Act 0, Chapter 6: "Insanity."
/////
Kardia's heart raced as he whispered to himself, "It worked. It actually did work."
[New Skill Acquired.]
[Extra Skill: [Psychic Jamming.]
With a beaming smile spreading across his face, Kardia gently reopened his eyes, the flickering glow of the sun reflecting off his skin.
He had acquired a new skill: Psychic Jamming.
After sleeping for a few hours, or at least trying to do so, Kardia woke up and decided to experiment with his power. And one of the first ideas that he had was to take control of one of his shadow soldiers who was fighting against the Tyranids.
Yet, his attempt to do that was to disrupt the flow of psychic energy of the Tyranids. The experiment worked, granting him this powerful skill.
Kardia began reflecting on what this ability meant.
The power to jam the flow of energy is a significant advantage in any world that relies on energy to perform super abilities.
However, in the Warhammer 40k universe, it becomes even more overpowered.
Disrupting the flow of psychic energy in a large area could prevent an enemy fleet from ever leaving a battle, as they wouldn't be able to open a warp portal.
Additionally, this skill would allow him to interfere with the energy of many psykers while still being able to use his own powers whenever he wished.
In the world of Tensura, there was a being named Charybdis, the so-called "Child of Veldora," who possessed a skill called "Mana Jamming."
This ability allowed the user to disrupt the flow of mana within a person and even in the surrounding environment. Consequently, certain individuals would be unable to use their most potent magical attacks.
A mage, stripped of their magical abilities, would be forced to fight hand-to-hand, which puts them at a clear disadvantage against someone like Kardia.
He was faster, stronger, more agile, more flexible, and simply superior in terms of strength compared to anyone else at that moment.
The same would be applied to a psyker of the Warhammer 40k universe.
Kardia moved on to another trial of skills.
He wanted to try multiple things.
Kardia focused his consciousness as he began to concentrate his spiritual energy on his right hand. As he did it, he felt the change.
The spiritual energy inside his body that he had willed to move towards his right hand had actually increased the durability, endurance, and overall strength of his hand to unprecedented levels.
Mind you, his physical strength had already received improvements, but with this energy working alongside his powerful physique, his strength had skyrocketed.
At the same time, he heard Raphael's voice.
[New Skills Acquired.]
[Extra Skill: "Psychic Reinforcement" acquired.]
[Extra Skill: "Psychic Ki Defense" acquired.]
[Extra Skill: "Psychic Augmentation" acquired.]
Kardia immersed himself in exploration, eager to discover the extent of his developing skills.
He approached the task with a mix of curiosity and determination, intent on pushing the boundaries of his abilities.
With focused intent, he began experimenting with the infusion of his psychic energy into inanimate objects, watching as faint glimmers of white, black, and golden light flickered to life at his fingertips.
The sensation was both exhilarating and empowering, as he felt a surge of connection with the objects he touched.
Next, he shifted his focus to channeling this energy, directing it through his body like a flowing river. He concentrated deeply, visualizing streams of energy weaving around him, and felt the strength of his mind augmenting his physical form.
Kardia then ventured into the realm of shaping his psychic energy into constructs. Drawing on his imagination, he formed intricate shapes—a shimmering shield and a sword that radiated with a faint, ethereal glow of white, black, and gold. Each construct felt vivid and real, responding to his will as if they were extensions of himself.
In a more experimental phase, he turned to his environment, attempting to absorb the ambient energy that surrounded him.
He extended his senses outward, feeling the vibrations of the world blend into his own being.
The harvest was subtle but undeniable; he could sense himself becoming more attuned to the whispers of energy that danced in the air around him.
As Kardia completed his explorations, a notification echoed in his mind, confirming the fruits of his labor:
[New skills acquired, Master.]
[Extra skill: "Psychic Energy Infusion" acquired.]
[Extra skill: "Psychic Energy Channeling" acquired.]
[Extra skill: "Psychic Energy Construct" acquired.]
[Extra skill: "Psychic Energy Absorption" acquired.]
[Extra Skill: "Psychic Energy Manipulation" acquired.]
Kardia smiled like a child in a candy shop; he was extremely happy with what he had achieved through his experimentation. If he had to say so himself, he was thrilled.
In the world of Tensura, you may know how to manipulate your own energy, but unless it was made into an Extra Skill, it was not worth mentioning to someone else.
That is why Kardia was trying his hardest to perform skills, as a way to unlock said skills into actual skills made by Raphael.
...
The next big thing that was on Kardia's mind was healing and regeneration. In the world of Warhammer, there aren't many races that can regenerate, and if they do, their regeneration is really good.
Kardia wanted to gain the ability to regenerate and heal himself. The reason why characters like Wolverine and Deadpool are so deadly is that they can regenerate and heal extremely fast.
