Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 232

Chapter 232: We are Friends III

Aiden remained seated, his eyes still bleeding, as the wounds they bore were not ordinary injuries that his powerful body could heal. They were laced with the very Laws of the world, a deadly force that gnawed at him from within. Among these, the sealing law he sensed within the wounds was the most insidious, preventing his eyes from recovering. Even after hours had passed, the blood continued to flow, a grim reminder of the unnatural nature of his affliction.

[Aiden…] Nexus’s voice came through softly, her concern palpable.

“I need time,” Aiden cut her off, his voice strained and weary, speaking for the first time in a long while.

[But your eyes…] Nexus tried to offer her help, her worry growing with every moment.

“I SAID I NEED TIME!” Aiden snapped, his frustration boiling over as he yelled. The outburst was followed by a heavy silence, the weight of his emotions pressing down on him.

Finally, he sighed, the anger draining from him as he spoke again, softer this time. “I… I didn’t mean it. It’s just… I feel helpless. It’s like having all this power, yet I feel like I’m caged inside my own body.”

Aiden’s words hung in the air, a heavy silence following them as the reality of his situation began to sink in. Despite all his power, the sense of being trapped, of facing forces beyond his control, left him feeling more vulnerable and alone than ever.

[I know it’s hard,]” Nexus said gently, her tone laced with concern. “But there are some things that, if I told you, you’d die before you could even finish hearing the first two words.”

[How do you know that?] Aiden asked, a mix of frustration and self confidence that he can survive no matter what ever nexus put on him.

[I know because your little stunt just now caused you to lose your vision permanently—at least until you reach the Divine Realm,] Nexus replied, her voice sharp with anger.

Aiden’s heart skipped a beat. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘until I reach the Divine Realm’?” he asked, worry creeping into his voice as he touched his still-bleeding eyes.

[Ah, yes,] Nexus continued, her tone tinged with urgency. [Not to mention, you’ll die in the next 24 hours if you keep bleeding like this. By then, your body will have exhausted all its nutrients trying to make more blood, but it won’t be able to anymore.]

Panic welled up inside Aiden as he realized the gravity of his situation. “Nexus, how do I solve this?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly as he acknowledged the mess he had created for himself.

Aiden attempted to stop the bleeding from his eyes by casting various healing spells, starting from the lowest tier.

“Heal,” Aiden mumbled, holding a divine crystal. It dimmed slightly as he touched his eyes. “No effect,” he muttered.

“Greater Heal,” he tried next, once again touching his eyes. “No effect.”

One by one, he worked his way up to Tier 9. “Saint Heal,” Aiden said softly, and then touched his eyes.

“It worked!” he exclaimed, feeling the bleeding stop. But his relief was short-lived. “But… yeah, I still can’t see,” he added, his voice tinged with depression as he realized the gravity of his earlier actions.

[It’s okay, we can always find a cure, maybe even before reaching the Divine Realm,] Nexus reassured him.

Aiden nodded, then asked, “How much longer?”

[Not enough, just 11 minutes,] Nexus sighed in response.

“So be it, might as well keep reminding me of my foolishness,” Aiden said as he began drawing the Tier 10 spell, knowing he couldn’t cast it without a catalyst now that his core was gone.

Using his Spirit Sense, Aiden carefully began to draw the spell circle. Spirit Sense, a skill unlocked by those at the Spirit Lord level, allowed him to perceive his surroundings in a way that was akin to infrared vision. It wasn’t the same as seeing with his eyes, but it was enough for him to complete the intricate work required to cast the powerful spell.

After five minutes, the circle was complete. The preparation had taken a toll on him, but he couldn’t afford to rest. The clock was ticking, and he needed to buy himself as much time as possible.

“Here goes nothing,” Aiden murmured, preparing to cast the Tier 10 spell. The energy crackled in the air around him,

Several Divine Crystal around began to crack up, as the energy was siphoned from them, and powered up the circle , Aiden guided the energies all around it properly, as it began to fill it up, and soon the circle was fully competed.

Aiden sat cross-legged in the center of the golden circle, his mind focused on the complex array of symbols surrounding him. The air around him was thick with energy, the golden light pulsing rhythmically as he prepared to cast the spell. With a deep breath, he quietly invoked, “Miracle Heal.”

The golden circle sprang to life, glowing brightly as it released a wave of healing energy. Aiden immediately felt a cool, soothing sensation spreading through his eyes, as though a gentle balm was being applied to a deep wound. For the first time since his eyes had been damaged, he felt a flicker of hope. The darkness in his vision started to recede, and blurry shapes began to form. It was faint, but it was there—a glimmer of sight returning.

But just as quickly as the hope had come, it was shattered. A sharp, searing pain erupted in his eyes, as if they were being pierced by thousands of needles. “Arghhhhhhhhh!” Aiden’s scream of pain echoed through the room as he instinctively clutched his eyes, the agony overwhelming. The ground beneath him cracked under the strain of the spell’s backlash, the sheer force of the clash between the healing magic and the embedded laws in his eyes causing the spell to unravel violently.

Nexus’s voice cut through the haze of pain, [It seems the spell was too potent, causing it to clash with the laws embedded in your eyes,] she said, her tone laced with concern.

Aiden, still gasping from the pain, forced himself to think clearly. He could feel the blood continuing to seep from his eyes, the wounds refusing to heal fully. “Saint Heal,” he whispered, the familiar warmth of the spell enveloping his eyes once more. The bleeding stopped, but the deeper damage remained—a constant reminder of his earlier reckless actions.

“I can’t just give up,” Aiden muttered to himself, his resolve hardening despite the pain. “I’ll keep the output low this time.” With a determined look on his face, he began drawing the circle again, his hands moving steadily despite the lingering ache in his body. This time, he carefully measured the energy, using only half the number of divine crystals to ensure the spell wouldn’t overwhelm his eyes again.

The circle was redrawn, its light softer but no less potent. Aiden invoked the spell once more, his voice calm but firm. The golden light bathed him again, and he felt the healing energy seep into his eyes, this time without the overwhelming intensity. He waited, hoping this attempt would finally restore his sight.

As the spell finished, Aiden slowly opened his eyes. But instead of the blurred images he had seen earlier, there was nothing—just darkness. A deep, all-encompassing blackness that seemed to swallow him whole. His heart sank, the weight of his situation pressing down on him like a heavy shroud.

“What’s the limit for this one?” Aiden asked, his voice barely above a whisper, the defeat evident in his tone.

[This spell will last for 31 hours,] Nexus replied, her voice steady but filled with sympathy. She knew how much this setback hurt him, how much he had hoped that this would be the solution.

Aiden nodded, accepting the temporary fix. It wasn’t a cure, but it would at least buy him some time. Time to think, time to plan, and time to figure out his next move. The darkness was still there, an ever-present reminder of his mistake, but Aiden knew he couldn’t afford to dwell on it. He had to keep moving forward, even if the path was shrouded in shadows.

As he sat there in the darkness, Aiden’s thoughts began to race. His body was filled with immense power, yet here he was, unable to see, trapped by a mistake that he couldn’t undo. The sense of vulnerability gnawed at him, a stark contrast to the strength he usually felt. It was as if all his power was meaningless against the intricate laws of the world, and that realization left him feeling small and helpless.

Nexus’s words echoed in his mind, [Some things are beyond your control, Aiden. Even with all your power, some forces are just too great to challenge head-on.]

Aiden clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. “But I refuse to be helpless,” he murmured to himself. “There has to be a way… there has to be something I can do.”