If previously their battle of consciousness resembled two bubbles pressing against each other to reduce the enemy’s size, the situation now had shifted entirely.

  The Seed of Chaos' Consciousness Bubble was small and cornered, while Venix's Consciousness Bubble was dominant and massive.

  However, the Seed of Chaos took a different approach. Instead of directly clashing with Venix’s Consciousness Bubble, it began invading it, turning parts of Venix’s consciousness into its own!

  Their consciousness bubbles merged like two water droplets joining together—a large bubble glowing bright blue and a smaller one shrouded in deep black.

  The black bubble began secreting a liquid that invaded the blue bubble, pressing against Venix’s consciousness.

  “Damn it! What are you doing?!” Venix roared, his voice hoarse and broken, laden with anxiety that was barely contained.

  His Consciousness Bubble started to erode, slipping out of his control.

  Venix desperately tried to suppress the Seed of Chaos’ invasion, but it was futile. The Seed of Chaos’ Consciousness Bubble was like an indestructible force, impervious to Venix’s efforts.

  “Don’t fret too much, alright? If anything, I’m thankful,” the Seed of Chaos said with a sharp grin, its eyes glinting with menace. “Your body is just perfect for me.”

  Venix struggled to fend off and block the viral invasion within his consciousness bubble. Yet, all he could do was delay the virus, unable to stop it entirely.

  Venix's Astral Body, which the Seed of Chaos now referred to as the True Origin, began to transform.

  Venix's once-black pupils, encircled by golden rings, began shifting into an ominous crimson, making him appear more terrifying and enigmatic.

  Behind the True Origin Venix, something stirred, and moments later, a tentacle erupted from his back, tearing through his clothing.

  “What...? Venix… could lose like this?!” Grandmaster Ardyn gasped, his eyes wide and breath caught in disbelief.

  One by one, tentacles emerged from Venix’s back—sixteen in total, far more than the Seed of Chaos had ever possessed.

  The True Origin Venix wore a serene smile as his hand reached forward.

  The Seed of Chaos, watching from the side, approached Venix like an obedient pet.

  Controlled by the Seed of Chaos, True Origin Venix used all sixteen tentacles to ensnare the Seed of Chaos' body, devouring it hungrily.

  The Seed of Chaos closed its eyes, sensing the changes within the True Origin Venix.

  “My awakening is far from perfect, and I’ve lost much,” the Seed of Chaos remarked with a sigh. “But this True Origin is a fine gift. I can gradually restore myself in time.”

  Moments later, the Seed of Chaos lifted its gaze, locking eyes with Grandmaster Ardyn, who stared at the transformed True Origin Venix.

  The Seed of Chaos grinned cruelly. “Your efforts weren’t in vain—you’ve given me a marvelous body.”

  Grandmaster Ardyn’s mind reeled. Despite the Seed of Chaos appearing weakened, he felt immense pressure, as though he were an ant facing a tiger.

  Without hesitation, Grandmaster Ardyn severed his golden astral body from Venix and quickly returned to his physical form.

  Upon reuniting with his body, Grandmaster Ardyn opened his eyes slowly, his mouth tightly shut. But within seconds, his body trembled violently, and he coughed harshly, blood spilling from his lips.

  The technique he had used earlier was perilous, requiring a steep and painful price.

  Grandmaster Orion turned his attention, composed yet alert, and began assisting Grandmaster Ardyn in healing his injuries.

  “Hurry…” Grandmaster Ardyn forced his mouth open, struggling to speak. “Venix… is lost! The Seed of Chaos has taken over his body!”

  Grandmaster Orion’s face turned cold.

  With a wave of his hand, a pre-prepared hidden formation activated, materializing into a cubic prison that trapped Venix within.

  Black chains emerged from the prison, piercing Venix’s hands, feet, and abdomen, sealing his movements and power completely.

  Moments later, Venix opened his eyes, his pupils now glowing blood-red.

  Venix tilted his head, observing the chains binding him.

  He then lifted his gaze, staring directly at Grandmaster Orion with his crimson pupils. “You’re the one who foresaw my arrival?”

  Grandmaster Orion’s heart pounded rapidly, as though the prophecy from his dreams was now unfolding before his eyes.