Wolverine, in multiple comics, has lived for hundreds of years, and even thousands of years in some comics, just from his regenerative healing factor.
Kardia wanted his own version of it.
Kardia knows from multiple anime and comics that spiritual energy, or in this case, psychic energy, can heal and even regenerate wounds.
However, Kardia did not come from a world where healing magic, or even mutant abilities like the regeneration of Wolverine and Deadpool, are possible.
However, he suddenly remembered something.
He has integrated the template of all of the golden saints of Athena in the Saint Seiya Universe.
This also integrates the thirteen gold saints, especially talking about Odysseus of Ophiuchus, who is quite literally a saint with the power of a god.
No... the reincarnation of a god.
Odysseus is literally the reincarnation of Asclepius of Ophiuchus, the demigod son of Apollo and the human princess Coronis, who had grown strong enough to rival the gods themselves.
Asclepius and Odysseus are literal gods of medicine.
He has been stated to be a doctor capable of performing all kinds of surgical operations and medicine, such as heart transplants, extremely dangerous neurosurgical operations in seconds, and rebuilding the entire human body from thought.
He has also stated that he has the ability to even change the color, race, and talents of other people.
Yet, even with all of that, that is the tip of the iceberg for the God of Medicine.
Kardia, as he has integrated the template of all 13 golden saints of Athena, including Odysseus, makes Kardia the Asclepius of the Warhammer 40k.
Kardia also remembered that Beru, as he had eaten Min Byung-Gyu, a S-Rank Healer of the world of Solo Leveling, had all of the memories and abilities of that man.
"Raphael, perfect the experience, memories, and information regarding Odysseus of Ophiuchus and the healing magic of Beru. Upload the information whenever you are done."
Kardia gave the order to Raphael, as he didn't want to waste time. He is wasting time on something important, like learning his abilities, but he still needs to end the Tyranids.
[Right away, Master.] Raphael was quick to respond. Yet, a second later, she came back with an answer.
[Requesting to upload, Master.]
"Granted."
As he closed his eyes, Aclepius's experience spanning hundreds of thousands of years flooded his mind. This vast timeline was due to Aclepius being a demigod during the Mythological Age.
Although Aclepius lived for a century, and even managed to reach into the thousands, he never exceeded that time due to challenges he faced along the way.
In contrast, Min Byung-Gyu lacked the same experiences, control, and power as Odysseus and Aclepius.
The difference between them was like night and day, and even that comparison felt inadequate.
Kardia took a moment to relax as he processed this information, mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen.
He closed his eyes and turned his focus inward, carefully channeling his spiritual power.
Feeling a newfound control over his entire body, Kardia readied himself for the upcoming event.
However, Kardia knew that he couldn't utilize his newfound knowledge, experiences, and healing abilities without first inflicting an injury on himself.
Summoning his powerful telekinesis, Kardia caused a severe internal injury—one that could be fatal to any normal person.
Yet, he did not scream or feel the pain, thanks to his "Pain Nullification" skill. Despite the injury, he didn't sense that he was in danger of death.
Still, if the injury went untreated, it could lead to significant damage. This is precisely why he inflicted the injury in the first place.
Kardia quickly began to cover the wound with his exceptionally pure psychic energy. His first action was to heal the affected area.
Healing is a natural process of the human body, or indeed of any race, typically carried out using bio-energy.
However, Kardia chose to use his spiritual energy for healing, as his psychic energy was more abundant than his bio-energy.
Although Raphael is trying to keep a balance between physical and mental, as they are still trying to devour the Shadow in the Warp, the incoming energy is massive. It will take a long time to fix it.
Kardia simply focused and tried to follow what he now knew. After doing that, the injury he created for himself was healed in an instant. It was as if it was never there.
[New Skill Acquired.]
[Extra Skill: Healing.]
Kardia's lips curled into a twisted grin as the news reached his ears, a delight dancing in his eyes.
Yet, he was far from finished.
Kardia focused his mind on another thing.
He did healing, but he did not have regenerative abilities.
The concept of Healing is the natural process of some races of using vital energy to heal some parts of the body.
The regenerative part of the body comes from the cells. This creates new tissue, new limbs, and new organs, as cells are what create the entire body.
This regenerative power can also be used on a molecular or atomic structure. This is what Odysseus of Ophiuchus uses in the manga of Saint Seiya.
With that in mind, Kardia acted.
With a mere flicker of thought, he shot his spiritual energy outwards and quickly shaped it into a menacing blade construct, gleaming ominously in the light.
Without a doubt and hesitation, Kardia let his defense down on his left arm.
With a surge of concentrated strength, he raised his right hand before bringing it down in a swift, decisive motion.
Red.
Blood.
The metallic began to fill the air, a stark contrast to the calm and beautiful scene that surrounded him.
