"What do you mean?" Liam couldn't remain calm. If he had access to his old inventory that would change many things.
"Since the artifact was bound to you when you exited the tutorial, your inventory items were naturally transferred to the artifact." "I tried to access them but according to the rules that I am bound by I am unable to do this. While I do not know the exact contents of your inventory, I am aware that they are indeed present."
"If you allow me I can immediately bind with my artifact again and grant you complete access."
A moment of silence ensued after which Liam nodded. "Ok. But not now." While he couldn't wait to see what could be salvaged, he couldn't risk taking out something so extraordinary when he was still inside this creature.
So far he had successfully managed to stay under the radar and progress all the way to repairing his soul fully. Now he was on the cusp of getting the hell out of here. There was no need to risk things anymore.
He swiftly dismissed Crawford and then stepped out to meet the two nymphs. "Go and call everybody. It is time to go home."
"Yes, my lord." The two nymphs bowed and took their leave. Since everyone had been restless and wanting to get the hell out of here for a long while now, the gathering did not take any time at all. Rey, Madan, and Lan Deming practically ran over at the maximum speed they could muster. The two nymphs also assembled quickly. They had come here with nothing and there was nothing much to take away.
Liam nodded at the whole gang and then once again steadied himself and meditated for a few minutes to make sure that he was in peak condition.
"Here we go again." Liam started activating the same overpowered skill once again. The same skill that had shredded and torn open his soul and had made him crippled for years now. The same skill that was also capable of giving him strength several times what he could possibly handle.
Liam steeled himself for what was about to come. He had already experienced this skill beforehand and he knew how dangerous it was but this time around the danger level was going to be even worse.
The next second, the entire area suddenly became still. Deathly still.
Fog rolled around. Except it was not fog. Wisps of soul floated everywhere as one by one the army of soul minions started to emerge. Soon, the number crossed a hundred and then five hundred, then a thousand, and then five thousand.
However, it did not stop.
The two nymphs, Rey, Madan, and Lan Deming all gaped in shock as they turned to look at Liam. Every single one of them had worked to their bones these past five years in this so-called prison. They had also made a lot of progress but clearly Liam had been busier than them.
Five thousand quickly became ten thousand and the minions did not show any signs of stopping any time soon. The army of soul minions continued to emerge like an unstoppable tide. The air thrummed with the energy of the countless souls.
As the numbers continued to climb, surpassing ten thousand, the sheer scale of Liam's ridiculous power became apparent. Not to mention almost 99% of the soul minions were now in the awakened rankings, most of them clearly a lot more powerful than Rey, Madan, or Lan Deming. Some were even more powerful than the three of them combined together.
How could something be possible? It was completely broken and ridiculous. Saving what was left of their sanity, the minions' count finally stopped somewhere around 40,000.
Liam, on the other hand, smiled in satisfaction. It felt good to see his cumulative hard work in this state.
This was because, on top of finishing the first constellation, tying together bits and pieces of his soul, he also managed to tremendously strengthen his soul. This translated to him now being capable of wielding many many soul minions.
Liam had forged a total of 39,978 soul minions when he finally hit a limit. Compared to his previously paltry number of 5000 soul minions, this was a staggering increase. The forest around them that had once been empty was now filled with the menacing army of soul minions or rather elven souls.
Liam had amassed a great many top-tier elven souls back in the last intergalactic trip he had taken and now he had put them all to good use. He even had some souls still left for future use when his limit once again loosened up. All in all, it was an extremely good haul.
However, the difficult part was yet to come. Assembling the army was merely the first step. Now that the army was assembled, they were all going to…
Liam only had a moment to prepare himself when all of the gathered forty thousand soul minions disappeared into him. They flooded him with power, integrating seamlessly into his soul space. But things quickly escalated as they were expected to.
The influx of soul energy was immense, threatening to overwhelm him, but Liam had already prepared for this moment. He channeled the energy, directing it to reinforce his soul, to weave through the constructs of his Myriad Constellations Technique, and to bolster every aspect of his being.
The process was excruciating, pushing Liam to the brink of his limits, but he endured. The pain was a small price to pay for the power that coursed through him, reshaping him not just as a stronger being, but as a nexus of souls.
But no matter how much he had prepared for this, the sheer power amplified by the skill was simply beyond him. At a moment's notice, the balance that he had desperately tried to forge was broken and shattered like a mirror and unbridled power danced around him.
Liam gritted his teeth. Blood trickled down his eyes, ears, and nose. He couldn't hold on for much longer. The pain was ripping him apart. Body, soul, and mind, he felt as if every part of him was about to fall apart, completely into nothingness.
At the same time, he was holding it down because power surged within him. Power like he had never experienced before. With a wave of his hand devastation would come forth. With a step of his feet, mountains would crumble. If he willed the entire world might quake and crack from inside out.
He was a God at the moment. A being with unimaginable power at his fingertips. Yet, this power was a double-edged sword, threatening to consume him as much as it obeyed his will. Liam knew he had to act fast, to channel this power towards a purpose before it tore him apart.
The pain did not subside, but Liam's focus shifted. With every ounce of willpower, Liam began to channel the tumultuous energy, focusing on the Myriad Constellations Technique as his anchor. He visualized the constellation, the patterns of power that he had been meticulously crafting within his soul space. Each rune began to pulsate with the incoming energy, absorbing it, and becoming more defined and potent.
However, there was simply too much raw power and energy to control. It was a good thing that he simply did not have to control it. All he needed to do was to let go and that was easy enough. If unleashing all of this power was going to make the very world they were standing on collapse and combust from the inside out, then that was exactly what he wanted.
Liam shouted in arrogance and agony, power and pain, as he clutched the bright shiny distance star with a firm grasp. This bright shiny distant star that he had been observing for the past five years was none other than the very beast they were currently sitting in.
Then in one swift motion, he yanked it.