Solo Leveling: I Am The Only Supreme With the Cheating System

Michael vowed silently, following her into the unknown.

The two emerged into a colossal golden hall, its vastness dwarfing the garden.

Two intricate rune circles were etched into the polished floor. Michael's gaze swept across the hall, taking in the sight of Chronos, and the formidable female commander, who clad in gleaming golden armor and a helmet that obscured her features. Standing at attention around the perimeter of the hall were numerous other soldiers, all similarly adorned in golden plate.

"You?"

Michael's voice held a note of surprise as she recognized Chronos.

"Hello, Michael."

Chronos greeted him with a formal nod and a reserved smile.

Michael returned the nod, his eyes then following Guinevere as she walked with purpose towards one of the glowing runes and stood within its intricate markings.

""Michael."" She called out, gesturing towards the second, identical rune.

Michael nodded, taking a deep breath to steady his nerves. He stepped forward and entered the designated circle.

""What you are about to receive carries immense responsibilities, Michael... But I have faith in your ability to overcome any challenge. Is there anything you require clarification on before we commence?"" Guinevere asked, her gaze searching his.

Michael considered her question for a few silent seconds before shaking his head. "Nothing," he affirmed, his voice resolute.

""Very well then.""

Michael watched as a radiant golden energy began to emanate from the Queen, flowing downwards into the rune beneath her feet.

CLICK!

A section of the hall's massive ceiling silently retracted, revealing the vast expanse of the sky above. Brilliant sunrays streamed down, bathing both him and Guinevere in golden light. The rune beneath his own feet began to glow with an inner luminescence.

He glanced towards Chronos and the assembled soldiers, noting that they had all retreated to the edges of the hall, positioned in shadow, away from the direct sunlight.

'Will this process be painful?'

He wondered with a flicker of apprehension.

"Uh?"

A wave of warmth washed over Michael, an instinctive reaction that pulled a smile to his lips.

'This is good,' he mused internally, a flicker of surprise accompanying the thought.

'Hold on, Michael.'

The Queen's voice echoed within his mind, a preemptive command.

Before his eyelids could even flutter open.

'Don't... Keep your eyes closed.'

He obeyed without question, tightening his shut.

BOOOM!!

Chronos and the assembled soldiers stood in silent awe as the Queen intensified her efforts. Her power surged forth with such breathtaking velocity that it left them utterly dumbfounded.

BOOOOM!!

The very air above them seemed to bleed crimson, and a colossal maw tore open in the sky.

"This?"

Chronos breathed, utterly stunned by the spectacle unfolding before him.

'Michael, you will lose all your skills, and gain only one skill.'

'Uh?'

The Queen's words struck Michael like a physical blow, shock rippling through him.

BAM!

A force of unimaginable agony slammed into him, the pain originating in his leg before searing its way through his chest, piercing his heart, and finally exploding within the confines of his brain.

"AAHHH!!"

Michael's agonizing scream ripped through the air as he collapsed to his knees, his body instantly slick with a cold sweat.

'Hold on... You will have to bear this for half an hour.'

'Half an hour?!!'

The silent scream echoed in the chambers of Michael's mind, a testament to his burgeoning horror.

'The real pain starts now.'

The Queen's voice, though still within his thoughts, carried a new weight, a chilling undertone.

Whoosh!

Chronos and the soldiers watched, transfixed by a terrifying display, as bolts of golden lightning descended from the monstrous mouth in the sky, each strike impacting Guinevere and Michael with devastating force.

BAM!

The intricate runes etched beneath their feet spider-webbed with cracks under the onslaught. Chronos reacted instantly, a swift wave of his hand mending the fractured lines of power.

Seconds stretched into an eternity as the lightning dissipated, only for another, equally menacing bolt to slowly coalesce within the sun's gaping maw before plummeting down once more.

"How many do they have to withstand?" The female commander murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, her gaze fixed on the terrifying spectacle.

"How would I know that? This is also my first time witnessing this!" Chronos retorted, his focus unwavering as he repaired the runes yet again, his brow furrowed with concern.

"I just know, we are going to stay here for a while...." He paused, then shifted his attention slightly. "But, how is the war progressing?" he inquired, a hint of worry lacing his tone.

"Well... They just arrived at the multi-realms," the commander replied, her expression thoughtful.

"Ok..." Chronos nodded slowly, his mind seemingly processing the information.

_

[Amerisa.]

[One month later.]

Mira and Maria stood on the balcony of the villa, their gazes fixed on the compound stretching before them, with ten luxurious cars parked at a side.

"I can't believe a month has passed, and we haven't heard anything from Jennifer," Maria said, leaning back against the wrought-iron railing of the veranda, her voice tinged with a mixture of worry and disbelief.

Mira lifted her head, her eyes scanning the vast expanse of the clear sky before returning to the two halves of a familiar dagger resting in the palms of her hands.

"They are safe..." she muttered, the words a quiet affirmation, a fragile shield against the uncertainty.

Maria turned her attention to Mira, her gaze drawn to the broken weapon in her hands.

"Mira, why haven't you thrown this dagger away?" she asked, a note of confusion in her voice.

"Big brother gave this to me," Mira replied, her fingers tracing the sharp edges of the fractured metal.

"He said I should hold on to it, until he returns..." She finally turned her head, her eyes meeting Maria's with unwavering conviction.

"Then why should I throw it away?" she challenged, her voice firm despite the underlying vulnerability.

"...."

Maria found herself without a ready answer, the simple faith in Mira's words momentarily silencing her own anxieties.

"No matter what everyone else says, I believe my brother and bestie are alive," Mira declared, her grip tightening on the dagger fragments, her gaze resolute.

"No one is saying they are dead, Mira... We are all hoping for the same thing," Maria reassured her gently, offering a small, comforting smile.

Maria eyes drifting across the changed landscape of Amerisa. "Amerisa has changed so much. The 17 cities have merged into one vast metropolis... And our allies have returned to their respective realms. Everything has seemingly returned to normal, except... Jennifer, Drakon, and brother-in-law are still nowhere to be seen."

"They'll return," Mira stated with unwavering certainty, her gaze fixed on the broken dagger as if it held the key to their return.

As the words left her lips, the dagger in her hands suddenly vibrated, a jolt of unexpected energy shocked her.

"Ouch!"

She exclaimed, her fingers instinctively releasing the weapon, causing it to clatter to the tiled floor.

"What happened?"

Erika stepped onto the balcony at that precise moment, her expression a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"It... It shocked me!"

Mira muttered, her eyes fixed on the two pieces of the dagger lying on the ground.

The three women stared at the broken weapon in mild confusion, their attention riveted as a soft golden light began to emanate from the fractured metal, slowly enveloping both pieces.

"This?"