That metallic scent was what Kardia smelled and saw right after he slashed his own arm off.
Anyone seeing this would call him crazy for even cutting his own arm, but Kardia knew what he was doing.
That statement was very true.
Why did he choose the extreme route to learn regenerative abilities?
Because it was the most rational choice.
After all, this is the Warhammer 40k universe.
First of all, you wouldn't ask a close friend to cut off your arm, would you? No. Secondly, he didn't have any friends now; he was alone.
Lastly, Kardia was not willing to let a Tyranid devour his flesh or allow an Ork to rip his entire arm off.
The only option Kardia had was to take control of the situation. He could cut off his own arm, and if something went wrong, he had Raphael to back him up.
Kardia calmed his mind and focused his spiritual energy, channeling it into his body, just as he had learned from his memories.
The first thing he did was concentrate the spiritual energy to control the muscles around the cut, which immediately stopped the bleeding.
Once the bleeding was under control, Kardia accelerated the division of cells.
From the severed arm, bones, veins, and flesh began to regenerate at a rapid pace, reconstructing the arm he had cut off.
At the same time, Aspros heard the familiar voice of Raphael.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra Skill: "Regeneration" acquired.]
Kardia felt a surge of happiness at having gained this ability, knowing it would be extremely helpful.
However, he was taken aback by what happened next. Raphael continued speaking.
[A chain reaction has occurred.]
[The Extra Skill "Healing" and the Extra Skill "Regeneration" have been combined to create the Extra Skill "Regeneration and Healing."]
[Utilizing the Ultimate Skill "Astarte, Lord of Heaven" to evolve skills.]
[The Extra Skill "Regeneration and Healing" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Ultraspeed Regeneration and Healing."]
[The Extra Skill "Ultraspeed Regeneration" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Godspeed Regeneration and Healing."]
Kardia blinked in surprise when he heard Raphael's voice. This was something he hadn't expected.
In the world of Tensura, the skill "Godspeed Regeneration" is incredibly useful. It is a tier above the Extra Skill "Ultraspeed Regeneration."
The Extra Skill "Ultraspeed Regeneration" allows a person to regenerate missing limbs and more. In contrast, "Godspeed Regeneration" provides an even higher level of regeneration, and it operates at a much faster pace.
Interestingly, Aspros has just obtained a new ability called "Godspeed Regeneration and Healing," which allows for simultaneous healing and regeneration.
This ability is similar to a regenerative healing factor, like Wolverine's, but even more powerful. In fact, it resembles the regenerative capabilities of the demons from the anime "Demon Slayer," but on a much faster scale.
You can think of it as nearly absolute regeneration and healing.
But Kardia knows that when his power grows in the future, this skill will evolve even further.
This also means that as long as Kardia has energy, he is able to heal and regenerate instantly.
Yes... This is the path to greatness.
This made Aspros very happy.
....
Kardia opened and closed his now regenerated arm. But even when he was testing his new arm, his eyes went from a happy expression to a thinking one.
His gaze was fixed on the ground.
His eyes were staring at the lost limb in front of him.
His red eyes began to wander.
His eyes were not staring at the lost limb, but the blood coming from the slashed arm.
The metallic smell was permeating everything around him, and the color was contrasting very much.
As this happened, suddenly, Kardia had an idea come to his mind.
In the world of Jujutsu Kaisen, the Kamo Clan wielded a unique innate technique known as "Blood Manipulation."
While it did not rival the formidable cursed techniques of the Zenin and Gojo clan, in terms of destructive capabilities, this skill possessed the potential for immense utility, allowing its users to exert control over their own blood.
Kardia knew what he wanted to do next.
Kardia began to allow his spiritual energy to come out of his body, and allow it to head towards the blood coming from his lost limb.
When the spiritual energy touched the blood, Kardia felt a connection; after all, it was his own blood and spiritual power. He later began to try to use that connection and energy to begin moving the blood.
It didn't take long.
Kardia managed to take control of all the blood that was spilled on the ground and lift it towards his face.
Kardia smiled as he saw this sight; this meant that through his spiritual energy, he now had some control over the blood connected to it.
Kardia didn't want to waste time, and he quickly began to play with the blood.
The very first thing that he did was to concentrate the blood into a blade. It was not difficult.
[New skills acquired.]
[Extra Skill: "Blood Blade" acquired.]
[Extra Skill: "Blood Construct" acquired.]
[Extra skill: "Blood Solidification" acquired.]
Kardia smiled as he heard the notification, but he didn't stop there; he wanted to see if he could do more, and he knew he could do more.
Kardia remembered that in Jujutsu Kaisen, Noritoshi Kamo, and even the likes of Choso, had a technique that could increase the user's body temperature, pulse rate, and the number of blood red cells to give themselves greatly increased energy and physical capabilities.
