Chapter 288: Back to limbo

Sakura's house was dimly lit, the only real illumination coming from the soft blue crystals embedded in the walls. In the center of her main room, Zafron lay encased in a cocoon of his own slime, the substance pulsing with a gentle red glow that matched his breathing.

[System Alert: Level Up Protocol Initiated]

[Processing Combat Experience]

[Calculating New Statistics...]

Sakura sat cross-legged beside him, her tail swishing thoughtfully as she watched the cocoon's rhythmic movements. Her enhanced vision could pick up subtle patterns in the slime's flow, like blood through veins, each pulse seeming to strengthen him somehow.

[Stat Increase Detected]

[Updating Character Sheet...]

--Name:-- Zafron Sёarch* The NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

- --Potency Level:-- 7

- --Vitality XP:-- 450/700

- --Physical Attributes:--

- --Strength:-- 75

- --Endurance:-- 65

- --Agility:-- 60

- --Vitality:-- 25

- --Eros Attributes:--

- --Virility:-- 25

- --Pheromone Production:-- 22

- --Reproductive Health:-- 24

- --Social Attributes:--

- --Charm:-- 22

- --Confidence:-- 20

- --Attraction:-- 19

- --Eros Skills:--

- --Stamina:-- 20

- --Technique:-- 18

- --Intimacy:-- 19

- --Status:--

- --Overall Health:-- 90/100

- --Potency:-- 95/100

- --XY Virus Resistance:-- 65%

[Warning: Unusual Power Fluctuations Detected]

[Sovereign Title Integration In Progress]

'What are you?' Sakura thought, her cat-like eyes narrowing as she studied him. She'd seen plenty of fighters in the wasteland, but nothing like this. The way he'd multiplied himself, the way he'd dominated Steele after seeming completely outmatched – it defied everything she knew about combat.

Her ears twitched suddenly, picking up footsteps in the corridor outside. Light, careful steps, but determined. She tensed, claws extending instinctively, but then caught a familiar scent.

The door creaked open, and Matilda stepped in, her eyes immediately drawn to the glowing cocoon. "I went to our house first," she said without preamble, closing the door behind her. "The whole undercity's talking about the fight."

[System Alert: New Abilities Unlocking]

[Slime Manipulation Level Increased]

[Berserker Mode Evolution Detected]

Sakura's tail flicked as she gestured for Matilda to come closer. "I've never seen anything like this," she admitted, watching as another pulse of red energy rippled through the cocoon. "He fell into this state almost as soon as we got here."

Matilda moved closer, kneeling beside the cocoon. Her eyes traced the patterns of energy flowing through it, recognition flickering across her face. "The system," she murmured, more to herself than Sakura. "He told me about it once – some kind of vitality system. I didn't really understand it then, but..."

[Enhancement Protocol Activated]

[Processing Physical Augmentations]

[Warning: Multiple System Changes Occurring Simultaneously]

Inside the cocoon, Zafron remained still, aware but disconnected, like being underwater and hearing voices from the surface. He could feel the changes happening, feel his body adapting and growing stronger, but it was all distant, dreamlike.

"What exactly did he tell you about this system?" Sakura asked, her ears perked with interest.

Matilda shook her head, still watching the cocoon's pulsing light. "Not much. Just that it was tied to his vitality somehow, that it helped him grow stronger. But this..." she gestured at the cocoon, "this seems like something else entirely."

[New Title Benefits Processing]

[Sovereign Ascendant Abilities Integrating]

[Warning: Power Levels Exceeding Previous Limitations]

The cocoon's glow intensified slightly, drawing both women's attention. Sakura's enhanced senses picked up subtle changes in the air – increased energy, a slight rise in temperature, the faintest hint of ozone.

"The way he fought Steele," Sakura said slowly, her tail swishing thoughtfully, "that wasn't normal power. Not even for the wasteland. The multiple copies, the life force drain – I've never seen abilities like that before."

Matilda nodded, her expression troubled. "And Steele... the way he reacted to Zafron, it was like he knew something about him. Something from before."

[System Alert: Neural Pathways Reconfiguring]

[Combat Experience Being Integrated]

[Warning: Unknown Variables Detected in Power Matrix]

The cocoon pulsed again, stronger this time, and both women fell silent, watching as new patterns of energy began to flow through the slime. Whatever was happening to Zafron, it was far from over.

***

Consciousness returned to Zafron like morning mist clearing from a valley. The harsh reality of the wasteland melted away, replaced by something far more serene. He found himself standing in an endless field of flowers, their petals swaying in a breeze he couldn't quite feel. The sky above – if it could be called a sky – was an impossible shade of white, neither bright nor dim, simply... present.

Looking down, he realized his wasteland attire had been replaced by flowing white robes that seemed to shimmer with their own inner light. The fabric felt impossibly soft against his skin, like wearing clouds woven into cloth.

"This feeling..." he murmured, his words carrying an ethereal quality in the strange air. The scent of flowers filled his lungs – roses, lilies, and others he couldn't name, their fragrance more vivid than anything he'd come across before.

