After a deep inhale and understanding that the final stretch was upon him, Kieran modified each Mystic Cipher, implanting the Fifth Syllable of Eni within its core sequence.
This caused the sequences to become alike, as if they were one continuous line of less complex information. Because they were now uniform, the activation barriers were now less complex, but in exchange, the process became lengthier.
Once he performed this action, Kieran moved on to quartering his focus, briefly suffering a sharp pain.
The intensity of the pain was more than double that of when he split his focus, but Kieran gritted his teeth and begrudgingly withstood the pain.
'Ngh! It isn't unbearable, we're so close to the end. Bear with it!'
Kieran continued to scream out within his mind, demanding that it stand firm amidst the pain of his actions.
Despite mandating his mind to stand strong, the pain was truly unbearable, almost as if someone was splitting his brain in two.
This type of pain was something that not even the Immaterial Plane's altered natural laws could avoid. This pain stemmed from his body on Earth, not the body provided within Zenith Online.
The fact that this misery could transcend multiple realms spoke volumes of the pain Kieran withstood. After a few moments of huffing, Kieran gnashed his teeth and willed his mind to persist.
The points of Willpower and Focus triggered a faint reaction, feeding off his desire to persist. While the pain remained constant, Kieran felt his pain threshold increase marginally, adopting one of the True Berserker's main principles despite lacking his body.
'We are made to persist through the pain and adversity. Even if I don't have much of a true body right now, the Archaic Syllabary of Eni has taught me the importance of maintaining a uniform mindset no matter the current circumstances.'
As the antepenultimate row, consisting of seven Inspirited Wykin Revenants, began conjuring their syllables, Kieran closed his eyes and exhaled.
The ciphers surrounding his hands vibrated imperceptibly, exhibiting signs of wanting to split apart or at the very least, fragment in certain areas.
This was the result of his weakened connection, rather, splitting his concentration so that it could create eight symbols simultaneously required that the ciphers undergo a small change in operations.
Once this change finished, Kieran opened his eyes with a strange profundity circulating within. The spirit required to endure such a pain stimulated a true unwillingness within him, which subsequently manifested in his gaze.
The stoic sensation radiating from within his eyes didn't impart any special abilities, but it may be why Kieran currently felt somewhat omnipotent, transcending the realm of meager pain.
A few seconds later, Kieran's hands twitched. While watching the incoming seven conjurations, Kieran calmly lifted his arms and closed his hands while twisting his wrist so that both hands aligned vertically.
This action made the mystic energies coalesce into eight First Syllables of Eni instantly. Because he had split his concentration so thin, controlling how many syllables he created was impossible. Thus, Kieran could only accept the wastage of the additional creation.
'Even though it's somewhat a waste, I can perhaps find a purpose for it,' Kieran thought to himself.
If one symbol faltered, he had an additional fabrication to provide support.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The several syllables collided with each other, creating a cacophony of thunderous echoes within the Ancient Rune Oasis.
A small tremor followed these collisions, which made Kieran understand that the solidity of his First Syllable of Eni had reached a terrifying level without him realizing it.
'It might not be amazingly powerful compared to Hekaina or Agatha, but it will suffice. As their State of Being is leagues above mine, it wouldn't be fitting to compare my understanding to theirs,' Kieran thought.
Roughly thirty seconds later, the ongoing clash between the syllables ended, resulting in Kieran's eventual victory. Absorbing the Inspirited Wykin Revenant's energy led to a notification that Kieran truly didn't expect.
〈System: Your «First Syllable of Eni» has reached the required threshold to undergo its initial Spiritual Amelioration.〉
The First Syllable of Eni within Kieran's Mystic Gate changed swiftly following this message. The outside became glossy and more refined, adopting a kind of ancient writing that seemed to impart a portion of the syllable's truth.
'I didn't expect the process to happen so quickly. But… considering that I'm currently within the birthplace of the Wykins, everything should be somewhat accelerated,' Kieran mused.
The process felt instant, leading Kieran to believe that the effects were mild at best. Usually, anything related to refining, augmenting, or strengthening took time. It had become a norm for players to believe that quality equated to time spent under stress.
Meaning, the longer a strengthening process, the higher the quality of the strengthened item, material, or individual.
However, this way of thinking was flawed because it didn't take into account the strength of the refining element.
A master of any art could accomplish what a novice attempted in a fraction of the time.