This technique was named "Flowing Red Scale."
Choso, the brother of Itadori Yuji, created an even more powerful skill called "Flowing Red Scale: Stack."
This skill intensifies the capabilities of the "Flowing Red Scale" further, increasing the user's physical capabilities to an even higher degree than normal.
Kardia tried to replicate it.
The principle of the technique is to make the blood of the body boil and accelerate the body temperature, the pulse rate, and the rate of blood cell production to strengthen the body.
Through spiritual control and his own muscle control through Sun Breathing, Kardia managed to gain control over his body and even of his blood, and he later began to accelerate his activity to make the body stronger.
However, what Kardia didn't know was that at the same time that he did that, a red mark began to spread through his body.
[New skills acquired.]
[Extra Skill: Blood Empowerment acquired.]
[Extra skill: Blood Defense acquired.]
[Extra skill: Blood Clotting acquired.]
[Extra skill: Blood Enhancement acquired.]
[Extra skill: Flowing Red Scale: Stack, acquired.]
[Congratulations, Master!]
[Extra skill: Blood Control acquired.]
Kardia smiled as he heard Raphael's beautiful words in his mind. This was exactly what he needed.
The information was also poured into him, just like before, and more and more information allowed him to control his blood even more.
As of right now, Kardia has complete control over his blood, and the good thing is that he doesn't need to use spiritual energy to control his blood.
Kardia was able to control his blood through his spiritual power. Still, now he doesn't need spiritual power to control his blood.
This is because Raphael upgraded the skill, and now he can control his blood with a thought.
Well... on some level, he does need energy, but the energy is so small that practically, he doesn't need to use energy to move it and control it.
Or at least the blood inside his body. If he wants to control the blood outside his body or the blood of others, he needs to use energy.
Once this task was completed, Kardia turned to a completely different matter.
Kardia recalled Great Sage, a unique skill belonging to Rimuru Tempest, which later evolved into the Ultimate Skill "Lord of Wisdom, Raphael."
Great Sage created a new skill combining abilities: "Water Manipulation" and "Flame/Fire Manipulation," resulting in the Extra Skill known as "Molecular Manipulation."
This means that to utilize the Molecular Manipulation skill, Kardia needed to learn how to manipulate the elements.
However, the planet he was on was nearly devoid of resources, with only sparse vegetation scattered throughout. It was a stark contrast to the Earth he had previously known.
Fortunately, Kardia had a quick solution for creating water. He could extract moisture from the air and form it into water.
Using his powerful telekinesis, Kardia sensed the water molecules present in the atmosphere and gathered them into a large orb of water. With a surge of spiritual power, he connected with the water, preparing to manipulate it.
He felt his spiritual energy resonate with the water, creating a harmonious connection.
With a focused thought, he guided his energy to lift the water towards him. The liquid responded as if it were infused with a consciousness of its own, rising gracefully.
It moved with a serpentine elegance, as if a majestic serpent had just awakened from a deep slumber, eager to obey its new master's command.
Controlling the water with powerful spiritual energy, Kardia began to experiment with it. Just like he did with the blood, the first thing he did was to adjust the water into a blade.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra Skill: Water Sword acquired.]
This made Kardia smile.
At the same time, with a thought and some mental vision, he formed the water again.
He compressed the water into a blade, and the water was compressed to its absolute limit. As the tension in the liquid reached its peak, Kardia shaped it into a fierce, slash-like projection.
In a breathtaking display, what manifested was a shimmering water slash, or perhaps a water blade, glistening as it caught the light.
With a precise flick of his wrist, Kardia propelled this aquatic projectile towards a distant rock, the air crackling with energy.
As effortlessly as one might slice through a vegetable or tofu, the water blade cleaved through the stone, the trees, and other things in its path with remarkable ease.
Yet, the journey of the water blade did not end there.
Unsatisfied with just the initial strike, the blade surged forward, maintaining its relentless momentum as it continued its path of destruction.
"Is this attack going to continue all day?" Kardia mused, a mix of awe and concern as he watched the relentless slash tear through everything in its path, leaving a trail of chaos behind.
With a decisive thought, he reached out to the spiritual energy embedded in the water slash. He gently guided it to dissipate, bringing an end to its furious ballet of destruction.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra skill: Water Blade acquired.]
Kardia smiled once again as he heard the notification. Yet he didn't stop here; he still tried a few more skills using water.
At the end, Kardia heard what he wanted to hear.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra skill: Water Manipulation acquired.]
Now, what comes next is to replicate what Kardia did with water, but with the other fundamental elements.
However, that is where the problem began.
He had successfully acquired water from the moisture in the atmosphere, but he couldn't find fire, wind, or lightning.
With this in mind, Kardia had to devise another method to access the other elements. That's when he remembered a skill known as "Conversion," or transmutation.
