[Death's Glance]
Effects:
[Death's Aura: Your presence naturally unsettles the weak. Enemies below your rank suffer slight fear and hesitation when facing you.]
[God's Snub: You are ignored by lesser death-detection skills. Abilities that sense death or souls may fail to notice you.]
[Death Resonance: All death-related skills and titles gain a small effectiveness boost.]
[To catch the God of Death's eye, even for a moment, is a feat no mortal should achieve. Even being snubbed leaves a scar and a blessing.]
[Congratulations on achieving another Exceptional Feat!]
[Your rank has advanced!]
[You are now D-rank!]
[Your existence has been strengthened.]
Bruce let out a long exhale at how easily his rank had climbed.
'Isn't this too easy?!'
Excitement surged through his consciousness, racing in his veins like fire.
'If raising my comprehension of Death gave me an Exceptional Title… then does that mean if I raise my comprehension of Life to 100%, I'll get another?!'
This was too good to be true, but who cares, his quick rising in strength might be alarming, but Bruce knew one thing. The stronger, the better. The more overpowered he became compared to his peers, the better. And the more Exceptional Titles he stacked, the better!
'Yes… that's right! Sophie said it herself, this is my only free chance! I should give it my all'
'So I need to wring everything I can from this trial. Every last drop. If I could attract the God of Death, then maybe… just maybe, I can draw the God of Life as well.'
His heart thumped with anticipation as the next scene began.
As always, he died.
But this time, he fought not to comprehend death, but the essence of life itself.
Bruce's vision cleared.
This time, he was a farmer in a humble village, surrounded by his wife and children. He felt the warmth of their smiles, the sweat of honest work, the sound of laughter echoing across a field of golden grain.
And then… famine came. The crops withered, his body weakened, his children grew thin. Yet despite hunger and hardship, they clung to him, and he clung to them.
Even as his strength faded, he held their hands, a smile etched on his lips.
So this… this is life? Even fragile, even fleeting… it's a blessing.'
[Your Comprehension of Life has risen to 60%!]
Bruce gasped in his consciousness as the panel appeared.
"Ha…! A blessing. Of course…!" His mind buzzed with excitement. "It's not about how long it lasts. It's the fact that it's here at all."
His grin widened. Life itself is a blessing, no matter how small.
He barely had time to savor the thought before his vision shifted again.
This time, he was a child. Poor, frail, yet cradled in his mother's arms. She sang to him, kissed his forehead, and held him until her body gave out. He starved soon after, but even in his short days, he felt warmth, care, and love.
'Life is a gift… even if brief, even if taken too soon. A gift, precious and unrepeatable.'
[Your Comprehension of Life has risen to 70%!]
Bruce exhaled in awe.
'Gift… blessing… yes! Each breath, each heartbeat, is something irreplaceable. To live is already to have received more than nothing.'
Excitement coursed through him. His earlier thrill at Death comprehension now returned, but this time brighter, warmer.
And then, he noticed something.
His last two deaths… unlike before his full comprehension of death, where he had been crushed, stabbed, or annihilated in an instant… these recent ones had been different.
He now had slower, softer and more peaceful death. Each lives where quite long too. He lived more than 10 years in total from his last two lives, which is very rare.
He let out a sigh as his vision blurred again, dragging him into the next life.
Here, he was a scholar, brilliant but isolated. His life was long, filled with knowledge but devoid of warmth. He aged alone, his body frail, his heart heavy. At the end, he passed in silence, bitter and empty.
'So… life can also be a curse. To exist without joy, without love, without meaning… that is its own torture.'
Bruce couldn't help but sigh at his thoughts, this trial had changed him. All of a sudden he's soliloquizing like some mad philosopher.
'Whatever.' he thought with a bit of disgruntlement.
[Your Comprehension of Life has risen to 80%!]
Bruce clenched his fists in the void of his consciousness.
'Blessing. Gift. Curse. His mind raced. Yes… yes, I see it now! Life is everything. It's the exact opposite of death. The warmth and the suffering. The joy and the despair.'
[You've achieved full comprehension of the concept of Life]
[Unique Extraordinary Title Acquired: Surgeon of Life]
[Surgeon of Life]
[Effects:]
[Perfect Regeneration: All healing you apply to yourself or others is 100% faster than normal speed. Severe injuries, curses, and illnesses recover in moments under your touch.]
[Aura of Vitality: You naturally exude an aura of life that strengthens allies around you. Allies within range experience accelerated recovery, boosted stamina, and resistance to fatigue or sickness.]
[Bane of the Undead: Your very presence disrupts unnatural life. Attacks gain high damage properties against undead, vampires, liches, zombies, and any being defying the natural order.]
[Essence Infusion: Healing beyond full recovery temporarily boosts the target's vitality, granting a surge in strength and speed for a short duration.]
[Cycle of Renewal: When you heal others, their life force resonates with yours, slightly restoring your own health, mana, or stamina in return.]
[Life's Command: You may extend life unnaturally, sustaining someone at the brink of death until you will otherwise.]
[To cut, to stitch, to preserve, you do not merely mend flesh. You wield the scalpel of life itself, dictating when vitality blooms and when it endures. To those who walk beside you, you are salvation. To those who oppose you, you are terror.]
Seeing this Overpowered title only one thought rang in his mind...
'Damn!'