probablyaturnip
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CH1011
🕑 Added 2026-01-22 14:03:02 +0000 UTCWith pain gripping him, he shoved the feeling to a distant corner of his mind to instead focus on what he could see around him, he and the rest having been deposited in the heart of a dense forest, with Hentath’s thoughts telling him that at least they hadn’t been brought far. A handful of kilometers from the village at most, but still a devastating separation from the safety he’d wanted for them, with trouble not ending there.
“Ben, your leg!” Delair screamed, his student seeing him on the ground like the rest of them yet not just there from the fall. He had been the last to come through, rushing in when he clearly hadn’t been wanted, and with the portal closing around him as he went, separating the two conjoined spaces, everything below his left knee had been left on the other side.
“Ignore it,” he told her, materializing a tight wrap around the stump to keep the blood loss down before creating a prosthetic to stand on as he forced himself up. “Is anyone else injured?”
A look around showed that while some wounds they’d already received had worsened, the siren missing a limb of her own was bleeding more heavily, being the worst of all among them, it still wasn’t to the point that none of them would be able to manage, leaving options he hadn’t expected to get as he reached out around him with his soul, finding no demons within his range.
Yet, at least.
“Alright, everyone who can, get moving. The village is just southwest of us. When it gets a bit clearer, I’ll see about speeding up our progress.”
With how dense the woods were, he didn’t want to fly them through it yet, wanting at least a few minutes for his mana to regenerate while at the same time keeping an eye out for any traps. They had been brought out there, yet he could see no immediate risk for it, leaving only the question of why.
If whatever demon’s doing this saw them as weaker options than me then the goal may have just been to get them away from me and to start picking them off after so the fact that I got here too might be throwing a wrench in that plan, he considered. If not though, then I’m not sure what the delay is. Doesn’t seem like this is a trap to get me away from the village by tricking me into following them, but I still lack information. Information and a leg. Fucking hell, when am I going to finally get pain resistance?
As things were, the way he handled pain wasn’t so much resisting it as it was compartmentalizing, a fraction of his mind spent screaming and agonizing about it in his head, even if what was relegated to it wasn’t even a percent of a percent of his totality. Still, the ultimate goal was to one day be able to properly resist the effects of the injuries he’d gain instead of just push them away and that eventual success just couldn’t come fast enough, all while he forced himself to ignore that he might never get that one precious skill.
That was a long worn out concern by that point though, the majority of himself was focused on the real priority of everyone else’s safety as he worked, examining their thoughts and the world around them through their senses, using all he held as well to keep track of anything that could go wrong. Every noise, every rustling leaf, every breeze was all being processed in his head while he took stock of the forest around them in preparation for whatever would come and finally got it as a portal opened up above their heads and demons poured out, bringing screams to some in his group that he ignored. Only seven of them, the demons were dead before they hit the ground, ripped to pieces from the wrath of his magic and harmlessly tossed to the side.
“Keep going,” he told them, making sure he sounded confident. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect all of you, so ignore anything else and just focus on moving.”
It had barely been two minutes but the amount of mana he could generate in that time left him feeling more comfortable for whatever they would face ahead as three more portals opened, all of the demons that came through them ending up slaughtered with the same ruthless efficiency as before, letting Ben feel hopeful for just a moment. He could handle any first-tier demons; there was nothing threatening about them by that point, and now that he knew something might try to whisk the rest of the group away from him, he was more on guard for it. That was a threat within his skill level, and it continued to feel like it would remain so until a moment later as, all around them, new portals opened and new demons rushed out.
Fuck.
They came in a torrent, spilling out all around him, both within and beyond the range of his soul, leaving them in the center of that flood but that wasn’t yet superior to him as the swarm died under his power, with bullets firing at an endless rate, ripping through swaths of them with the force each shot held, or else finishing them with the strength of his soul and mind, anything in range of connect getting linked to for just long enough to let them experience the full force of his brain, letting bodies pile up around him the entire way.
But this is undeniably too much. Between this and what I’d seen in the village, all with no signs of slowing down, more than a thousand must have been sent out by now with more still coming. Is it even possible for a group this size to have gone unnoticed, or is this a gathering of multiple separate groups brought together under the power of a single leader? And still with no sign of the contender doing this, just how much mana must it have to manage something like this? Other demon contenders I’ve seen were at that level for more than one skill, maybe it’s also on the edge of godhood for mana enhancement or something? Too little information, I need this thing to come out.