In various comics, anime, and even manhwa, characters can convert their spiritual and physical energy into elements.
From this, it follows that just as water can be manipulated by spiritual energy, fire, lightning, earth, and wind can also be manipulated.
This implies that these elements can be harnessed using spiritual energy. If spiritual energy can utilize them, then spiritual energy can also embody them.
"Raphael, my dear... please look into the properties of the elements and figure out how to convert my spiritual energy into them," Kardia requested.
[Right on it, Master!] Raphael responded cheerfully.
It seemed that she was getting happier with each passing moment.
[Request to upload information.]
"Granted."
It was impressive how Raphael could perform what might take someone else days, weeks, months, or even years of research in mere moments.
As the information was uploaded, Kardia wore a big smile on his face, having learned how to convert his spiritual energy into elements.
The first element he attempted to manipulate was Wind.
Though wind is not often featured prominently in anime, it holds significant potential. Sharp wind slashes, for example, can cut through almost anything, showcasing their power.
Kardia also intended to create an attack similar to the Rasengan from the world of Naruto, particularly the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken.
He experimented with the element in three different ways, ultimately acquiring the skill.
Wind is essentially a flow of energy that facilitates the movement of objects. However, fundamentally, wind is a result of changes in pressure, temperature, and motion.
Therefore, if you wish to control wind, you must have some control over these principles. The key to replicating wind lies in manipulating motion.
To achieve this, you need to use energy in a way that alters the motion of something.
Now, regarding fire:
Fire is born from multiple factors. However, its underlying principle is that fire results from the compression and acceleration of particles. The more these particles compress and accelerate, the more energy they generate.
When discussing spiritual energy, spiritual fire refers to the ability to accelerate the spiritual particles constituting spiritual energy. This process results in the creation of fire.
After all, combustion and heat are fundamentally the acceleration of particles.
Lightning follows a similar principle, albeit at a higher intensity.
It involves charging particles and subsequently discharging them, which generates lightning. This element is more destructive and, as a result, much harder to control.
Earth is quite complex, but Kardia found it easy to master.
[New skill acquired.]
[Extra skill: Wind Manipulation acquired.]
Kardia didn't stop there; he also experimented with the other elements.
[New skills acquired.]
[Extra skill: Earth Manipulation acquired.]
[Extra skill: Lightning Manipulation acquired.]
[Extra skill: Fire/Flame Manipulation acquired.]
Kardia finally paused his playful experimentation with the elements, feeling confident that he had gained the necessary skills.
At the same time, Raphael, having gathered the information and skills, began her work. Not even a second later, she had everything she needed.
However, before Kardia could take any further action, Raphael began to speak once again.
[Notice.]
[A chain reaction has occurred.]
Kardia was dumbfounded. Was this happening now?
[Utilizing the Ultimate Skill "Astarte, Lord of Heaven" to evolve skills.]
[The Extra Skill "Water Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Water Domination."]
[The Extra Skill "Wind Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Wind Domination."]
[The Extra Skill "Lightning Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Lightning Domination."]
[The Extra Skill "Earth Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Earth Domination."]
[The Extra Skill "Fire Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Flame/Fire Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skills "Water Domination" and "Flame/Fire Domination" as a base, you have acquired the Extra Skill "Molecular Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Molecular Manipulation" has evolved into the skill "Molecular Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skill "Psychic Energy Manipulation" and the Extra Skill "Psychic Jamming," alongside the Extra Skill "Molecular Domination," you have acquired the Extra Skill "Psychic Energy Domination."]
...
[After utilizing the Extra Skill "Blood Control" along with "Molecular Domination," you acquired the Extra Skill "Blood Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Blood Manipulation" then evolved into the Extra Skill "Blood Domination."]
...
[By using the Extra Skill "Molecular Domination" as a foundation, you obtained the Extra Skill "Matter Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Matter Manipulation" subsequently evolved into the Extra Skill "Matter Domination."]
[Using "Matter Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra Skill "Matter Transmutation."]
[After employing the Extra Skill "Molecular Domination" and integrating knowledge of "Atomic Manipulation," you acquired the Extra Skill "Atomic Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Atomic Manipulation" then evolved into "Atomic Domination."]
[Using "Atomic Domination" as a foundation, you acquired the Extra Skill "Subatomic Particle Domination."]
[After combining the Extra Skill "Matter Transmutation" with "Spiritual Energy Domination," you acquired the Extra Skill "Spiritual Energy Transmutation."]
[By using "Matter Domination," "Matter Transmutation," "Molecular Domination," "Psychic Energy Domination," and "Spiritual Transmutation" together, you acquired the Extra Skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination."]
...
[After utilizing "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," along with "Blood Domination" and in-depth scientific knowledge of the human body, you acquired the Extra Skill "Biological Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Biological Manipulation" then evolved into the skill "Biological Domination."]