  Venix smiled calmly. “In the end, you have nothing to worry about. After all, this isn’t your real world. It’s more of an illusionary realm for you.”

  Grandmaster Ardyn and Grandmaster Orion stared at Venix with a mixture of seriousness and confusion, unable to fully grasp the meaning behind Venix—or rather, the Seed of Chaos’—words.

  Attempting to move his hands, the Seed of Chaos examined the situation with eerie composure.

  “Sealing me here won’t change anything,” the Seed of Chaos said, its voice calm yet sinister. A wicked smile lingered on its face. “Sooner or later, I’ll devour every one of you, even if this is merely an illusionary world.”

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  Given its current power, breaking the seal was impossible. Still, the Seed of Chaos remained unshaken. It understood its strength and knew it could never truly be killed.

  The Seed of Chaos had its own means to escape the seal, though it required time. And since this was a Virtual World rather than the real one, it felt no urgency.

  Grandmaster Orion turned his focus to assisting Grandmaster Ardyn with his recovery.

  Meanwhile, members of Primecore began entering the research chamber, eager to witness the prophesied Seed of Chaos.

  In the depths of his consciousness, Venix despaired. Ninety percent of his Consciousness Bubble had been invaded by the Seed of Chaos, leaving him unable to control his own body.

  Now, Venix stood alone in the vast expanse of his mind’s ocean, his form intact.

  Around him, the endless blue sea of his consciousness was marred with invading streaks of black, spreading and consuming the blue.

  Hatred consumed Venix, his heart heavy with unbearable regret.

  “I was such a fool…” he muttered, his voice hoarse, cracked by frustration. “Why didn’t I see this coming?”

  Venix had been suspicious from the start—ever since his death in the real world.

  When training in the Virtual World against Puppets wielding real weapons capable of injuring his body, Venix realized something.

  He felt no fear at all! Even when confronting a Seedbound in the real world or recklessly entering Sundance City, Venix remained calm, unshaken by fear.

  This realization dawned on Venix, making him aware of a truth that could lead to his death if he continued to act recklessly—he had lost the ability to sense danger.

  As an ordinary human, Venix knew himself well enough to understand that such rapid development was impossible without fear residing in his heart.

  Yet, on the other hand, without fear of danger, he had been able to push his limits further.

  One reason Venix refrained from fighting stronger Puppets in the training room was his latent fear. Without that fear of danger and death, he could have unintentionally ended his own life.

  However, reflecting on his death in the real world left Venix feeling uneasy. It was peculiar—he hadn’t felt any fear or discomfort, which was entirely unnatural.

  And the core issue was the Seed of Vulture.

  Both Venix and Grandmaster Orion had suspected for a while that the consciousness of the Seed of Chaos had emerged. There was no way Venix could have entered his Origin Fragment Realm without the intervention of the Seed of Chaos.

  The consciousness of the Seed of Chaos may have fully surfaced when the second Seed Origin was born—right when Venix was killed in the real world and left unconscious in the Virtual World.

  Something strange happened after that: Venix was able to control his own Seed of Vulture body. According to Grandmaster Orion’s analysis, this was highly plausible and might even be a prerequisite for ascending to a higher level.

  Yet no one, including Venix, questioned one glaring detail—the original consciousness of the Seed of Vulture had vanished!

  Seed Origins possessed a primitive form of consciousness, akin to that of wild beasts.

  But when Venix controlled the Seed of Vulture’s body, he hadn’t considered why its consciousness had disappeared so abruptly.

  Now it was clear—Seed of Chaos had replaced the Seed of Vulture’s consciousness when Venix was unconscious.

  The Seed of Chaos had remained silent, showing no signs of life as it concealed itself, taking the place of the Seed of Vulture’s awareness.

  Because it refrained from taking overt actions, Venix—still a novice—had been unable to detect its presence.

  This meant the Seed of Chaos had likely been aware of all their plans!

  Even his doubts about its consciousness and the plan to use the Origin Blessing—everything had already been known to the Seed of Chaos.

  Perhaps, the Seed of Chaos had even encouraged Venix to follow through with the plan, ensuring the formation of the True Origin it so desired.

  Its initial weakness had merely been a ploy to buy time for the True Origin to fully manifest.

