Cosmic Ruler

After a few minutes, Aiden finally sighed in relief as he heard Nexus say, "It's finally done."

The tension that had been building throughout the battle began to ease. Aiden's eyes, or rather, his Spirit Sense, sharpened as the full power of Akashic Insight flooded his mind. Every hidden detail, every secret of the Serpent's abilities, was laid bare before him. He now knew exactly what he was dealing with, and more importantly, how to counter it.

"About time," Aiden muttered, his resolve hardening as he prepared to turn the tide of the battle. The Serpent, unaware of Aiden's newfound knowledge, continued its relentless assault, but Aiden was no longer on the defensive.

He took a deep breath, channeling the energy within him, and prepared to unleash a devastating counterattack.

****

Name: ???

Species: Evolved Serpent of Time

Rank: Mythical Beast (Half-Step Dragon)

Age: 10,000+ years

Height: 30 meters (98 feet)

Length: 200 meters (656 feet)

Weight: 50 tons

Attributes

Strength: 120,000

Agility: 95,000

Endurance: 130,000

Vitality: 150,000

Energy Reserves: 180,000

Intelligence: 80,000

Willpower: 90,000

Abilities

Time Manipulation:

Rewind: Rewinds time on any target within a limited scope, reversing effects such as wounds or damage by up to 2.5 years.

Temporal Shield: Generates a barrier that slows down time for incoming attacks, reducing their impact.

Chrono Acceleration: Speeds up its own movements or healing by temporarily accelerating its timeline.

Water Mastery:

Tidal Wave: Creates massive waves of water to overwhelm opponents.

Water Spear: Condenses water into highly pressurized spears, capable of piercing even the toughest defenses.

Aqua Bind: Generates water tentacles to restrain and crush enemies.

Poison Breath: Exhales a deadly, corrosive mist that can dissolve most materials and inflict severe poisoning.

Regeneration: Slowly regenerates health over time, further enhanced by time manipulation abilities.

Special Abilities

Rule of Time (Incomplete):

Grants the Serpent partial mastery over the Time Rule, allowing it to manipulate time within certain limits. While its control is not absolute, this ability greatly enhances its survivability and combat prowess.

Evolving Bloodline:

As the Serpent consumes powerful opponents, its bloodline evolves, pushing it closer to becoming a true dragon. This evolution also increases its mastery over the Time Rule.

Temporal Awareness:

Allows the Serpent to perceive fluctuations in time, making it difficult for opponents to surprise or outmaneuver it.

Weaknesses

Energy Consumption: The Serpent's time-based abilities consume a massive amount of energy, limiting the duration it can maintain these powers in prolonged battles.

Vulnerable to Space Manipulation: Abilities that manipulate space can interfere with its time-based powers, disrupting its control.

Incomplete Rule Mastery: The Serpent's mastery over the Time Rule is not complete, leaving gaps in its defenses that can be exploited by someone with superior knowledge or counter-rules.

Current Status

Energy Reserves: 50%

Vitality: 70%

Regeneration Rate: High

Mental State: Cautious, slightly frustrated

Intelligence Assessment: Believes it holds the upper hand but is unaware of Aiden's newfound understanding.

******

Aiden, now fully empowered by the Akashic Insight, could see every detail about the Serpent, from its strengths to its vulnerabilities. The information flowed through his mind, and he realized just how formidable this insight was at full power. It was like holding the keys to his enemy's defeat.

'Never thought Akashic Insight at full power was this powerful,' Aiden mused as he began to channel spatial energy into his next attack.

"Space Rend," he whispered, and a wide arc of spatial energy tore through the water, heading straight for the Serpent. The Serpent's eyes widened in alarm as it sensed the incoming danger. The water churned violently, trying to suppress the spatial crack, but it was too powerful. The clash of energies created a massive whirlpool, sucking everything in its vicinity.

Both Aiden and the Serpent stared at the phenomenon, unsure of what to make of it. The attack had created a chaotic battlefield, where space and water twisted together, forming an unpredictable and deadly vortex.

Hisss.

The Serpent hissed in frustration and fear. Realizing that it was in danger, it tried to flee. With its mouth wide open, it aimed to swallow the shard that helped him evolve and escape. Just as it was about to gulp down the shard, a shadow passed by, snatching it away.

The Serpent looked up, furious, only to see that the shadow was none other than the puny human who had been tormenting it.

Roarrrr!

In a fit of rage, the Serpent roared and chased after Aiden. Its speed was formidable, but Aiden, in his Merman form, was the true master of the water. He swam effortlessly, his movements fluid and swift, as if he was one with the lake itself.