...
[The Extra skill "Godspeed Regeneration and Healing" has evolved into the skill "Infinite Regeneration and Healing."]
...
[After utilizing the Extra skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," along with knowledge of the laws of gravity, you acquired the Extra skill "Gravity Manipulation."]
[The Extra skill "Gravity Manipulation" evolved into the Extra skill "Gravity Domination."]
[After utilizing the Extra skill "Gravity, Domination," along with the information regarding "Spatial Manipulation, you acquired the Extra Skill "Spatial Manipulation.]
[The Extra skill "Spatial Manipulation" evolved into the Extra skill "Spatial Domination."]
...
[After using the Extra Skill "Omni-Transumation and Domination" and the Extra Skill "Fire/Flame Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra Skill "Light and Heat Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination" and the Extra Skill "Wind Domination" as a base, you obtained the Extra Skill "Sound and Wind Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," the Extra Skill "Lightning Domination," and the Extra Skill "Water Domination" as a base, you obtained the Extra Skill "Water and Thunder Domination."]
[After using the Extra Skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," the Extra Skill "Earth Domination," and the Extra Skill "Water Domination" as a base, you obtained the Extra Skill "Earth and Water Domination."]
[Using "Sound and Wind Domination," "Light and Heat Domination," "Water and Thunder Domination," and "Earth and Water Domination, alongside the Extra skill "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," as a base, you obtained the Extra skill "Weather and Nature Domination."]
...
[After using the Extra Skills "Omni-Transmutation and Domination," "Biological Domination," and "Weather and Nature Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra Skill "Organic Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Organic Manipulation" evolved into the Extra Skill "Organic Domination."]
[After using the Extra skill "Omni-Tansmutation and Domination" and the Extra skill "Organic Domination" as a base, you acquired the Extra skill "Inorganic Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Inorganic Manipulation" evolved into the Extra Skill "Inorganic Domination."]
...
[Using "Weather and Nature Domination," "Gravity Domination," "Spatial Domination," and "Omni-Transmutation and Domination" as a base, you achieved the Extra Skill: "Law Manipulation."]
[Using the Extra skill "Law Manipulation" as a base, you obtained the Extra skill "Object Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill, "Object Manipulation," evolved into the Extra Skill "Object Domination."]
[ Using the skill "Object Domination" as a base, you were able to obtain the skill "Technology Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Technology Manipulation" evolved into "Technology Domination."]
[Using the Extra Skill "Law Manipulation" and the Extra Skill "Psychic Perception" as the base, you obtained the Extra Skill "Universal Perception."]
...
[The Extra Skill "Entropy Resistance" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Entropy Nullification."]
[The Extra Skill "Plague Analysis" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Plague Nullification."]
[After using the extensive knowledge regarding biology, medicine, regenerative, and healing abilities, along with plagues, you have acquired the Unique Skill "Healer."]
[The Extra Skill "Sensation Control" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Sensation Domination."]
[The Extra Skill "Change Resistance" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Change Nullification."]
...
[After combining the unique skills "Martial Master," "Combatant," and "All-Rounder," you have acquired a new unique skill called "Martial Grand Master."]
...
[You have acquired the Extra Skill "Material Creation."]
...
Kardia was left speechless.
He understood that once someone learns to manipulate or comprehend molecules, certain truths about the world become readily apparent.
For Raphael, this was akin to gaining access to infinite knowledge and information, enabling her to understand and utilize it.
However, he didn't expect Raphael to acquire all of those skills nearly instantaneously. But this was expected and unexpected.
However, Kardia simply ignored this. There was no time to explain this. He needed to plan for the future.
But even if he wanted to prepare for the future, he was still... thinking of what just happened.
"Damn..."
Kardia was genuinely surprised. He really was.
In less than a day, at least from his perspective, he had transformed from someone sitting at his computer into a being with incredible levels of power.
He was essentially a god, both in the warp and in real space. But this was not enough. He will train and gain more power. And he has his eyes on a particular path, but that is for later.
"I guess it is time to start seeing what I can do for the future."
Kardia sighed as he jumped from where he was sitting. He had wasted enough time trying to understand his abilities, and instead, he had gotten new abilities.
...
Kardia concentrated deeply, closing his eyes as he extended his senses until they enveloped the entire planet, reaching into every hidden crevice and shadowed corner.
It was as if his consciousness had become the all-seeing eye of a god, able to perceive everything and anything.
His perception stretched across vast landscapes—lush, vibrant jungles pulsating with a myriad of plant life, their leaves glistening with moisture, and desolate, barren wastelands blanketed in cracked earth and silent despair.
The vast majority of the planet was infected by the Tyranids. Their chilling pheromones hung in the air, a sickly sweet scent that drove Kardia to madness.
