SSS Ranked Awakening: Starting With My Limitless Cosmic Shadow System-Chapter 144: Demonic Youth

Amon, like a normal teenager from his past life, had dreams of riding atop the skies on a flying creature.

Since he was unable to realise that dream in his previous life, finally having it fulfilled here filled him with a quiet sense of accomplishment and excitement.

He stared at the distant, endless skies drifting by, a calm smile plastered across his face.

Aegon's eyes were filled with seriousness as he flapped his wings repeatedly, his intense golden gaze locked forward as they moved.

Atop the dragon, Amon stabilised himself before slowly calming his breathing.

It was time to create the seventh gift.

Amon knew it was the only way he could track down Helena.

Almost instantly, his thoughts began to churn, fragments of memory and knowledge colliding until the outline of a gift took shape in his mind.

A line of runes materialised in his vision.

[Detected a new gift: Divination. Rank is set to D by default.]

[Warning: This gift violates restricted laws. Usage has been severely limited. It may only be activated once per day. The information obtained will be vague, and its accuracy will degrade rapidly with distance.]

[Creation of this gift costs 500 creation points.]

[Unable to proceed with creation. Insufficient creation points.]

As Amon read through the runes, shock flickered across his face.

He read them again, slower this time, as if hoping the meaning would change.

It didn't.

After several seconds of silence, he patted the dragon's side, his hand tapping lightly against the rough, scaly surface beneath his palm.

"Change of plans, Aegon. The new mission is to search for another floating cloud like the one we came from."

"Okay, dad." Aegon agreed without hesitation, maintaining his pace as his eyes swept across the skies with focused attention.

Amon followed his gaze, watching as the bluish scenery shifted rapidly around them, the speed now obvious even without focusing on it.

The Divination gift was too important to ignore.

It was meant to divine Helena's location, and more importantly, help him understand why she had gone there in the first place.

If possible, it could even offer a glimpse of a way to successfully leave the star gate.

In terms of long-term value, it might surpass every gift he had created so far, aside from the healing gift that had saved his life more than once.

Amon's expression grew heavier as he continued scanning the surroundings.

With no further words exchanged, he and the dragon drifted onward in silence.

Amon didn't truly understand star gates…

Back then, he had compared them to dungeon instances from the games and novels he read in his previous life. Now, that comparison felt shallow.

The first star gate he entered was already abnormal, forcing participants to hunt star beasts.

Those same star beasts were trapped in a grotesque cycle of death and resurrection, endlessly repeating.

And now there was this star gate.

A completely different world, unfamiliar bodies, and secrets that felt deliberately buried beneath layers of false normalcy.

'So much…'

A dull ache formed behind Amon's temples as the scale of it all began to press down on him.

The Bermuda world was no longer hiding itself.

He could only hope he wouldn't drown before understanding it.

'Dad! I sense something…' Aegon's voice cut through his thoughts, snapping Amon back to the present.

He turned, scanning the distance until he spotted a floating cloud island over ten kilometres away.

At first glance it seemed narrow and fragile, but as they drew closer, its size steadily expanded within his vision.

Amon stared at it for a moment before gently rubbing the dragon's side.

"Good job, big guy." With that, his hand tightened around the axe he carried.

Without his universe ring, he couldn't summon his sword.

Or even—

…his artifact.

Letting out a controlled breath, Amon adjusted his grip on the axe, a thin edge of killing intent slipping into his gaze.

As they approached, faint murmurs reached his ears, growing clearer by the second.

Aegon flapped his wings once more, accelerating, and within minutes they arrived.

Shouts erupted instantly.

"Woah… mom! What's that? It looks soo biggg!" a child cried out, pointing excitedly at the massive dragon hovering above.

The woman beside him, likely in her forties, slowly lifted her head. The moment her eyes met the dragon, all colour drained from her face.

She froze completely.

Around her, the other villagers stared in stunned silence, their expressions caught somewhere between awe and terror, as if reality itself had cracked.

From above, Amon looked down at them like a distant god and realised the cloud was home to a group of villagers.

Most of them were clad in crude clothing, and some were thin and frail, clear signs that they hadn't eaten much.

The axe trembled slightly in Amon's grip.

A surge of killing intent flooded his chest, raw and sudden, his bloodlust spiking without warning.

For a split second, his mind supplied a terrible, effortless solution.

'Dad, they look so pitiful…' Aegon's voice broke through the darkness forming in his thoughts.