Aiden reached the open lake and, with a powerful leap, broke the surface, soaring into the air. But as he looked around, something felt off. He noticed Eeh'liel, the Lifeless Emperor, imprisoned in a cage, surrounded by numerous people who were all focused on the lake. The moment they saw Aiden emerge, every gaze locked onto him.

The atmosphere was tense, and Aiden could feel the weight of their stares. But before he could make heads or tails of the situation, someone else leaped out of the water, sharp fangs in a wide-open mouth, ready to swallow Aiden in one gulp.

On the other hand, Alberto looked at the fishtailed human and the huge serpent with horns, not knowing what was happening.

"Yes, this must be it," he thought as he looked at Aiden and the serpent with horns.

"Listen, this is an illusion. The Mystic Flame, seeing its guardian lost and imprisoned, is now trying to distract us," Alberto said with full confidence.

Hearing him, the others' eyes lit up as they looked at him.

"Indeed, Elder is right," one of them said, reassured by Alberto's conviction. "Now that the Mystic Flame has no other means to defend itself, it's resorting to tricks."

Aiden, sitting atop the serpent's head after dodging its maw, looked at Alberto speechlessly. "This guy's confidence level is through the roof," he thought.

[Yep, the Most Confident Man of the Year trophy goes to him,] Nexus added with a nod.

Despite the serpent's intelligence, it didn't glance at Alberto, its only goal being the Shard, which could make it stronger. Aiden sighed, realizing just how strong the serpent was. But suddenly, his instincts screamed at him to run. He immediately leaped high into the air, canceling the druid spell. His fish-like legs began to spread out as they reverted to his normal form.

Aiden swiftly unfurled his Abyssal wings, soaring high into the sky with just a single flap, the entire transformation happening in an instant.

As he stabilized himself in the air, Aiden looked down and saw the devastation below. "This bastard tried to kill us both," he thought, glaring at Alberto. The serpent, its half-face evaporated, lay unconscious, unaware of what had just happened.

Aiden hovered high in the air, using an illusion spell to conceal himself as he observed Alberto's party. He noticed them gulping down potions as they began to dive into the lake. "They're probably after the Skyfire," Aiden mumbled to himself.

He then glanced at the serpent, noting that everyone had left except for two or three disciples guarding Eeh'liel, who now had only one skull left. His soul flames flickered weakly, as if they could extinguish at any moment. "Poor guy," Aiden muttered before chanting two spells and firing them at the guards.

The unsuspecting sect disciples looked around in confusion as massive black flame spears rained death upon them. They were reduced to ashes without even realizing how they died.

Aiden landed in front of Eeh'liel's cage and tilted his head. "What's up?" he asked casually.

"Forgive me, master, for this pitiful display," Eeh'liel responded weakly. Aiden shook his head as he cast a utility spell, unlocking and beginning to open the cage, which was actually a formation box capable of trapping even Immortal ancestors.

Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire

A white circle formed above as the formations dimmed, and soon Eeh'liel was freed. His body began to grow, transforming into the skeletal shape of a three year old tall child.

"I guess you're running low on fuel," Aiden remarked, tossing him some Abyssal and Ruination energies to help him recover.

Eeh'liel absorbed the Abyssal energy from the crystal and eyed the Ruination energy crystals with curiosity. "Master, this?" he asked, his gaze fixed on the crystals.

"You wanted it, right? You can have it. You've earned it," Aiden replied, beginning to walk toward the serpent.

Eeh'liel nodded and bowed to Aiden. "It is my greatest pleasure and destiny to serve you," he said sincerely, while Aiden's attention shifted back to the serpent.

The serpent was healing slowly, surrounded by purplish energies that helped to restore its vitality. "It seems you exhausted all your energy while healing yourself," Aiden mused, sitting near the serpent's face.

The serpent's eyes locked onto Aiden, and it hissed in response. "Weak... Prey..." it spat out, clearly disdainful.

Aiden nodded as he heard the serpent's words. "How about this: I'll heal you, give you this shard, and help you evolve. In return, you give me ten years to train, and then we'll fight. The loser will serve the winner," he proposed, maintaining eye contact with the serpent.

The serpent regarded him warily and hissed again. "Human... Deception... Trickery."

Aiden responded firmly, "I will take an oath."

"Oath... Trust... Time... Train..." the serpent hissed as it succumbed to unconsciousness.

Aiden nodded and placed the serpent inside the Spirit Beasts' Healing Garden, Inside the Spirit Beast Paradise, where it would be cared for and healed.