Spirit's Awakening: The Path of Lightning and Water-Chapter 338: A Reminder from Beneath the Waves

The ocean stretched endlessly beneath Lassim, a vast expanse of restless, deep waters that glinted faintly under scattered flashes of lightning. Each step of his [Storm’s Dance] propelled him forward in a burst of his fused mana, the swirling miniature storms under his boots leaving faint distortions in the air as they dissipated into the surrounding stillness.

Though the coastline of the Southern Continent had long since faded into the distance behind him, Lassim pressed onward with the same casual, unwavering rhythm. High above the churning waves, he moved like a ghost whose only signal of existence was the of bits of storm he left in his wake.

His senses extended outward, brushing against the elemental mana that permeated the Southern Sea. Water-aspected mana here felt alive, more concentrated than anywhere he’d traveled before, and carried an undertone of something... watching.

Zaphy’s voice chimed in with characteristic enthusiasm, cutting through the tension. "Isn’t it amazing, Sis Mari? Our connection lets me feel the water mana through you and the water mana here is sooo thick! And, And—I remember how last time there were so many huuuge sea creatures down there! Ooooh, maybe some are waving at us!"

Mari offered a simple, "It does feel nice to be surrounded by so much water mana once more."

Lassim’s lips quirked into the faintest smile, but his attention remained on maintaining the correct direction despite the endless waters below. The surface shifted restlessly, the dark waves shimmering with a subtle iridescence.

But then, the atmosphere rapidly changed.

The air seemed to thicken with dense water mana, a density that pressed against Lassim’s chest like the weight of a tidal wave.

Lassim’s movements slowed as the shift grew undeniable—a familiar presence that seemed to resonate with the blood inside him, yet suffocating. His constellation, the Leviathan’s form in its celestial glory, the connection to it within his inner heart world stirred within him, the light of the soul dust that made her eyes shine like red stars flickered with ominous power.

"Brother! Brother!" Zaphy’s voice broke through the silence, her excitement palpable. "Do you feel that? It’s big sis! Big sis is here! I thought she might show up when we crossed the sea!"

Lassim exhaled slowly, scanning the endless horizon. The dark surface below him was eerily still, every wave frozen as though the ocean itself had been silenced by her will.

"I didn’t think she’d visit again until I was much stronger…" Lassim whispered.

The quiet surroundings of the sea shattered in the next instant.

A storm erupted with terrifying suddenness, lightning arcing chaotically across the sky. Torrential rain cascaded in walls of water as thunder boomed, each crack splitting the air with deafening intensity. Raging whirlpools churned in the waters below and swirling vortexes of water rose from the sea and connected to the clouds. A dense fog cut off the sight lines in every direction like a thick wall of grey.

Lassim barely reacted, his mana stabilizing him mid-air as the storm bent around him, lightning and water mana drawn to his presence like moths to a flame. His work to accept that he was the storm over the last several months made him feel completely at ease despite the chaos.

Beneath him, the water churned violently. The image, almost like a false illusion instead of reality, appeared. A shadow, never ending and serpentine, writhed beneath the waves, coiling and uncoiling with impossible grace. It didn’t rise but instead extended its presence outward, as though the entire ocean bent to its movements.

"You’re soooo cool, big sis!" Zaphy chirped, utterly unfazed by the chaos. Her violet and golden feathery form darting around Lassim’s inner heart world, crackling with delighted sparks. "I bet she’s here to say hi! Maybe she’ll even help us zoom to the Veridian Continent even faster!"

Lassim remained silent as the Leviathan’s voice cut through his mind like a tidal roar, deep and commanding. "Mortal. You tread my domain so brazenly, yet your debt remains unpaid."

The weight of her mental words crashed against him like a wave, pressing down on his constellation and the very blood and mana circulating within him. Lassim stabilized himself, the faint hum of his mana rippling out.

"I obviously haven’t forgotten," he said calmly, his voice cutting through the storm. "I promised to free you, and I will. But these things take time and I’m obviously not at the same level as you or even the gods. How am I supposed to free you from divine chains when I’m still mortal?"

