The Energy Core transformed more than Emil's cultivation.
It transformed the way he experienced the world.
The Forbidden Forest no longer felt like a collection of sounds and scents.
Now, it pulsed with life.
Every tree released faint traces of spiritual energy.
Every stream carried flowing currents of natural essence.
Even the wind seemed alive, weaving invisible strands of energy through the forest.
For the first time...
Emil could sense the heartbeat of nature itself.
---
The newly awakened Energy Absorption skill worked constantly.
Unlike the Sun God Breathing Technique, which required deliberate cultivation, Energy Absorption silently gathered compatible spiritual energy from the surrounding environment.
Golden particles drifted toward him without conscious effort.
They entered his body through every breath, every pore, and every heartbeat.
His spiritual energy recovered far faster than before.
His cultivation speed nearly doubled.
"This skill..."
"It's incredible."
Emil smiled.
If the Energy Core alone was this powerful...
What kind of civilization had possessed such technology?
The thought lingered in his mind.
The Lost Civilization had become an even greater mystery.
---
His daily routine changed once again.
At sunrise, he cultivated beneath the scattered rays filtering through the forest canopy.
During the afternoon, he practiced swordsmanship.
As dusk arrived, he hunted for food.
And when night blanketed the forest...
He meditated beneath the stars.
Although the Sun God Breathing Technique was strongest beneath sunlight, Emil discovered that moonlight and starlight also contained traces of celestial energy.
The effect was weaker.
Far weaker.
But Energy Absorption gathered every fragment it could find.
Nothing was wasted.
---
Curious about the Energy Core's limits, Emil began experimenting.
He first directed its power into his sword.
Golden light spread across the blade.
Unlike before, the glow became brighter and steadier.
The ordinary iron sword hummed softly.
When he swung it—
Whoosh!
The strike sliced cleanly through a thick tree branch.
"...That's much sharper."
Next, he focused the Energy Core's power into Sun Step.
Golden energy surged into his legs.
The moment he moved—
Boom!
His body shot through the forest so quickly that even he struggled to react.
He nearly collided with a tree before twisting aside at the last moment.
Panting heavily, Emil laughed.
"Still too much power..."
"But I'll get used to it."
Every day brought another improvement.
His body became stronger.
His senses became keener.
Even his understanding of the Sun God Breathing Technique deepened naturally.
Though the system remained silent...
He could almost feel it watching.
Waiting.
---
Several peaceful days passed.
Then...
Everything changed.
---
It happened in the middle of the night.
Emil sat quietly beside the river, circulating spiritual energy through his meridians.
The forest was calm.
Almost unnaturally so.
Then...
A ripple spread through the surrounding energy.
It was subtle.
Like a single drop falling into a perfectly still lake.
Yet Emil sensed it immediately.
His eyes snapped open.
"...What was that?"
The warmth surrounding the forest suddenly weakened.
The vibrant life energy flowing through the trees slowed.
Even the wind stopped moving.
A cold sensation crept across his skin.
Not ordinary cold.
This...
Was something deeper.
Something wrong.
---
The silence shattered.
Soft whispers echoed through the darkness.
At first they were barely audible.
Then they multiplied.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Countless voices speaking in languages Emil couldn't understand.
Some sounded sorrowful.
Others furious.
Others...
Hungry.
The whispers came from everywhere.
And nowhere.
His heartbeat quickened.
The Energy Core within his body began vibrating uneasily.
Then—
Ding!
The system awakened.
Its voice, normally calm and emotionless, carried unmistakable urgency.
---
Warning!
Void Energy detected.
Source unknown.
Threat Assessment: Extremely Dangerous.
Recommendation: Maximum Caution.
---
Emil's grip tightened around his sword.
"Void Energy..."
The term immediately reminded him of the warnings hidden within the Sun God Fragment.
A force capable of corrupting everything.
The natural enemy of all life.
He slowly stood.
The whispers grew louder.
The surrounding temperature plummeted.
Frost formed across nearby stones despite it being the middle of summer.
Every instinct screamed at him.
Run.
---
Then...
The darkness moved.
A patch of shadow detached itself from the surrounding night.
It slowly rose from the ground.
No footsteps.
No breathing.
Only endless silence.
Its body possessed no definite shape.
At one moment it resembled a man.
The next, a mass of writhing smoke.
Its edges constantly dissolved before reforming again.
Only its eyes remained unchanged.
Two crimson lights burned within the darkness.
Filled with endless hatred.
Endless hunger.
The moment those eyes settled upon Emil...
He felt as though every secret within his soul had been exposed.
---
Ding!
Unknown Entity Identified.
Void Wraith
Classification: Corrupted Spiritual Entity
Level: Unable to Analyze
Threat: Highly Fatal
Warning: Direct contact with Void Energy may permanently corrupt the Host.
---
"...Unable to analyze?"
A chill ran down Emil's spine.
This was stronger than anything he had faced before.
Far stronger.
---
Without warning—
The Wraith vanished.
Emil's instincts exploded into action.
Sun Step!
He leaped sideways.
A black claw tore through the space where his chest had been.
The air itself split apart.
Even the trees behind him withered where the claw passed.
"What..."
Emil's breathing faltered.
That wasn't merely an attack.
It erased life itself.
---
The Wraith attacked again.
Its movements ignored logic.
One moment it floated several meters away.
The next...
It was directly in front of him.
Emil swung his sword.
Sun First!
Golden light erupted from the blade.
The strike passed cleanly through the creature.
Nothing.
It was like cutting smoke.
The Wraith remained completely unharmed.
A claw of condensed darkness struck Emil across the chest.
Slash!
He was thrown backward.
Pain exploded through his body.
Unlike physical wounds...
This pain was freezing.
The darkness clinging to his skin spread like poison, draining both his strength and spiritual energy.
He gasped.
"My energy..."
"It's disappearing..."
---
The Wraith drifted toward him silently.
Slowly.
Patiently.
Like a predator certain of its victory.
Emil struggled to stand.
His sword felt unusually heavy.
His body weakened with every passing second.
He couldn't win through brute force.
Steel meant nothing against a creature without flesh.
He forced himself to breathe.
Think.
The inherited memories...
The Sun God Fragment...
There had to be something.
Anything.
Then...
A single memory surfaced.
Light purifies.
The Sun is the eternal enemy of the Void.
Emil's eyes widened.
"That's it..."
He closed his eyes.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the whispers clawing at his mind.
He circulated every strand of spiritual energy within his body.
The Sun God Breathing Technique roared to life.
Golden energy flooded his meridians.
The Energy Core responded instantly.
Warmth exploded throughout his body.
The golden light surrounding his sword intensified until it resembled a miniature sun.
The darkness recoiled.
For the first time...
The Void Wraith hesitated.
A harsh, inhuman screech echoed through the forest.
It hated the light.
Emil slowly raised his glowing sword.
A calm smile appeared despite the blood staining his clothes.
"So..."
"You do have a weakness."
The golden radiance illuminated the surrounding trees, pushing back the oppressive darkness.
Across from him, the Void Wraith let out another furious shriek.
Light and darkness collided.
The true battle was about to begin.