Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster’s Power - Chapter 1090

Chapter 1090: Chapter 1090

As we pull harder on the soul ties connected to the outside of the galaxy wide ether construct, the passage of time moves along faster and faster.

Every single being in the Lower and Upper Realm ages, and no matter how many drops of Emperor’s Essence I let fall into the Origin Plane to reconnect, we only drift further apart.

The threshold of human lifespan draws near for many of the generals, commanders, knights, and admins. There are already familiar faces from the human world that decided not to make the journey to the Upper Realm who have passed away.

Just like all of the other lifeforms in this galaxy, microscopic particles of flawless-grade ether float off their dissipating souls and are added to the red and blue immortal forms floating in the membrane.

Some of the less powerful descendants of Fisher and Lidya in the Lower Realm have already succumbed to old age, while others watch as their family trees push past twenty generations.

The purple-cored water and ice-wielding patriarch and matriarch appear very aged.

Coded into the DNA of humans, no matter the strength of their cores, level, or mana control potency, there seems to be a hard limit on the years their essence connected to the system can remain in the Origin Plane. They are both nearing the 800-year mark, and their wavering life force is very noticeable.

Not only them, but Bri, Rodrigo, Monk, Luna, and all of the Knights too. They have all reached the end of the natural line.

Average citizens of the galaxy, even direct blood descendants of these prominent figures, all must face their fate. However, those that made great contributions before the final war have the opportunity to undergo a forbidden legacy that has been erased from the records of the Purple Zone of the Upper Realm.

One of my Emperor’s Essence Avatars watches as Ren leads this small group of aged individuals through the private fast-travel pathways Abby has created to bring them to a hidden domain far out beyond the outer settlements in the Purple Zone.

It is where Ren and Ember hid from Marcellus long ago.

This is where, one by one, those on the verge of death undergo their ascension, relinquishing their right to ever level up using the system again, even dissipating their divine cores. They emerge as pure white ethereal beings made almost entirely of high-quality ether. They are held together by a few flawless-grade ether glyphs at their cores that hold their consciousness and vital wisps of their soul inside.

With an additional illusionary and protective sealing legacy granted by Abby once they leave this hidden domain, their appearance is a replica of what they looked like in their younger years. It is a shell, as beneath there is only white ethereal mist and glyphs. They have maintained their peak strength but can no longer progress further. However, any ether expended from these ascended bodies shall never reattach to their artificial soul cores either.

When I scan each of these prestigious beings heading back to their homes, their temperament has shifted once again. It is as though they have completely fulfilled their life’s duty and can now rest in peace to watch from the background.

They speak and act as though they are still the same; however, Maria and I can see the truth.

The laws fluctuating within these ethereal forms only show echoes of what they were, it is as though I’m watching dead people return to their old homes in the Upper and Lower Realm.

This is just a far less extreme version of the life-preserving technique Noctus used upon his demise. The soul tie array that encapsulated his being has been recreated on a smaller scale. Just from watching the fluctuating laws, I can predict the future of these ethereal bodies, and I’m certain they will not last forever. Yet, I will not interfere in their endeavors to live on and grasp a taste of immortality on their own terms.

My avatar returns to the void, and hundreds more years pass.

Even Arie and Raven, despite being far more full of vitality and the Primordial Essence of ancient races blended with their souls, cannot breach 1,000 years before their natural end nears.

Ren brings them to the same hidden domain, and the ethereal archer and dual-bladed swordswoman return to the Green Zone to watch over their twenty-six generations of progeny and retire into the shadows.

Time passes by faster and faster as we pull another thousand years from the Origin Plane.

Even Ava must resort to ascension, as goblins have shortened lifespans too.

Asic, the High Orc Warlord, is the first of their group to reach his natural end, qualifying as a suitable applicant for ascension and returning to the Ellipsia Citadel as an ethereal white body next.

These ethereal bodies are not as perfect as they seem.

As another ten thousand years fly by, those that opted to live on feel that any large-scale or excessive movements deplete their remaining life force. The flawless-grade ether arrays that hold their souls intact slowly dissipate into the membrane every time there is any amount of stress placed on them.

Even using fast-travel pathways slowly depletes these vessels.

While not noticeable within a year, or decade, or even a century, as these beings get used to the longer passage of time, they begin to shift their perspectives.

Hundreds of generations of their offspring have begun to settle as undisputed rulers of their domains.

More and more enormous artificial ports are formed in the Lower Realm. Not only abandoned Noble Grade Worlds and their stars are being used as fuel, now even First and Second Grade Worlds that have been sold off are being harvested to create consolidated civilizations.

The Green Zone’s real estate has become even more demanding. Extremely tall towers fill the entire zone; there are no longer unused areas of land far away from Citadels.

The Cyan and Blue Zones are almost unchanged, as infrastructure already filled this entire zone and planned for the eventual expansion and storage of all the remaining energy in the galaxy if needed.

When I summon a drop of Emperor’s Essence back into the Upper Realm to do my usual checkups, this time I return to the Purple Zone once again.

It has been a few thousand years since I last visited. I appear before the sparkling green figure of Abby, covered in ancient green glyphs, somehow still holding onto her original human flesh. She has defied the rules of this system and outlasted the normal peak lifespan of our race by over fifteen times.

____________________________

Author’s Note:

If you’re enjoying Dungeon Diver and want to follow Jay on his journey 20+ chapters ahead of schedule, check out the Patreon link in my profile bio.

There’s custom chapter art for every new daily upload too!

Thanks for reading:)

____________________________