Amon's eyes widened.

'…When did that thought come so easily?'

His gaze dropped to his arm, to the Mark of the Sinner etched into his skin.

The mark had deepened, no longer a simple symbol but something closer to a void, pitch-black and consuming.

From his elbow to his fingertips, dark mist clung to his arm, as if his flesh itself had been condemned.

'When did it grow this far…'

Amon forced his breathing to steady and looked back at the villagers, who still stared at him with reverence and fear, mistaking silence for divinity.

He clenched his fist hard, nails digging into his palm, grounding himself against the thrill still whispering in his veins.

The excitement of battle.

The urge to kill.

The temptation to take lives simply because he could.

…Interacting with the system, Amon swiftly created several items, the cost shaving roughly 100 creation points from his reserves.

"Aegon, let's go…" As the runes faded from his vision, he spoke quietly.

Aegon nodded and beat his wings. As they departed, the skies above the villagers darkened briefly before something began to fall.

Food.

Grains scattered across the cloud, followed by sacks of rice and preserved meat.

The impact snapped several villagers out of their stupor.

"Rice… so much rice…"

"This—is this meat? It's been ages since I ate meat… I feel like crying. Huhu."

"Grains…" One man collapsed to his knees, sobbing openly. "This will last us… this will last us a long time…"

Only after taking in the mountain of food did they finally look up.

The dragon was gone.

So was the man who rode it. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"A god! Praise be to the god!!!"

"Praise be to the god!"

"Praise be to the god!!!"

Believing a god had descended to deliver them from starvation, the villagers bowed deeply, their voices echoing across the clouds.

From several metres away, Amon could still hear them faintly…

A melancholic, calculating look settled over his face.

Perhaps they were star beasts.

Perhaps they were humans trapped in this world, just like him.

Either way, Amon refused to surrender his morality in exchange for power.

At least, not yet.

Exhaling slowly, he spread his arms and let the wind rush past him.

"Walking the primordial path is truly too difficult."

"Sigh… brother… you caught me… I'm actually a…"

Jane continued speaking. However, Sunless narrowed his eyes and chuckled slightly.

"Sis, where did you learn to move your lips without words coming out of your mouth?"

Jane fell speechless and glanced at Sunless.

"What do you mean, brother? I just told you my secret…" Jane pouted slightly and retorted.

Bewildered, Sunless narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Repeat what you told me…"

Although Jane was slightly puzzled, she repeated her statement.

"I said I was a…"

Her voice trailed off once more, and Sunless noticed that although her lips moved, he was unable to understand her words.

In fact, not just that, while trying to read her lips, he couldn't understand what she was saying as well.

Sunless stared at his sister intently and shook his head.

"I can't hear what you're saying…"

Suddenly, Jane's eyes widened in shock. "You can't hear what I'm saying?"

Sunless nodded.

"This…" Jane was speechless and quickly dug through her memories before a thought finally struck her.

'The… Heavenly Dao? This is likely due to the Heavenly Dao!' Jane's eyes widened in shock as realization dawned on her.

If that was the case, and the Heavenly Dao was at play here, then she couldn't tell her brother her identity as a regressor, nor could she reveal future information that would happen…

'Like the calamity in a few years' time, or the battle in the Spirit Continent, and the Immortal Graveyard…' These were just some of the places that held great opportunities which she and Sunless could explore.

However, now she couldn't directly tell him.

Jane was slightly disappointed, but she shook off the frustration in her heart.

'I can still indirectly guide his actions so we can obtain the benefits, so it isn't too bad. I just can't share any information with him, unfortunately.'

Jane stared at Sunless with a disappointed expression on her face.

"Brother, it seems I can't state my identity due to… certain reasons. However, you have to trust me. I promise not to harm you!"

Jane felt slightly nervous as she stared into Sunless' silvery eyes that contained a dark luster within them.

Sunless narrowed his eyes, his face darkening slightly as he stared at Jane.

Having seen the situation just now, he also understood that whatever was happening was far from ordinary.

'Is she a transmigrator just like me?' Sunless felt the coincidence would be too uncanny.

If that was the case, then the whole thing would look like it had been orchestrated by someone.

'However, I doubt that is the case…'

Sunless shook his head internally, not heading down that line of thought.

Finally, after a tense few minutes of silence, Sunless broke the tension with a lighthearted laugh.