He could almost hear the ominous whispers of the chitinous forms lurking just beyond his sight, like predatory shadows in the underbrush.
With his powerful mind, Kardia delved deeper into the planet, seeking to pinpoint their locations with surgical precision.
He analyzed their patterns with the acuity of a master strategist, searching for potential nests that might harbor more of these voracious creatures, ever hungry and insatiable.
Understanding the need to eradicate this plague, Kardia resolved to communicate this vital information to each of his Shadow Generals.
He granted them the freedom to plan their attacks and strategize their approach against the Tyranid threat in whatever manner they deemed fit.
After all, when you have soldiers with infinite loyalty, you can afford to relax a bit.
In the corners of his perception, Kardia also detected a small percentage of human survivors scattered across the planet.
However, realization took root in his mind: these were not soldiers but rather civilians—desperate survivors who had managed to elude the monstrous waves of Tyranids.
He set aside thoughts of them for the moment, considering ways to address their plight later; his immediate focus was on something else.
Just as he was ready to withdraw his "Universal Sense," Kardia felt a disturbance emanating from a specific area of the planet, an anomaly that piqued his interest.
This disturbance did not arise from the psychic energy of the Tyranids; it was something entirely different.
With a deliberate thought, Kardia, who could manipulate the very fabric of space, conjured a portal in front of him. In an instant, he stepped through, emerging near the source of the anomaly.
"Strange…" he muttered, narrowing his gaze on the epicenter of the energy. "I feel a tremendous surge of Cosmic Power radiating from here."
As he ventured forward, a heavy atmosphere began to take hold around him. After some time, he reached what appeared to be a cave entrance.
As he decided to enter the cave, the air grew cooler, thick with the scent of damp earth and ancient stone.
Fortunately, Kardia couldn't feel cold, so when he noticed the temperature dropping, he remained unfazed.
Using his skill "Universal Perception," Kardia deciphered a path through the winding passages—one of the swiftest and relatively safest routes within the cavernous maze.
The cave sprawled before him like a labyrinth from Elden Ring or the one found in the Labyrinth of Mushoku Tensei. Of course, it was a bit more futuristic, but it still held that eerie aura that all of them have.
Secrets upon secrets lay enshrined within the flickering shadows, where glimmers of bioluminescent fungi briefly illuminated forgotten alcoves.
During his walk, Kardia discovered many intriguing artifacts—remnants of an ancient civilization. However, most were useless relics, which he chose to leave undisturbed, their stories left to gather dust in the darkness.
When he finally felt he had arrived at the source of the cosmic energy, Kardia easily destroyed the entrance with his strength. The door wasn't particularly sturdy, so when he unleashed his growing power, it opened as effortlessly as a soda can.
Upon entering the room, Kardia was overwhelmed by an immense amount of cosmic energy and quickly discovered its source.
"No way..."
Kardia rushed in and found something extraordinary: a sleeping, incredibly large figure.
"No FUCKING way."
What he faced was something he never thought he would encounter in this world.
"A C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon?!"
Panicking—not from fear, but from the immense joy of discovering something so valuable—Kardia couldn't believe his luck.
Do you know who the Void Dragon is? How did Kardia know it was the Void Dragon?
The Void Dragon, sometimes referred to simply as "The Dragon," has the proper name of Mag'ladroth. It is arguably the most powerful surviving C'tan, particularly after the banishment of the "Nightbringer."
As a member of the C'tan, the Star Gods of the material world, also known as "realspace, the Void Dragon possesses immensely powerful abilities.
These abilities include the manipulation of antimatter and matter, the use of cosmic power and energy, control over cosmic elements, transdimensional travel, manipulation of space and time, and a degree of reality warping.
Kardia recognized it as the Void Dragon because he had seen multiple images of it on the internet in his past life. When he laid eyes on the real thing in his current life, he instantly knew it was the Void Dragon.
[Energy readings indicated that, at the very least, it had enough energy to destroy the entire planet and still survive the explosion.]
Unexpectedly, Raphael, who was analyzing the C'tan Shard, spoke up, surprising Kardia. Even a shard of the Void Dragon contained enough power to obliterate the planet.
"It is better that I devour this C'tan Shard. It is more useful to me than to anyone else," Kardia murmured to himself.
Raising his right hand to aim directly at the sleeping C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon, Kardia acted quickly. He knew that if the shard awakened, he would likely be unable to defeat it in his current state.
"Devour it all, Azathoth!"
Kardia decided he needed to summon Azathoth at the highest potency possible. He aimed to devour the C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon in one attempt.
Although he understood that Azathoth could ignore space and time—including the laws of physics—Kardia was unwilling to risk his life in case the Void Dragon shard woke up.
Lightning sparks and a swirling black substance rushed toward the sleeping shard of the Void Dragon, attacking it as if it were a slumbering princess.