The Leviathan’s laugh was cold, laced with mockery. "Mortal? Do you not see the chains that bind me? Each day they tighten. Each moment they leech from me what remains of my power. I’ve given you power, so you should be able to free me soon. You obviously have no limits to your growth. Why are you going so slowly?"

Zaphy appeared from the inner heart world out into the open in a flash of lightning. Her massive thunderbird wings spread wide as she zipped through the air like a bolt a lightning before twirling closer to the sea, "Oh, don’t worry, big sis! Lassim’s super strong now! He’ll definitely free you soon. I mean, look at him zipping across your sea with every step! Isn’t big bro amazing?"

The Leviathan’s shadow stilled, her coiled form beneath the waves halting mid-motion.

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"Amazing? This whelp?" Her tone was sharp, biting, but there was a flicker of hesitation that belied her words. "He is but a tool. A means to my freedom. Do not mistake my interest for kindness."

Zaphy giggled, darting higher as if to dodge an imaginary swipe. "You totally care about big bro too! I bet you’re just watching to make sure he’s okay! Don’t worry, we’re on our way now to go fight some guy and then—"

"Silence!" the Leviathan hissed, her voice reverberating through the storm with enough force to rattle Lassim’s mana.

Her tone softened, almost imperceptibly, as she added, "Your ignorance is infuriating, little lightning chick."

The rain intensified, attempting to pelt Lassim with sheets of it, but he remained steady, his fused mana and spiritual pressure twisting it and flowing with the storm as though it were an extension of his being. Not a single drop of rain had still touched him yet.

"I’m not here to prove anything to you," Lassim said, his voice calm but firm. "You can mock me all you like, but I will keep my promise. When the time comes, I’ll free you. Like Zaphy said, I’m just on my way back to the Veridian continent for a few days before heading back. I’m trying to cultivate as fast as I can."

The Leviathan’s shadow began to move again, circling beneath him with deliberate slowness. Her tone dropped, a low rumble that sent tremors through the sea. "Promises are worthless without action. If you fail—"

"I won’t," Lassim interrupted, his gaze steady as he stared down at the vast waters.

For a moment, the storm fell silent, as though the entire ocean held its breath.

Then, with a final pulse of overwhelming mana, the Leviathan’s presence began to recede. The rain softened, the winds eased, the fog dispersed and the chaotic mana in the air thinned. The illusion of her shadow sank deeper into the depths, melding into the blackness below.

"Do not forget," her voice echoed, fainter now but no less commanding. "The gods may bide their time and be comfortable to wait forever, but I will not."

Lassim remained still as the storm and all the after effects of her presence cleared, allowing the tension across the water mana in the air and the ocean to ease.

Zaphy flitted back to his side, crackling with energy. "She totally likes you, you know," she said matter-of-factly. "Big sis is just shy!"

"Sure," Lassim muttered dryly, his tone betraying a faint smirk. "Let’s keep moving."

He felt like he somewhat lost his sense of direction due to the interruption, so he checked the sun’s position as it was starting its fall towards the horizon, readjusted his path before resuming his journey. His steps across the sea marked by bursts of lightning mana returned, though the Leviathan’s presence had faded, her reminder of their promise for using her likeness to create his Spirit Ascension stage constellation lingered.

The rhythmic hum of his [Storm’s Dance] carried him forward through the thoughts and how he’d someday achieve setting her free, each burst compressing space beneath his feet and leaving thunderclaps rippling in his wake.

Yet, even with the efficiency of his movement technique, the journey felt vast, the horizon unchanging as the day wore on.

He slowed, contemplating as he looked ahead. There was no one around at all and most likely the Leviathan’s presence had thoroughly scared away any onlookers. Now was as good as a time as any to try out full teleportation over larger distances again instead of just compressing space between his steps.

His mind drifted back to his earlier experiments and moments of desperation with his pure spatial teleportation—raw, chaotic, careless and demanding but undeniably powerful. It was a technique he’d really only used in moments of desperation, each time pushing the boundaries of his understanding of space and mana.