Though with the power it was displaying, getting it to do so seemed unlikely. Why would it come to fight itself when it could force the weaker demons under it to take the brunt of his power? There was clearly no need to put itself in any danger when Ben was already proving himself to be a threat, if the demon was as powerful as he expected, better for it to try to wear him down with numbers and if its forces fell too low, to eventually give up and leave to find more swarms for it to conquer.
Which means that at this point, I might be waiting for this thing to decide I’m more trouble than I’m worth, he admitted, blocking an attack with a metal plate from one of the demons that had managed to fire off an ice spell before he’d had the chance to kill it. But it can’t keep this up forever. I just need to hold out.
“Everyone but the kids, eyes open and each of you look out in a different direction if you want to get through this,” he ordered. “I know it’s scary, but trust me, if you want to help, that’s how to do it.”
Most of them were able to do as he said; the three siren guards having the combat experience to not be put off from seeing something like that and the dryads having enough faith in him to listen despite their fears. Mirrian alone couldn’t make herself look, but he wasn’t going to fault her when he was already blaming himself for her being there in the first place, and as it was, he was getting enough of a view. Nothing was going to slip through his watch as he continued to kill his way through the beasts, the growing wall of bodies enough of a sign that, despite everything, he was succeeding. With no more strenuous spells beyond the materialization he was already so used to, he was managing his mana for whatever would come next as the minutes wore on until all at once, something changed.
Not closing the portals it had already created, Ben’s mana sense screamed at him that a spell was being cast all around him, leaving the impression that the demon was going to try to teleport him away and he tried to anchor himself to keep such a thing from happening, lest those he was protecting were left to fend for themselves, but that wasn’t what happened.
No, while he was doing his best to ensure he’d remain in place, a different spell effect was activated as dozens of the same portal effect he’d been seeing activated through him, bisecting his neck, skull, and brain. Harmlessly at first, right until the portals moved.
Sliding mere millimeters apart, the spells were deactivated, leaving each piece in its new position in space as, much like his leg before, his head was irreversibly separated, hundreds of pieces of it left to fall to the ground along with the rest of his body while the horrified dryads and sirens could only watch on.
Author’s note
Alright, losing a head’s a lot harder to walk away from than that time he lost a heart. This time you definitely die, Ben! Someone else can be the protagonist now, comment below on who you think it should be! Perhaps even-
Thera?
Thera Oress?
The spirit princess?
Someone else?
Comments
Neil Abbott
Can't he just materialize/actualize a new body around the part of his body that contains his soul? Head for example, just create a new body that is bonded to his neck at cellular level. Will need to move his head telekinetically to make room for the body to materialize but I think it's likely.
Alysyn
I have faith in Turnip, and the knowledge that Ben is at worst case now a god. Which is why no profanity here. Still screaming a bit though 👀😱
Mechanist Grimm
And here my naive keister was thinking that Actus was the meanest cliffhanger author that I followed. I'm a little upsetti-spaghetti with you right now. xD That said this is basically the ultimate opportunity for him to finally get pain resistance. If this doesn't do it nothing will.
Thomas Issa
This will probably empower Delair, other plant mages, and nearby demons that Ben is going to enslave to put him back together
singulator 22
Im thinking this could awaken his connect, y'know, without enchanting. Turns into something where he can connect different pieces of his body and control them, maybe even levitate them with his magic. It would make sense for it to not combine with enchanting since he wants it to so much
Isiah Debarros
Well, this is definitely an opportunity for his body related skills to level up
Isiah Debarros
That guy wasn't an awakened space mage
Mare Matthews
“Help, I’ve been Isekai’d into my own ‘torture the MC’ epic!!!”
Quinn
Don't say that! Now it has to happen. I will blame you!
Nicolae
ProbablyATurnip should be the next protagonist, and sadly enough for him the author tends to torment his protagonist.
posiedon11
I’d say the one third third Ben banished in the ocean
Michigo
Ben being Ben, he could just switch over to tree-sight or something. Plants are alive enough for connect, and his mind can handle pretty much all types of input.
singulator 22
The thing is though, if he needs his heart to survive then its only to keep his brain alive, so if his brain really isn't needed then nothing else is either, besides just having something to possess.
singulator 22
Yeah probably a thera pov chapter
singulator 22
Okay next chapter is really going to be a thera pov that doesn't address this
Michigo
To be fair, everything is pointing towards divinity before ascension. He is more and more becoming divine/otherworldy as a mortal for a while.
Luboš Hemala
Ben: Sorry babe, I am going to hang out w Myriad from now on. Thera using her awesome magic: Not so fast!
Mare Matthews
Turnip did write themselves into a corner. Even Condemning Ben to hell can’t keep the cockroach down… Turnip’s stuck with Ben as a protag for now.