With the highest potency of Azathoth ever summoned, the Void Dragon Shard didn't have the slightest chance to awaken, escape, or even move from its position as it was devoured and pulled into "Imaginary Space" with incredible speed.
[New Skill acquired.]
[The Extra Skill "Law Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Law Domination."]
[You have acquired the Extra Skill "Temporal Manipulation."]
[The Extra Skill "Time Manipulation" has evolved into the Extra Skill "Temporal Domination."]
[After combining the Extra Skill "Spatial Domination" and the Extra Skill "Temporal Domination," you have acquired the Extra Skill "Space-Time Domination."]
[You have acquired the memories, techniques, and special abilities of the Void Dragon.]
"Holy shit..."
Kardia murmured as he processed Raphael's words and felt the changes in his abilities.
Previously, with the Extra Skill "Law Manipulation," Kardia had the ability to sense all types of energies, including spiritual ones, and exert control over certain phenomena.
Now, with "Law Manipulation" evolving into the Extra Skill "Law Domination," Kardia felt as though he had complete control over everything around him.
The only drawback to this ability is that it requires a substantial amount of energy to control certain laws and phenomena. While Kardia feels as though his energy is limitless, he understands that his current power levels are not yet sufficient to match the capabilities of other cosmic entities throughout the galaxy.
"I think it's time for me to go back; there's a lot I need to do." With a single thought, Kardia vanished from his location. The next moment, he reappeared where he had been before opening the portal to this side of the planet.
"Instant motion truly is overpowered. I could even reach Terra in an instant if I wanted to."
Though he thinks it wouldn't be a good idea to go to Terra, Kardia is confident he can do it.
In the world of Tensura, skills like "Space-Time Domination" enable techniques such as "Instant Motion," which allows the user to teleport to any location merely by thinking about it—without any time delay—making it faster than even Spatial Transfer, another spatial technique.
This instant "motion" is achieved through the manipulation of space and time, making it nearly impossible to anticipate or track. It activates without any time delay and does not create any spatial disruptions.
The name of the skill says it all: "Instant Motion," meaning there isn't a delay, as it is instant.
This skill can be utilized in combat and outside of it.
Thus, as long as Kardia desires, he can teleport to Earth, which the inhabitants of the Warhammer 40K universe refer to as "Terra," and arrive there instantly and without delay.
Just like he said before.
Now that Kardia has acquired something incredibly powerful—a literal C'tan Shard of the Void Dragon—he feels his luck has reached a new level.
"Getting more power is something I can pursue on my own," he murmured to himself, his mind racing with multiple thoughts.
"But what should I do? Should I build my own team? Establish my own Imperium? It sounds... problematic, yet it could also be a great choice."
He paced back and forth, the weight of his thoughts pressing heavily on him.
"The Imperium of Man is rotted to the core," Kardia continued, frustration lacing his voice.
"During the Emperor's reign, things were at least somewhat functional; decisions were made, and progress was tangible. Now, it feels like every bureaucratic layer throttles any chance of action, leaving entire planets languishing in stagnation for centuries—all while precious lives are extinguished without a second thought."
He shook his head, bitter resentment bubbling to the surface.
"And if I create technologies that could genuinely aid humanity, I can already hear the Adeptus Mechanicus condemning it as 'Heretical Technology' and seizing it for their own gain. Because they don't know how to use it, they'll just let it rot away in a room. They are among the most corrupt factions in this wretched galaxy; their greed knows no bounds."
"Yeah... The longer I think about it, the clearer it becomes: starting my own Imperium might be the only way forward. I can't abide having the Imperium dictate my choices or actions."
The truth could hit someone in the Imperium like a cold wave.
The Imperium of Man had become a pale shadow of its former glory; it had never truly been virtuous. Rather, it was an oppressive, xenophobic regime that thrived on violence and subjugation, even towards its own people.
The so-called "nobles" and "Planetary Governors" were more akin to tyrants than caretakers. They exploited the civilian population, coercing them into relentless labor, withholding basic necessities like food and shelter, and demonstrating inaction toward the suffering that surrounded them.
In Kardia's eyes, they were parasites feasting on the misery of their subjects, creating a cycle of despair that choked the very life from the galaxy.
It was clear to him: if he wanted to change the course of his life and the lives of others, he would need to forge a new path—one not bound by the shackles of the rotten Imperium.
"Well... it seems I need to start working."
Kardia said as he looked around his surroundings.
This planet was technically empty, with no soldiers present. The only survivors were either humans who had managed to endure or cultists of the Four Chaos Gods, or other cultists of minor gods.
Yet, now that he thinks about it. The best thing that happened to him was that he managed to "spawn" into a half-empty planet.
Now... he just needs to know how to make use of this world.
....
End of Chapter 5. End of Act 0.