"You worry too much, little sister…" He ruffled her silver hair, and a dangerous glint passed within his eyes.

"Even if it's the heavens or gods that threaten to kill you, I will shoulder the weight for us."

As Sunless finished speaking, he noticed Jane's slightly flushed cheeks.

"Brother… don't… say things like that," Jane uttered shyly.

Having encountered terrifying entities in her previous life, she didn't think Sunless could reach such a level.

'Living a safe life is at least good for us in the meantime…'

With that in mind, Jane grinned and pinched Sunless.

Sunless looked at her in puzzlement.

Shrugging, he stood up and stretched a little.

"Shift. Let me sleep for a bit. I feel exhausted."

Since Sonia was sleeping in the next bed, Sunless didn't want to interrupt her, and he felt it would be improper to sleep with her without her consent.

With an ecstatic expression, Jane quickly shifted to the side as Sunless lay beside her.

He closed his eyes, feeling drowsiness crash onto him.

Meanwhile, looking at her brother up close, Jane grinned and began planting kisses all over his face.

Sunless could only mumble for her to stop while drifting to sleep.

After a few minutes of Jane expressing her joy, she finally returned her attention to the matter at hand.

"The first step is to become a martial warrior! Thankfully, I don't need an awakening stone or any trash like that to become a martial warrior!"

With that thought, Jane's mind stirred, and the Heaven Refining Technique appeared in her mind.

Instantly, bubbles burst out from her, and a few of them landed on Sunless, which he subconsciously absorbed. In his mind, the system rang continuously.

'The Heaven Refining Technique!' Jane muttered the name of the technique with excitement in her heart.

'It is said that by cultivating this technique, one can refine the energy of the heavens to strengthen themselves, becoming twice as strong as those on the same level.'

Jane's thoughts surged like a tide as, without hesitation, she closed her eyes and entered a state of deep meditation.

To become a martial warrior, all she needed to do was cultivate the technique for a bit, following the path described to absorb heaven's energy.

Using this energy, she could now enhance her physique and presence, clearing out a few mortal impurities and forming something akin to a martial core.

Absorbing the energy, Jane closed her eyes and entered deep meditation.

…

Silently, time slipped by, and after more than a few hours, Sonia woke up in a daze.

Startled, she quickly checked herself and sighed in relief upon seeing that nothing had been done to her.

'That's right… Sunless saved me…' Her heartbeat churned slightly as she recalled his cool appearance.

Quickly, she scanned the surroundings and spotted him sleeping peacefully beside his sister, who was sitting with her eyes closed.

'Wait… sitting?' Sonia widened her eyes and sprang to her feet.

Hurriedly, she rushed up to Jane, filled with astonishment.

"You've regained consciousness!" she exclaimed, excitement surging through her heart.

Jane opened her eyes, glanced at her, and offered a faint smile.

"Yes, Mrs. Sonia. Thank you for your help all this while."

Hearing herself addressed so professionally, Sonia's face reddened slightly.

"Your… uh, brother and I are pretty close. Just call me Sonia."

"Oh…" Jane's eyes flicked to Sunless, then back to Sonia.

Since her brother died, she no longer saw this woman again throughout her life. It was as though she had simply disappeared.

'Did she kill herself due to my brother's death?'

Jane was unaware of the complete situation.

'She's been really helpful to my brother and me all these years. I should at least repay her kindness with time…' Jane thought as her smile deepened slightly.

"Okay, Sonia!"

Sonia chuckled.

"I can understand why your brother cares about you so much…" she muttered under her breath, but Jane caught it.

A knowing glint passed through Jane's eyes as she smirked slightly.

With that, the two continued chatting idly as time drifted on.

Soon, Sunless stirred awake, feeling slightly refreshed.

The moment he woke up, he felt as though his body had changed slightly.

'Huh?' Sunless felt incredulous.

His body felt lighter, and a sense of comfort he hadn't felt in years surged through him.

'This… this…' Sunless was speechless.

Without hesitation, he called up the system, knowing it had something to do with his miraculous changes.

[Master: Sunless]

[Dexterity: 8]

[Strength: 9]

[Agility: 9]

[Spirit: 2]

[Note: 10 is the limit of an ordinary person]

[Professions: healer, gambler, speed, defense, warrior, imposter, supporting]

[Martial Warrior: Stage 0]

'So many professions already?' Sunless was a little astounded at the sight.