  It was only now that Venix could piece together all the oddities and missteps he’d overlooked in the past.

  \---

  "The Seed of Chaos may have the ability to interfere with the authority governing one’s soul. But... have you ever considered that you, too, possess a far greater authority and can suppress it?"

  A voice, both unfamiliar and profoundly familiar, resonated within him.

  "Who’s there?!" Venix spun around sharply, his gaze scanning his surroundings.

  Before him stood a figure, and the sight left him utterly speechless.

  "You..." Venix’s voice faltered as he stared at the figure in disbelief.

  "Yes," the figure said with a faint smile. "I am you."

  Standing before him was someone identical to Venix, even down to their attire.

  But there was something undeniably different about this Venix—their face bore deep wrinkles, and their eyes held a weariness that spoke of countless years of hardship.

  "Who are you?" Venix instinctively stepped back, his guard up.

  A flicker of suspicion crossed his mind. Could this be the Seed of Chaos, disguising itself to deceive him further?

  "I am from the future," the older Venix said, his expression a mixture of calm and gravity, his eyes carrying the weight of years.

  Venix’s thoughts reeled, refusing to accept the words.

  His future self? Impossible!

  "I know it’s hard to believe, but trust me," the older Venix said, letting out a weary sigh. "We have a larger mission—to destroy that cursed entity."

  Hatred flashed across the future Venix’s face, his disdain for the Seed of Chaos so intense it felt almost palpable. If the Seed of Chaos were laid out before him, he looked as though he’d gleefully devour it alive.

  "That creature is strong but not invincible," the future Venix continued, his voice steady but resolute. "I’ve spent countless years developing this technique specifically for this moment."

  \---

  Meanwhile, the Seed of Chaos, now controlling Venix’s body, remained still. The process of the Origin Blessing wasn’t yet complete.

  With nothing left to hinder it, the Seed of Chaos was poised to fully manifest itself.

  "You think you can stop the Origin Blessing?" the Seed of Chaos taunted the members of Primecore and the others who frantically attempted to disrupt the process.

  The Seed of Chaos laughed mockingly, its scornful tone making the entire room feel like a gathering of fools.

  Grandmaster Orion, unfazed, met its gaze coldly. "If you cooperate, we’ll release you and even help you grow stronger."

  The offer startled everyone present. Grandmaster Ardyn’s eyes blazed with anger as he glared at Orion.

  Marlin, Solan, and Zaira exchanged puzzled looks. Was Orion seriously proposing to collaborate with a threat he himself had foretold?

  "If you promise to destroy the prison trapping us in this world, I and the others will dedicate all our resources to aiding your growth," Orion said firmly.

  His words hung in the air, leaving the room in stunned silence. If such an agreement were possible, it would be a significant boon for them.

  But the real question lingered—what price would they have to pay for the Seed of Chaos’s cooperation?

  The Seed of Chaos burst into raucous laughter, as though hearing the most ridiculous joke of all time.

  "You’re not even real!" it sneered, its voice dripping with mockery. "This treasure is truly remarkable—replicating the real world and preserving its essence within this illusion!"

  The Seed of Chaos knew all about the Virtual World and had long set its sights on this treasure.

  What it hadn’t expected was for Venix to somehow obtain it.

  Though the Seed of Chaos harbored doubts, its ultimate aim was clear—everything would belong to it.

  But just as it prepared to speak further, its expression shifted. A look of shock and disbelief swept across its face.

  "Impossible!" the Seed of Chaos growled, its voice trembling with outrage.

  Everyone present watched in confusion as the Seed of Chaos seemed to battle something unseen.

  Grandmaster Orion narrowed his eyes, pondering deeply.

  Inside the True Origin, within the realm of consciousness shared by Venix and the Seed of Chaos, a seismic shift had begun.

  Guided by his future self, Venix had taken decisive action, targeting the consciousness seized by the Seed of Chaos.

  Using the technique imparted by his older self, Venix struck, fracturing the Seed of Chaos’s control into dozens of smaller fragments.

  Piece by piece, Venix shattered the Seed of Chaos’s dominance, reducing it to countless fragments scattered across his mind.

  With its consciousness forcibly divided, the Seed of Chaos grew weaker, its overwhelming control diminished.