Movement caught his eye – butterflies, hundreds of them, their wings catching non-existent light and scattering it like prismatic jewels. They seemed to be following something... no, someone.

Through the sea of flowers walked a woman, her presence making the very air itself seem to hold its breath. Each step she took caused the flowers to lean toward her, as if paying homage to their queen. Her beauty was beyond mortal comprehension – skin that seemed to glow from within, curves that defied natural law, draped in garments that flowed like liquid starlight.

Zafron's heart quickened with excitement. He knew that face, those eyes that held entire universes within them. It had been so long...

Then reality – or whatever passed for reality in this place – crashed in on him. His excitement turned to ice in his veins as realization struck.

"Wait..." he said, his voice trembling slightly. 'If I'm seeing you, then that means... I'm in limbo. And if I'm in limbo, then...' His eyes widened with dawning horror. 'Am I dead?!'

The goddess's laughter rang out like crystal bells, somehow both musical and mischievous. She'd clearly been reading his thoughts, finding amusement in his sudden panic.

"No, dear Zafron," she said, her voice carrying the warmth of summer evenings and the depth of ocean trenches. "You're not dead. Though I must say, your stubborn nature continues to surprise even me. Somehow you've managed to trespass into the domains of the afterlife through sheer force of will and power."

Relief flooded through him, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Then... why am I here?"

Her smile was mysterious, holding secrets like a flower holds morning dew. "That, my dear, is for you to discover." She paused, tilting her head slightly. "But first, wouldn't you like to come in for some tea?"

As if her words had rearranged reality itself, a mansion materialized behind her. The structure seemed to settle into existence as if it had always been there, its white marble columns and sweeping archways both impossibly grand and perfectly natural in the surrounding field of flowers.

Zafron shook his head, startled despite himself. "I'd forgotten how... different things are here," he muttered, earning another musical laugh from Aphrodite.

The goddess led him through doors that opened of their own accord, revealing an interior that took his breath away all over again. Crystal chandeliers hung from ceilings that seemed to reach into infinity, their light catching and refracting off surfaces that shifted between marble and pure energy.

She guided him to a sitting area where a table and chairs awaited, each piece looking as if it had been carved from single pieces of pearl. "Please, sit," she said, gracefully taking her own seat. "The tea will be ready shortly."

As if summoned by her words, the soft sound of footsteps approached. A familiar figure emerged carrying a silver tea kettle, her simple white robe a stark contrast to the opulence around them.

Zafron's face split into a wide grin. "Thera!"

His system assistant's smile was as bright and genuine as he remembered, her eyes twinkling with joy. "My lord," she said, her voice carrying the same warmth he'd grown used to hearing through his system interface. "It brings me such happiness to serve you in person once again."

Unable to contain himself, Zafron stood and embraced her, the tea kettle carefully held aside. "I've missed you," he said softly. "The holograms just aren't the same."

"My lord honors me," Thera replied, her free hand returning the embrace briefly before she stepped back to set down the kettle.

"Always so informal, my lord," came a familiar sarcastic tone from behind them. "One might think you'd forgotten proper protocol entirely."

Turning, Zafron found Calista and Aurelia standing there, as different from each other as night and day. Aurelia sparkled with her usual array of gemstones and precious metals, looking more like a treasury given human form than a servant. Calista, by contrast, maintained her proud bearing, a subtle smirk playing at her lips as she gave a small bow.

"Calista," Zafron nodded, matching her smirk. "Still as charming as ever, I see."

"One of us has to maintain standards, my lord," she replied smoothly, though there was genuine warmth beneath her sardonic tone.

Aurelia stepped forward, her jewelry tinkling like wind chimes. "My lord," she said, bowing deeply. "Your presence here is unexpected but most welcome."

"Now that we're all properly reacquainted," Aphrodite's voice drew their attention back to her. She sat at the table, looking completely at ease amid the reunion. "Perhaps it's time we discussed why you've found your way back to my domain."

The goddess gestured to the empty chair across from her, and Zafron took his seat once more. Thera began pouring tea into delicate cups that seemed to be made of frozen moonlight, while Calista and Aurelia took up positions behind their master's chair.

"I must admit," Zafron said, watching as his cup filled with liquid that shimmered like liquid gold, "I'm curious about that myself. Last time I was here, it was because I'd actually died."

"Indeed," Aphrodite replied, lifting her own cup with infinite grace. "And now you've managed to bridge the gap between life and death without actually crossing over. Quite the achievement, wouldn't you say?"

Steam rose from the cups in intricate patterns that seemed to form and reform into tiny butterflies before dissipating. The scent was unlike anything in the mortal world – hints of jasmine and rose, but also something deeper, older, like the memory of the world's first sunrise.

The three assistants exchanged glances behind Zafron's back, clearly aware of something they weren't yet sharing. Calista's smirk had grown slightly, while Thera practically vibrated with barely contained excitement. Even Aurelia's jewels seemed to shimmer more intensely.

Aphrodite took a small sip from her cup, her eyes never leaving Zafron's face. "Tell me," she said, her voice taking on a more serious tone, "what do you remember about your recent battle?"