Mare Matthews
Comment so Turnip can watch the number grow and cackle. No reading required. 👍
Mare Matthews
It’s a rare experience, where being alive is infinitely preferable to your enemies than dying. 😂
Carl Mason
https://youtu.be/DkFzbPth288?si=2qwFjDB1ysF-x-st
Kendaar
Problem is Turnip, if you do kill ben ge just becomes a god with pre-made bodies to possess. In some ways arguably making him stronger since he would then have access to faith without really losing the benefits of being normally alive. Ben protagonist forever
Archer
I'm hoping he will learn how to use connect like a scalpel and be able to cut affinities and skills out of other people's souls and graft them to his own. Kinda like Foust, but Ben style.
Luboš Hemala
He wasn't even awakened at the time. Too much of a slow learner to be a possibility.
Ashlynn & William Elmore
I think moving would have had the exact same response as the portals moving
Mootant
Thera only experienced complete mana exhaustion a few times, none of those were from stressful scenarios. How big will the destruction be for this one?
Luboš Hemala
Yeah yeah.. Ben has noooo time to learn Clairvoyance... sure would come handy right about ten minutes ago
Or vidan peled
Thank god we get another one tomorrow
Mootant
With bens luck, it'll be more like Touch Resistance or something
Isiah Debarros
His subconscious doesn't even need it
Isiah Debarros
His subconscious unconscious mind are united and him uses his soul to think. I just think it's gonna be especially brutal injury for someone else.
SacredSteel
I did think of his as well but his space magic was not awakened, yet alone be a contender. And he is literally impossible to kill. Why would he not attack Ben directly, instead of whole this portal and lure demons in sharade.
SacredSteel
I would be worried if we didn't already know that Ben has already transcended using his brain to think or exist. He had multiple bodies of his own clones and others. If he needed a body for his soul to survive. He got it covered.
Purple Phoenix
Nawww he was thinking with his soul by this point... tis but a scratch bwahahahha edit: just to explain the joke.... https://youtu.be/ZmInkxbvlCs?si=BDj3q02Iy9JrXE-a&t=81
Laurent Jerry
What if its not a demon contender but the defensive 3thd tier back from his dimentionnal and royaly pissed to the point of offensively portaling demons ? Although he was a teleporter and not a portal mage, so that would imply a serious lvl up
TheLostGolem
Well.... He built himself a heart. Now he needs to build himself a brain. In other news, what happened to that one third tier with space magic he locked away? Think he escaped early and wants revenge?
Barkeep
I don't think he can Thats a super complex set of building blocks. All the chemicals and signals and such. He can't really actualize loving material beside basic meat slop and that one seed I think
Barkeep
Ben is the only one I know of who walks around with spare identical bodies down to the dna... so yeah
Barkeep
Mentor - "You can't beat me I'm the protagonist!" Actually protagonist - "no! My mentor character! He can't loose! His death would give me a tragic backstory and set me on the heros journey!" Mentor- "..... ah fu-"
Barkeep
Guys I'm getting this weird feeling that turnip wants thera to get some lime light. Not sure why
ReadingObsessed
Holy shit. I'm predicting lich-style, his soul keeps him "alive." Maybe now he'll gain pain resistance without a brain to register pain.
TheCrazyDuck
Well, Ben doesn't need his head to think anymore anyway. Why bother replacing it?
blucube 14
Thanks for the chapter!
bioenthusiast
Nah, there is a young great spirit who has been pacifist this entire time, but now his sweethea… uhh best friend and his dad are in extreme danger. Protagonist material.
Benji
Ouch! Technically, he might have enough brains for all his minds now XD I have no idea how he would, but I'm surprised he didn't have a defense prepared for this. I guess he would normally rely on his high resistance? I have a suspicious feeling this is actually the third tier immortal who had space magic trying to get revenge on Ben, but I have no idea when his timer would be up or if he could escape.
Renn
Man, I hope he doesn’t count as a full God from this, and then something like he binds his soul to a new body, somehow making him technically able to level even though he’s a god and their system doesn’t work like that. Pretty specific scenario but there’s a possibility and I feel like that would be lame.
Renn
Comment below? But I was under the impression you didn’t read comments at all, author? Is that not true?
Vorquel
Brains are optional. Ben will walk it off.
Aiden Reiff
Yeah if it contains a god‘s soul, in this case his own, then it would probably be elevated to mythic even before baseline craftsmanship. It‘d be an item containing a god‘s soul, four 3rd tier skills, three of which at an absurd level and contender Crafting and Enchanting, probably 3rd tier in at least one by the end. At any rate we know his mind extends into his soul, so I suppose that‘s going to be a major factor in him surviving this major inconvenience.
