Descent of a God

Evolution

[A/N: I was planning on adding another chapter but decided to just edit this one cause there is a mini arc planned after this and this content is too short for two chapters.]

|Jude|

Cordelia reacted quickly and teleported us back to the safety of the cave. Despite the severity of my injuries, I was strangely numb and devoid of any pain. Using my limited knowledge of vivum, I managed to close the wounds but the prospect of regenerating my missing arm seemed daunting. 

Cordelia's face was twisted with horror as she stared at my missing limb, "Will it never grow back?" 

"Not without advanced mastery of vivum or a prosthetic replacement," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady despite the looming threat of death. 

The reality of the situation hit me hard. The king bear had proven to be a formidable opponent and my current physical condition was far from optimal. I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to survive. 

"Quick, cauterize the larger wounds," I instructed Cordelia, my voice barely above a whisper. 

Despite her trembling hands, Cordelia conjured flames and began the gruesome task of sealing my wounds with searing heat. Agonizing pain coursed through my body and I screamed until my voice was hoarse. 

Finally, the bleeding was under control and I felt my eyelids drooping as exhaustion overtook me. I drifted off to sleep, grateful for the respite from the pain and the hope that I might survive another day.

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|Jude|

As I slowly opened my eyes, I felt a wave of pain course through my body. I attempted to get up, but Cordelia placed a gentle hand on my chest, urging me to stay still. My bare body bore both old and new scars, a testament to the battles I had fought and survived.

Tears welled up in Cordelia's eyes as she offered me some soup. Gratefully, I took the bowl and ate quickly, feeling the warm liquid soothe my aching body. Once I had finished, Cordelia spoke softly, her voice trembling with worry.

"What are we going to do now, Jude?"

I took a deep breath before retrieving the relic that I had acquired during my first ascension. "Give me one day to decode this," I said, my eyes fixed on the mysterious orb.

As I focused my aether into the relic, a complex puzzle appeared before me. Despite my greater mastery over aether, I couldn't decipher it on my own. Remembering Arthur's advice, I relinquished my control over aether and allowed it to flow freely into the orb.

My body broke out in a cold sweat as I poured more aether into the relic, but it started to pulse with a vibrant purple light. Cordelia woke up from her slumber, noticing the relic's sudden activity.

As I injected more aether, the relic suddenly exploded, but Cordelia was able to contain the explosion with a sphere of magic. The sudden release of energy caused unbearable pain to envelop my hand, and I watched as runes began to form on the backs of my hands before disappearing almost instantly.

However, I could feel the runes travelling up my arm, down my back and legs, before settling at the base of my spine. The knowledge of aevum was being ingrained into my brain.

Another rune formed on my back as aether pulsed through my body, and I read its inscription: [Aroa's Requirem: Rewind]. I watched as my broken arm and cauterised wounds began to heal, as I rewound time by 12 hours.

Gasping in pain, I clutched at my core, realising that most of my aether had been depleted due to the time reversal. I was also aware that my aevum abilities had expanded, including the ability to rewind time to heal living beings or restore items, though I could not restore mana or aether reserves at this point.