Even after Khaalseru’s warning, he’d only resorted to testing with smaller objects, like a rock, sending it through the void repeatedly to practice with the element. He’d grown much since then and even developed the beginnings of the spatial rune alphabet. He felt much more confident with the spatial element than he had all those months ago.

"Let’s see if you’re still as draining as I remember," Lassim murmured to himself and he reading himself.

Closing his eyes, he focused inward, his mana shifting from the controlled flow of his fused mana, but incorporating more of the void spatial energy that filled the atmosphere of his inner heart world through the connection to his constellation.

The progenitor marks on his body, usually hidden beneath his martial robes, began to emerge once more, glowing faintly with a void-like, purple-black energy. Up from beneath his collar on his chest, they branched outward and upwards like living roots, curling up his neck and spreading across his face. Their dark violet-black hue shimmered faintly with a glass-like iridescence.

His eyes changed as the void energy surged through him, the chaotic storm of sparks and purple lightning giving way to an endless swirl of dark, purple void-storms.

Then, with a single urging of his will, Lassim vanished.

The transition was immediate and jarring. The familiar sensation of air and mana was replaced by the suffocating, chaotic expanse of the void. The space around him twisted in impossible ways, a kaleidoscope of shifting patterns and hues. The path through the void felt more clear now as his understanding had grown, but that made it no less difficult. If anything, it was even more terrifying than those moments of helplessness as he felt like he was taking his entire body and existence and treating it like threading a needle in between the threads of the spatial weave. The path was unstable and demanded constant focus to navigate.

When he reappeared, he was easily tens of kilometers ahead, the ocean below a blurred smear of dark blue. The disorientation, as his vision took in the new location, was brief but potent. His mind reeled as he adjusted to the sudden change in location.

"Now I understand her warning even more…" Lassim muttered, shaking off the lingering vertigo.

Despite the challenges, the sheer distance he could cover with each teleportation was unmatched. Compared to [Storm’s Dance], it was a chaotic but potent leap forward.

"It’s chaotic, but certainly more efficient," he said to himself, his voice quiet in the open air. "If I can refine this, and get used to it… it could help with future issues I might face once we begin testing the teleportation device. Best to use this time to practice I suppose."

He pressed on, alternating between brief bursts of [Storm’s Dance] to stabilize his mana and purposeful dives into the void with his [Teleport] to cover vast distances.

Each time he entered the void, the progenitor marks grew brighter, the energy they channeled leaving faint traces in the air as he exited. The strain on his mind was quite palpable—every trip demanded precise control and unwavering focus. He felt that one small mistake could turn him into shattered shards of space, ripping him to shreds.

Hours passed, the sun inching toward the horizon as Lassim continued his journey. The Southern Sea stretched endlessly, its surface reflecting the vibrant hues of the setting sun.

Night eventually fell as Lassim pressed on, the stars above casting faint light over the sea. The transition between techniques became more deliberate as the hours stretched into the early morning.

When the mental strain of teleportation grew too great, Lassim returned to the steady cadence of [Storm’s Dance], his boots sparking with each compressed step. When his mind steadied, he dove back into the void, the progenitor marks flaring brightly as he reemerged miles ahead.

By dawn, the first hints of the Veridian Continent appeared on the horizon. Lassim slowed his pace, the outlines of mist-covered forests and bountiful, coastal beauty becoming clearer as the morning light that illuminated the landscape.

The progenitor marks faded gradually as his void energy ebbed, retreating beneath his skin until only faint traces lingered around his eyes. The purple lightning almost refused to unfuse with the void mana and casually maintained a slight hypnotic, swirling motion to them.

Hovering high above the southern coastline, Lassim retrieved his map. The parchment unfurled with a faint crackle as he traced the Sapphire River’s winding path toward Starpoint City.

"There," he said, his finger tapping the map’s annotations. "If I can find the river, I just need to follow it upstream. The capital will be just ahead."

With a final glance toward the distant horizon, Lassim folded the map and secured it in his pouch. The Veridian Continent stretched before him, vast and familiar. He was now several years old, more experienced, and vastly more powerful. He wondered what was waiting to be rediscovered on this short visit, but the duel maintained the number one priority.