Stonecold
I think the new protagonist should be Greed.
Ashlynn & William Elmore
So clairvoyance and space magic that's my guess can see from very long distances away and can control the space there so it's reaching across the world grabbing groups of demons throwing them at them
Tomáš Blábol
I think he's gonna actualize his head.
Einheit
I can literally visualize the puckering of sphincters from all the gods. XD Every single one will breathe a sigh of relief once they realize Ben is still alive and not their problem yet
Peter Jørgensen
oh god Ben
Cyaneer
Finally, it's time for Delair to inherit MC status, someone nearly as mad as Ben, yet without magic limitations! With the amount of god powers Ben will foist upon her, the demon god is as dangerous as a mouse!
Sergeandgreen
Base resistance (space 63)+ all affinity resistance lv9 + divine defence enhancement lv0* + his body skills all buffed by his tier two modifier compatibility
Archer
"Hey, Hentath. If I put all the pieces of my head back where they go, can you heal me?" "How the hell are you still alive?! How are you talking in my head?!" "It's mearly a flesh wound, don't worry about it. Anyway, if I put the parts back can you heal me?" -Ben next chapter probably.
Archer
This is the space magic contender. It might be t3 now for all we know.
Isaac Boyles
All updates from here on out are from the perspective of a vengeful Frederick
funktorial
also looking through others' eyes is a neat trick, but what if you were alone? if only there were a magical clairvoyance skill you could use to see from all angles at once...
Schmidt
That should have really drained the demon right? With Ben’s base resistances?
Selkie
OH NOOOO HE'S DEAD FOR REAL THIS TIME TOTALLY I vote greed for protagonist
Trey Trivigno
throw me from one cliff to the next why don't you
Uroš
What the hell
Laurent Jerry
My bet is that some of the gods made another deal with the demons, starting with this convenient setup to kill him
Sergeandgreen
Technically he is torturing himself all the time. Or at least his soul. But this time the pain should be bearable as his spine got cut off too. So without knowing for certain i guess he felt morr pain before as he had to feel his cut of legs.
PigmyOcelot
If Ben does create himself a new body, is he going to accidentally complete the quest to make a mythical item?
Sergeandgreen
Just go make sure we are all on the same side, frederick is the new protagonist of this story, right?
Venno Unthammer
At least it was a Thursday chapter, and we'll get another tomorrow
funktorial
that's more like it, been a while since ben got properly tortured
Luboš Hemala
It's too soon for Ben becoming a full god.
Sergeandgreen
Definitely sounds like a way to awaken some skills. My bet would be that hive mind is somehow involved. My second guess would be that he finally awakens his body skills.
Luboš Hemala
Wonder if he manages to materialize himself a new body. It's high time he awakened that skill.
Chris
Soo... there is a demon active that from massive range Instagib anyone in the world slicing someone into hundreds of pieces in a way that happens in a split second and can't be stopped. I guess it makes sense to start with ben... but it didn't even try to start with ben. He had to jump into the portal to get there. Why wouldn't it just go around assassinating all the strongest people with that ability set?
Sergeandgreen
If a more or less mindless demon managed to do so much damage, i think i understand why ben thinks they have almost no chance to win. Imagine what a t3 holder with a bit of intelligence could do. Ben would be shredded into thousands of pieces before his body could react. Anyway, i have the feeling that the gods are somehow involved. The reason for that is that i don't believe the demon would be smart enough to stay out of the range of bens mind.
Laurent Jerry
About time he'd do something crazy. My money is on transfering himself to a clone and awakening connect in the process
Jean Clinet
When you think with your soul, a brain can be patched up.
Luboš Hemala
I bet he anchors his soul somehow. But, this reeealy feels like he should process in near-frozen time. When he connected to Myriad he already managed months in a couple seconds.
Szwagierro123
Great chapter, though I am wondering... how does he manage to get caught off guard if he can effectively freeze time? Surely he could use his magic to move out of the way? If i am missing something please let me know.
Luboš Hemala
ProbablyAnEvilTurnip
brennon Petersen
Tftc!
Blai Navarro
Bet he "crafts" his body back and awakens his skill, and by connecting his soul to that body and linking it with an enchentment he awakens and merged Connect and Enchanting. Still, you are very evil mister Turnip...
ShyviaAngel
Also bain not gaining pain resistsnce is because he is way too good at compartimalizing
ShyviaAngel
Ohh come on author thats just a cruel cliff hanger
Isiah Debarros
How much you wanna bet he's gonna continue to talk through his soul and tell him not to worry about it
