Chapter 426: The System Reward from the Soul Stone
Ethan was very pleased with how his companions had grown. And it wasn't just them. Doc Ock, Deadpool, the Spider-Men: all of them had made the same kind of progress.
He was sure that given more time, they would comprehend Authorities of their own.
Of course, having the beginnings of an Authority, like Tony, didn't guarantee becoming a demigod or a True God.
The laws of the universe were strict and fair. Every Authority was one of a kind, and all of them had long since been claimed by ancient, powerful beings.
One peg, one hole.
For example, if Tony wanted to reach the peak of the Authority of Wisdom, he'd have to face a cruel reality:
Either surpass, even defeat, an ancient deity like Athena, goddess of wisdom, and take her Authority;
or find another path and forge a new Authority suited to himself.
But that path was incredibly hard, because deep in each person's soul, only one or two Authorities resonated with them. You couldn't force it, and you couldn't easily swap.
That wasn't only Tony's dilemma. It was the common problem of everyone who sought greater power and higher realms.
It was exactly why demigods were so rare, and why, after countless ages, the Celestials numbered only a thousand or so. The road was full of unknowns and dangers, and those who held on to the end and truly mastered their own fate were always the fewest of the few.
For Ethan, though, this wasn't a big deal. Worst case, he'd kill off all the Celestials. There'd always be an Authority that suited his people.
Ethan still had four Authorities in hand, enough to share among them.
They were Machinery, Buddha, Swamp and Wolf.
Just as Ethan was about to explain the mysteries of these Authorities to his companions, a sudden, violent aura of destruction shattered the calm.
It came from Uncle Fisk, a few steps away. His face had instantly turned savage and terrifying, as if some powerful force were eating away at him and he was about to lose his mind.
The scene shocked everyone in the room. The Hell's Kitchen crew turned to him with worried looks, afraid something had happened to their usually steady, seasoned elder.
But just as the tension peaked, the aura of destruction receded like a tide. It lasted only three or five seconds before vanishing without a trace.
Uncle Fisk's face returned to its usual calm. He lightly brushed off his clothes, as if what had just happened were only an illusion.
He picked up a cigar and lit it at his leisure, took a deep drag, and his lips curved into an easy smile, as though he were long used to this sort of sudden disturbance.
"It's fine. No need to worry, everyone," Uncle Fisk said, his voice steady and strong. "That Frieza's just acting up again. He's always like this, making a scene every so often." He said it lightly, but everyone knew exactly how dangerous it was.
"Uncle Fisk, are you sure you don't want me to shut Frieza out?" Ethan asked, as if Frieza, the cosmic overlord, were something he could take care of with a flick of his hand.
"No need, Ethan." Uncle Fisk smiled faintly, wisdom glinting in his eyes. "Let him come. It's a good chance to temper my mind and strengthen my will. A once-glorious emperor of the universe who's fallen from his pedestal, how could he ever stand in my way? He'll only be a stepping stone as I climb higher."
The instant Uncle Fisk finished speaking, a furious, twisted voice erupted in his head. It was Frieza, roaring.
"You damned wretch! If you've got the guts, release my seal! I'll tear you to pieces with my own hands!" The voice was full of endless hatred and resentment, as if it meant to pierce every barrier and reach straight into Uncle Fisk's soul.
"Fine. As you wish." Uncle Fisk's lips curled into an amused smile, as if answering some trivial request.
As he spoke, an invisible force stirred in the room. Then an astonishing sight appeared before everyone.
A bald figure under five feet tall, glowing a ghastly white all over, suddenly materialized. It was Frieza's soul body.
The moment he appeared, he opened his savage mouth to spew threats.
"You... all..." But Frieza's threat stopped short.
As a soul body, he could clearly sense the powerful presence radiating from every person around him. Even in his days as emperor of the universe, he had never felt such crushing pressure.
He looked around. Everyone was standing or sitting with indifferent, dismissive expressions, as if he, the former emperor of the universe, were nothing but an insignificant insect to them.
"Hmph! I'm only in soul form right now. I can't be bothered with you insects!" Frieza forced down his fear and fury, trying to hide his weakness behind the last of his dignity.
But before he'd even finished, his soul body began rapidly dissolving. Clearly he wanted to flee this place that filled him with despair.
Just then, Ethan casually waved a hand, and an invisible force instantly locked Frieza's soul body in place.
Then a heart-rending pain tore through the depths of Frieza's soul, and he couldn't stop himself from screaming.
"Quiet down. This isn't the place for you to run wild." Ethan stared expressionlessly at the soul body in his grip, his voice full of irresistible authority. "Something that couldn't even fully beat Goku dares to throw its weight around here? Remember this: whoever you are, here you follow our rules."
"This is Hell's Kitchen. My turf. Remember, I'm the one who created you all, and I can erase you all any time I want."
As Ethan finished, Frieza's soul body fell completely silent and couldn't make another sound.
Ethan looked at the soul body in his hand, a complicated light in his eyes.
He had every right to say it, because these soul bodies existed because of the System.
After Ethan obtained the Soul Stone, the System upgrade had given him a reward:
every template card could now generate its own soul body.
At first glance, the reward seemed kind of useless.
But Ethan knew perfectly well it was incredibly powerful!
It was like giving each of his family members their own old master living in their head.
With these soul bodies, his companions could master their template cards' abilities much faster.
"Well then, my seniors, you've been watching long enough. Isn't it time you came out?"
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you