' presence, but it was intense…
different…, and weird…
The World Serpent entered his body and clashed with the thing sealed inside him before creating countless Seals to contain the Living Image that slithered within Michael's back. At least, that was what Michael presumed the seals were there for when they manifested all over the World Serpent's Living Image.
He had been mistaking the Seal's purpose. The World Serpent's Seals existed to seal its power.
Michael would never be able to contain the power of the World Serpent within him. His body was not strong enough.
Only a single Seal of the World Serpent was accessible. Michael triggered the Seal to unleash a fraction of the World Serpent's power. He had been curious, wondering if he could use the World Serpent like he could use the Cursed Seals or if it was even more dangerous and unstable.
A scale on the back of the Living Image lit up when Michael triggered the Seal. The Seal affected Michael somehow, but it also strengthened him physically. It was almost as if another Curse had entered his body.
'What are the Cursed Seals, in the first place? Is there actually a Curse inside us? It felt more like something was sealed deep inside him, and their existence was like a curse affecting his existence. It was weird…but it made sense somehow.
[I will not enter and leave your body as I please, little one. Your vessel is too fragile to contain my true self for long. But your potential is excellent. You might have what we need. Make sure not to attract too much-unwanted attention, Cursed Child. Trust me when I say that you do not wish to attract too much attention. The universe is ruthless and unforgiving.]
Despite being able to speak to him occasionally, the World Serpent was not further helpful than the Cursed Seals. If anything, the Cursed Seals didn't confuse him as a lot as the World Serpent. They were silent and left him alone.
'I yet don't understand why they stopped fighting. None should have won the battle. I would have noticed…right?'
The World Serpent didn't explain much to him, but Michael sensed that some things about his Curse had changed.
Many things were bound to change in the near future. Michael felt that in every cell of his body.
**
Since he was previously thinking of his mother, Michael decided it was necessary to leave the Origin Expanse for the first time in what felt like an eternity. He had questions and needed answers before he could rescue his brother.
The Runic Gate manifested in front of Michael, and he stepped through. He disappeared inside the Runic Gate and emerged in the Saphirelake Military Academy.
Leaving the Untamed Jungle's energy-dense region after staying for half a year was a lot further challenging than Michael thought. He shuddered upon sensing the scarcity of energy particles in the surroundings.
Michael complained inwardly but nonetheless activated Spirit Eyes to hunt for his mother.
Some of his Soultraits felt distinct since the World Serpent merged with him. His physical Soultraits felt stronger. Different.
It didn't take long to pinpoint his mother's energy fluctuations. Michael utilized Cosmic Stride a few times to cross the campus and emerged in his mother's room.
His mother read something, but she noticed him the instant he appeared. However, upon looking up, Evalynn Fang's eyes widened in confusion and surprise.
Evalynn's eyes turned glassy, and several Cursed Seals manifested all over her body, releasing an ominous mist that shrouded her.
"You…."
