RE: LORD OF TIME

The night sky above Rosco Barony was filled with countless twinkling stars, radiating their brilliant starlight across the land.

A cold breeze gently flowed through the air, carrying with it the earthy scent of growing crops.

In a deserted area of their farmland, William sat under a tree, his eyes fixed on the shining stars overhead.

It had been seven days since he discovered the connection between that supreme figure dressed in white and his Traits.

During these seven days, he had focused almost entirely on practicing the Supreme Star Scripture and condensing his Aether Core in preparation for breaking through to the Star Warrior Realm.

Normally, with the help of the few herbs he had gathered inside the Astral Rift, he should have been able to break through within two or three days.

However, because of the Bloodline Essence Crystal, which had strengthened his body to an entirely different level, the time required had increased slightly.

Because of the tremendous increase in his physical strength, the amount of Aether Energy his body could hold before reaching the Star Warrior level had increased dramatically.

As a result, the amount of Aether Energy needed to completely condense his Aether Core had also increased, naturally extending the time required for the breakthrough.

William was more than happy about this unexpected surprise, as having more Aether Energy would only benefit him without causing any drawbacks.

Now, he had finally reached the critical moment, and his half-condensed Aether Core was only a single step away from becoming complete.

”Once I break through to the Star Warrior Realm, I should be able to use the Seven Steps of Supreme, right?” William muttered with an uncertain expression, feeling somewhat helpless.

During the past seven days, he had repeatedly gone far away from his home to try using the Seven Steps of Supreme.

However, he had sadly discovered that he couldn’t even take the first step.

The amount of Aether Energy required to use this skill was simply too enormous.

When he had tried to use it six days ago, before he could even complete the first step, all of his Aether Energy had been exhausted, making it impossible for him to execute the skill at all.

”My Aether Energy will increase drastically after becoming a Star Warrior. Even if I still can’t fully use the Seven Steps of Supreme, taking the first step should at least be possible.”

William took several deep breaths to calm himself and make sure he was in perfect condition.

Once everything was ready, he slowly closed his eyes, and the Supreme Star Scripture began to operate.

The surrounding Aether Energy immediately started flowing toward him, seeping into his body before merging with his Aether Core.

In less than three minutes, his Aether Core reached its limit and began to tremble violently.

William’s expression also became serious, because breaking through to the Star Warrior Realm wasn’t as simple as merely condensing an Aether Core.

The process of completely condensing the Aether Core was extremely painful.

During its formation, the core would release waves of energy that would reconstruct his entire body.

Not only that, but his Sea of Consciousness would also open during the breakthrough.

In other words, he would have to endure not only physical pain but spiritual pain as well, because opening the Sea of Consciousness felt like someone repeatedly striking his soul with a giant hammer.

Suddenly, the trembling of William’s Aether Core intensified, and strange waves of energy burst out from within it.

As those energy waves spread throughout his body, the blood inside William’s veins churned violently, while all of his internal organs trembled.

An intense pain instantly spread throughout his entire body, making him feel as though every part of him was being torn apart.

It wasn’t William’s first time experiencing this pain, so he merely gritted his teeth and continued operating the Supreme Star Scripture.

One wave of energy after another continued to emerge from within his Aether Core, flowing throughout his body.

Even from the outside, one could clearly see strange movements beneath his skin, as if countless worms were crawling underneath it.

However, those energy ripples didn’t simply disappear after wreaking havoc inside his body.

Instead, they fused with his flesh.

RIP!

Suddenly, the sound of flesh tearing echoed through the silent night as William’s skin split open and blood gushed out from every part of his body.

His arms, legs, chest, abdomen, and even his face...

The skin covering his entire body cracked open as blood poured out like a fountain, turning him into a blood-soaked man.

However, as the old blood flowed out, the energy waves immediately generated fresh blood inside his body.

Compared to his previous blood, this new blood appeared much brighter and was filled with vibrant vitality.

There were even faint traces of Astral Energy flowing within it.

As this newly formed blood circulated throughout his body, his internal organs and bones were nourished by it, gradually becoming stronger and more resilient.

Crack! Crack! Crack! - - - -

The sound of bones breaking echoed continuously as every bone in William’s body shattered before rapidly recovering under the influence of the energy waves, becoming significantly harder and far more durable than before.

His old skin slowly peeled away, while brand-new skin regenerated over his entire body.

Even his hair fell out as the skin on his scalp was completely renewed.

Fortunately, under the influence of the energy waves, his hair quickly grew back.

Otherwise, it would have been rather difficult to explain to Elena and Karl why he had suddenly become completely bald overnight.

It was precisely because breaking through to the Star Warrior Realm created such an enormous mess that William had chosen to do it outside in a deserted area.

If he had attempted the breakthrough inside his room, it would have been impossible to clean everything afterward.

’The pain of breaking through to the Star Warrior Realm this time is far greater than it was in my previous life...’

William clenched his fists tightly to suppress the painful groans threatening to escape his mouth and did his best to remain calm.

Although the breakthrough process was much more painful than he had expected, William actually felt delighted.

This extra pain was proof that he had become far stronger than he had been in the original timeline.

Even before breaking through, his physical body had already surpassed that of an ordinary early-stage Star Warrior.

Naturally, strengthening such a powerful body even further required enduring a much more intense transformation.

Time continued to pass, and eventually, the energy waves emerging from William’s Aether Core suddenly changed.

BOOOOOOM!

The instant this new wave of energy appeared, the transformation of his body came to an end.

However, at the very same moment, it felt as though an enormous hammer had slammed directly into his head, making his vision spin.

A sharp pain surged into his mind, making him feel as though he would faint at any second.

’It’s time for my Sea of Consciousness to open...’

William immediately understood what was happening and gritted his teeth as he endured the splitting headache.

BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM!

The new energy waves continued to slam against his soul and with every impact, William’s entire body trembled violently.

His eyes became bloodshot as he felt as though his head would explode at any moment.

BOOOOOOM!

Another powerful impact struck.

However, immediately afterward, a refreshing sensation suddenly spread throughout his entire body.

Even the excruciating headache that had been tormenting him began to fade away.

William’s senses became incomparably sharper, and an indescribable feeling of liberation spread throughout his body.

The instant his Sea of Consciousness fully opened, the Aether Core inside his body trembled violently.

Then, in the very next moment—

Boom!

Its previously illusory form completely condensed into reality.

As the Aether Core fully condensed, William felt both his physical strength and Aether Energy increasing at an astonishing rate.

However, he paid no attention to those changes and his eyes were completely fixed on the notifications that had just appeared before him.

(You have successfully broken through to the Star Warrior level.)

(Your Status Window has been unlocked.)