From Human to Skeleton: Revived with Infinite System Crystals
Chapter 174: New Places

(Meanwhile – Distance from Demon King: Incalculable| )

(Location: ________ Realm moments after being pushed by Erebos)

Back with Ty Hockenson

Time: 8:30AM

World: Planet Hadeias

Region: The Heian Kingdom

Ty's blue eyes fluttered open, their gleam contrasting sharply with the bright sun above. He instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes, fingers raking through his hair as he groaned. Confusion laced his voice as he muttered, "What the hell, where am I?"

The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. Staring at his hands, now flesh rather than bone, he recoiled in shock. Ty scrambled backward on the gritty earth, his voice rising in disbelief, "There's no way... my skin... I have my skin back!" He clutched at his face, his fingers tracing the unfamiliar contours of his cheeks.

Tears began to well up in his eyes, not just from the overwhelming surprise but also from the flood of painful memories - his friends bleeding out, their defeat at the hands of Erebos.

Overwhelmed by a surge of frustration, Ty clenched his fist and smashed it into the ground. The jolt of pain that coursed through his body was real, a stark reminder of his newly regained human form.

Flinching from the impact of his fist against the ground, Ty quickly pulled his hand close to his chest. He stared in disbelief at a gashed cut on his hand, bleeding profusely. His hand trembled slightly as he murmured, "It's not healing like before."

Realization dawned on him, voiced in a soft, self-reflective tone, "I really lost my skeleton form... but how?" As Ty raised his hand to shield his eyes from the glare, he suddenly noticed something startling in the sky. There were two suns; one emitted a blue aura, seemingly smaller but likely just farther away, while the other, a yellowish-red sun, was about twice its size.

"Where the hell am I anyway?" Ty wondered aloud. His gaze drifted downwards to his chest, noting he was still clad in his black and red garments, now marred by a hole where Erebos had plunged his hand through.

Ty's hand gravitated to his stomach, feeling the rough texture of a large scar – a memento of his previous battle. His grip tightened, a wave of frustration surging within him. "I have really lost everything again, huh?!" he exclaimed, the anguish in his voice piercing the still air. Ty's knees buckled, and he collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by his circumstances.

In that moment of despair, something extraordinary happened. Behind him, seven tapestries materialized, their red hues reminiscent of those on Planet Alexiera. Ty's eyes, normally vivid with emotion, now turned blank and white. From his chest, an orange energy ball emerged, tethered by a small chain. It gradually took the form of an eye, symbolizing some deeper connection or power yet to be revealed.

As the sun cast its heavy gaze over Ty, the world around him seemed to momentarily pause. In the next moment, Ty found himself in an entirely different reality - within the confines of his own mind. He was seated in a dining room, but this was no ordinary setting. Across the table from him was the same man he had encountered during the lake burning, the one who had appeared in their first encounter.

Recognition and confusion mingled in Ty's voice as he addressed the man, "It's you?! Why are you only showing yourself now, after all this time?" His frustration was clear, echoing in the clatter of his fist slamming against the table. Glasses tumbled to the ground, shattering upon impact, but the old man nonchalantly caught one in mid-fall.

He inspected the glass, seemingly indifferent to Ty's outburst and unanswered questions.

The old man, unfazed by the tension in the air, took a sip from the glass he had deftly caught. He scrutinized Ty, a mix of curiosity and recognition in his eyes. "So, you've come home, huh?" he mused. "That Vampire is indeed full of mysteries. Just so you know, we were never meant to be found."

Ty, about to speak, was abruptly cut off.

The man continued, a hint of resignation in his voice, "The Devil God might be having some influence on the current events. It seems no matter what I do, I can't stop the events that are unfolding." He locked eyes with Ty, his gaze piercing. "One day, you will be forced to choose a side permanently. But for today, focus on making the right choices, one step at a time.

Try to go against the grains of darkness."

As the old man concluded his statement, the room began to undergo a dramatic transformation. The walls around them started to crumble, the fragments catching fire as they fell. The ceiling fractured and broke, sending debris tumbling down. A massive sun, larger and more intense than any Ty had seen before, churned ominously towards them, engulfing everything in its path with fierce flames.

Amidst the chaos, Ty, driven by a pressing need for answers, shouted over the roar of the destruction, "Do you possibly know why I'm no longer a skeleton before this ends?!"

The man, now enveloped in flames, maintained an eerie calmness. A sly smirk crossed his face as he replied, "Well, that's quite simple. You are still the skeleton, but since your soul has returned to its original home, you have assumed the form that the soul first inhabited.

However, after Erebos stole the devil core from us, it's likely you won't be able to use the regeneration you had grown accustomed to for so long."

Ty attempted to grasp the explanation, his thoughts racing. "Wait, but I thought the regeneration came from the skeleton's original body that the Demon King—"

His words were abruptly cut off as the entire room was suddenly consumed in an inferno. A moment later Ty was back from his trance and his eyes, initially glowing a fierce red, transitioned into a soft light blue. His black hair fluttered gently in the breeze that had mysteriously returned. In front of him, a floating eyeball held his gaze, an eerie presence amidst the chaos.