When Kieran prepared the First Syllable of Eni for the upcoming penultimate exchange, he was staggered by the changes. The first change was the syllable's size. It was nearly 50% larger without compromising the structure.
Another noted change was the syllable's stability and solidity. It was twice as dense and almost three times denser, leaving Kieran at a loss for words.
The fact the system indicated the Spiritual Amelioration as an 'initial' process meant it was one of many, yet the results were already magnificent!
In the next second, Kieran conjured the First Syllable of Eni several times, marveling at its final change—reduced casting time. As his affinity with the syllable continued to deepen, Kieran found the delay between thought and actualization becoming minimal.
Another string of absolutely cataclysmic tremors rocked the Ancient Rune Oasis within Kieran's vicinity, momentarily destabilizing his balance.
'The Inspirited Wykin Revenants continue to grow more frightening, but my progress hasn't stagnated, allowing me to compete with them after much difficulty. The last step…'
Kieran's expression grew solemn as his body absorbed the essence from the penultimate row of Inspirited Wykin Revenants. The final row consisted of several Inspirited Wykin Revenants surpassing Xenasio's level.
All of a sudden, a distorted and archaic voice spoke. "Successfully pass this last line of defense and you will prove that you have the ability to surpass a Mystic Guardian. Fail and you may still pass, but your rewards will be halved."
The confidence present within this voice's tone made Kieran question the absurdity of the upcoming challenge. Even if he failed, he wouldn't be stuck within this realm. This was naturally due to him having presented remarkable talent for comprehending the Archaic Syllabary.
His skills with fabricating them weren't unprecedented, but his rapid understanding of the syllabary was. As a result, this voice took an interest in Kieran.
Unlike the previous rounds, the nine Inspirited Wykin Revenant conjured syllables that didn't conform to what he experienced thus far. Each revenant conjured at least 3 syllables but the middle one conjured four.
'You've got to be kidding me… Even if it's limited to the First through Fourth Syllables of Eni, that's nearly 30 things I have to deal with!'
The idea of Multi-Casting was immediately expelled from Kieran's mind, which prompted him to restore his singular focus. After noticing that the revenant refrained from instantly launching their fabrications of the syllables, Kieran realized something.
'What if I do the same thing? It should be possible given the current state of my First Syllable of Eni,' Kieran inwardly mused.
Upon drawing inspiration from the Inspirited Wykin Revenant's actions, Kieran created one First Syllable of Eni but supplied it with his deepest understanding thus far.
'The idea of equal regulation from the fifth syllable, the link of the fourth syllable, and the second syllables' blooming presence.'
The end result of merging the First Syllable of Eni with these principles was absolutely staggering, creating a sort of super syllable that surpassed anything Kieran had mustered thus far.
'The fourth syllable may be inherently stronger than the first, but the Spiritual Amelioration has temporarily upset that relationship.'
Once he finished his preparations, Kieran rushed toward the Veiled Arcadia Gate without stopping. Because he had grasped the timing of its shifts, Kieran estimated exactly when he would need to arrive before and overcome the Inspirited Wykin Revenants to pass through the gateway.
The window of opportunity would be slim, requiring precise timing, but Kieran could only have faith and hope his syllable accomplished what he sought.
Whoosh!
Kieran raced forward, positioning the syllable before his body. Because it was so large, the syllable formed a 120-degree shield that protected his tether above all else. Because the revenants were lined up horizontally, the area of the attack wasn't an issue. It was the force, which Kieran couldn't foresee.
Bang!
The first volley to reach nearly disrupted his momentum, but Kieran trudged forward, gritting his teeth. A small crack formed in the syllable, but the principle from the second syllable activated, slowly mending the fracture.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The volleys collided with Kieran in quick succession, but his gaze never faltered from the shifting doorway. He drew near and the Veiled Arcadia Gate was two transitions away from being in an optimal position.
A seed of hope and conviction sprouted in Kieran's mind as he rushed forward, multiple fractures forming.
"!!" Kieran's eyes widened and his expression contorted as he watched the Veiled Arcadia Gate perform its optimal transition.
Whoosh!
Kieran jumped with everything he had, turning his body so the syllable protected him from the rising bombardment. The incessant collisions shattered the syllable but the backlash forced Kieran into the gate just before it could perform its next transition.
Oom!
A strange ripple enveloped Kieran's body as he disappeared from within the Ancient Rune Oasis.
