Is this really a Game?!

As the light subsided, Reign found himself floating.

He couldn't see or hear anything as he was in some sort of darkness. Nothing was present.

Suddenly, he was able to hear.

He heard the flicker of lightning that he was so familiar with, but he couldn't see it anywhere.

Then, he was able to see.

He was inside a cloud, and he was able to see how lightning was formed. 

At least, that's what he believed was happening.

Suddenly, the scenery shifted again, and he was now in space, staring at a vast ocean of lightning. He could see some large rocks inside that ocean of lightning, but upon looking closer, his mind went blank as he realized that those were not rocks, but planets.

The ocean of lightning was … different.

There were some kinds of being swimming in it, all of them created by lightning, and all of them different. There were different kinds of lightning there as well, different colors and varying levels of power that they had.

Reign felt himself being drawn toward one particular source of lightning. As he approached, he realized it was a massive creature, composed entirely of lightning energy. It had a humanoid form but radiated power beyond anything he had encountered before.

The creature turned to him, its eyes crackling with intense energy. Without words, it communicated with Reign on a level beyond speech. It conveyed knowledge and understanding directly into his mind. The secrets of manipulating lightning, the connection between the energy and the universe, the harmony within the chaos – all of it flowed into Reign's consciousness.

The experience was overwhelming, and Reign felt like he was merging with the lightning itself. He could sense the flow of energy, understand its patterns, and manipulate it with newfound clarity. The lightning became an extension of himself, a force he could wield with precision and power.

As the enlightenment continued, Reign saw glimpses of different worlds, each with its own unique energy. He witnessed the dance of lightning in various forms, from the gentle glow of fireflies to the destructive force of thunderstorms. The enlightenment was a cosmic journey through the essence of electricity.

Back in his room, Reign's body trembled as the enlightenment reached its peak. The ball of light, which represented the gathered knowledge and experiences, slowly dissolved, leaving behind a serene aura. The room itself seemed charged with energy, and Reign opened his eyes, feeling a profound connection to the lightning around him.

[ Ability Enlightenment Successful ]

[ Ability has Evolved ]

[ Lightning Manipulation – Lord of Lightning Rank SS ]

[ Lord of Lightning – Rank SS, level 4, 0% ]

[ You have gained a new skill ]

[ Lesser Lightning Body has been changed to Thunderstorm Embodiment ]

[ Thunderstorm Embodiment – Rank SS ]

Description: Channel the power of a raging thunderstorm, transforming your body into a living embodiment of electrical fury. In this form, you gain enhanced speed, strength, and resilience. Lightning arcs around you, damaging foes in close proximity. The embodiment lasts for a limited time and requires a significant amount of energy.

The boost in power is about 100%.

Reign marveled at the description of the skill. The ability to transform into a living embodiment of electrical fury was beyond his expectations. The enhanced speed, strength, resilience, and the additional damage inflicted on nearby foes made it a formidable skill. The only drawback was its limited duration and the significant energy requirement, but the benefits far outweighed the costs.

This was similar to back when he first managed to create the 'Lesser Lightning Body' skill. He was only able to use it for short bursts as he didn't have enough mana for constant usage, but it had saved his ass many times.

"Damn kid, the system really went all out for you."

"I don't think I've ever heard of anyone gain enlightenment and evolve an ability like this," Aethion said in shock as he stared at Reign.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?!"

"Kid, you didn't even have to think, you didn't really even reach enlightenment, it was given to you!"

"That humanoid form of lightning just gave you everything you needed to evolve the ability, all the experience needed, all the skill that was needed for it, it was all just given to you!"

"Do you have any idea just how much people struggle to evolve an S Rank ability, just how much patience is usually needed for something like that?"

"It takes years, on average, a decade is considered not bad."

"And you, you just did it in a short couple of months, not only that, but you barely had to struggle to evolve it."

Aethion panted before he sat down while Jared glanced at him with pity. If the old man was having such a reaction to this, he probably suffered a lot in the past to evolve his own ability, right?

"How long did it take you?" 

Ouch.

Jared showed even more pity as he saw how Aethion's expression changed.

"Seven years, and then I Transcended."

"You didn't wait until it was rank Z?" Reign asked, causing Aethion to choke.

"You little bastard, do you have any idea what kind of rank that is?!"

"It is the absolute peak that somebody can reach while in the leveling realm, if an ability reaches that rank, it is a danger to even Transcendents and not just the weak ones!"

"Even those that reach Tier X do not necessarily have a rank Z in any ability or proficiency."

"Don't use that man Eisenhorn as a reference, he is a complete anomaly, someone that shouldn't even exist in that world!"

"To reach Rank Z with the blade while being a normal person who has lost his strength, that is completely unheard of!"

"That man is one in a trillion, there's probably less than 1000 beings in the leveling realm in the entire universe right now that have the same talent when it comes to handling a weapon, he is that rare!"

"And before you say anything, there are probably quadrillions of people in the leveling phase throughout the universe right now, hell, even that number is probably too small!"

"There's probably quintillions of them!"

Reign nodded his head absent-mindedly to Aethion's words.

It was hard to comprehend how big of a number was a quadrillion or quintillion really, after all, the entire planet had barely had 8 billion people before the system had arrived.

To even think of how many were quadrillions was simply too much, let alone higher. Aethion sighed as he saw Reign's nonchalant reaction. It was clear that the young player was still absorbing the magnitude of the information.

"Just don't let it get to your head, kid. You've got a rare gift, and it comes with its own set of challenges. Keep honing your abilities, but stay humble. There's always more to learn," Aethion advised.

Reign nodded in agreement. He understood the importance of humility, especially in a world filled with challenges and uncertainties. The power he had gained was significant, but he couldn't afford to let it cloud his judgment.

With the newfound evolution of his Lightning Manipulation ability and the addition of the Thunderstorm Embodiment skill, Reign felt a surge of confidence. However, he was also aware that the journey was far from over. There were still dungeons to conquer, mysteries to unravel, and adversaries to face.

They were still too weak, and they had much to go through.

For two whole days, everybody stayed in the building and was digesting the rewards that they had gained.

Reign left after the second day as he felt that he had adapted completely to everything he gained, and he was excited to actually try out his new skill.

He found an empty place on the mountain range and used his new skill, the 'Thunderstorm Embodiment'.

Dark clouds gathered above Reign as he activated the Thunderstorm Embodiment. The air crackled with energy, and bolts of lightning danced around him. His body transformed into a living embodiment of electrical fury, and the air itself seemed to vibrate with power.

Reign felt a surge of strength and speed as the Thunderstorm Embodiment took hold. The enhanced senses allowed him to feel the electrical currents in the air and the energy pulsating through his veins. He flexed his muscles, testing the newfound power coursing through his body.

With a burst of speed, Reign dashed across the mountain range. The lightning arcs around him left a trail of destruction, scorching the ground and leaving smoldering marks. His movements were swift and agile, and he reveled in the sensation of being one with the storm.

He then stopped and stared in front of him before using his other skill.

[ Lightning Palm ]

Reign suddenly felt a ton of mana being taken away from him before a huge palm that was tens of meters in diameter appeared some 150 meters away from him. The palm slammed down on the ground before the lightning exploded, causing an immense explosion and a loud thunderclap to reverberate through the entire area.