At the peak of the mountain, Evan stood alone.
The wind howled around him, yet not a single strand of his hair moved.
All of it was being pushed away by the presence in his hand.
TheSword.
The moment his fingers tightened around the hilt, a pressure unlike anything he had ever felt surged through his body. It was neither violent nor chaotic. It was vast.
Like standing before an endless sea and realising the tide itself was flowing into him.
His breath slowed.
His muscles hummed.
Every cell screamed with strength.
For a fleeting moment, Evan felt it clearly.
He was stronger.
Not slightly. Not marginally.
Almost half a step closer to his peak state, just by holding the blade.
"…Is this real?" he muttered.
He gently brushed a finger along the flat of the edge.
Pain exploded instantly.
A sharp sting, followed by a searing heat that forced him to pull back. The skin had not burned, yet the sensation lingered, like his nerves had been kissed by fire itself.
Evan exhaled.
So it wasn't imagination.
He summoned his system.
And the moment the panel appeared, the word slipped out before he could stop it.
"Damn…"
__
[Ashbound Blade | Tier 1 | Ego Weapon
Ego Core: Fragmented Soul of a Death Phoenix
Growth Type: Bound Evolution
Description:
A broad, single-edged blade awakened through fusion with a fragment of a Death Phoenix's soul. The metal is darkened, hardened beyond conventional alloys, with ember veins pulsing faintly beneath the surface.
The weapon does not speak. It does not think.
It responds purely to instinct, syncing with the host's intent, vitality, and battle rhythm.
Its evolution is tied directly to the wielder's growth.
Flame Avatar (Unique | Active Skill)
The ego of the weapon manifests as a battle form made of condensed death flame.
Summons a semi-transparent flame entity that fights beside the wielder.
Uses mirrored weapon strikes made of pure flame.
Deals fire and soul-burn damage.
Duration: 2 minutes | Cooldown: 12 hours
Core Effects:
Blaze Amplification: Flame-based attacks are intensified by 250%. Heat output scorches armour and can melt lesser-grade weapons on impact.
Flame Outburst: Heavy swings release short-range explosive flame waves in a forward cone.Applies burn damage and slightly weakens the enemy's defence.
Inferno Edge: The blade is permanently wrapped in dense flame.
Increases cutting sharpness. Applies sustained burn damage over time.
Each hit slightly weakens the enemy's fire resistance.
Blazing Aura: A low-radius heat field activates automatically during combat.
Slightly increases attack power. Reduces cold and slow effects.
Improves stamina flow while fighting.
Searing Edge: Struck targets suffer lingering burns that ignore basic fire resistance.
Blaze Hall: While in fire-infused environments, the wielder slowly regenerates vitality over time.]
__
Paenl ended, but Evan didn't move for several seconds.
The numbers weren't just high.
They were wrong.
Completely out of place for this Expanse.
"This thing…" he murmured, "…is illegal."
His lips curled into a grin.
Then—
Clink.
Chains appeared.
Same ones he faced before. Spectral, dark, crawling out of thin air like living restraints.
Evan's body reacted instantly. He stepped back, heart jumping as the chains snapped toward the sword and wrapped around it.
"Tch—!"
He tightened his grip, muscles straining.
But nothing pulled.
No force tried to steal the blade.
Instead, panels began flooding his vision.
Ding!
[Detected: Weapon exceeding Expanse Limit.]
[Elimination Protocol Initiated…]
[Error.]
[Process Terminated.]
[Searching for Resolution…]
[Imposing Temporary Limitations.]
[Note: Restrictions will be removed as requirements are met.]
The chains dissolved.
Not into nothingness.
Into the blade.
Thin, intricate chain-like patterns etched themselves across the metal, subtle yet unmistakable.
And just like that—
The overwhelming sensation vanished.
The ocean receded.
The power settled.
Evan clicked his tongue.
"Oh come on," he muttered. "At least let me enjoy it for a minute."
He swung the blade casually.
A mistake.
A crescent of flame-laced wind tore through the forest below.
Trees split apart like paper, trunks severed cleanly as the shockwave carved a straight path through the mountainside.
Silence followed.
"…."
Evan stared.
Even sealed—
It was still monstrous.
"…Yeah," he said slowly, a wild smile creeping onto his face. "This'll do just fine."
He brought the blade closer, peering at the phoenix-shaped guard.
"Oi," he said lightly. "You alive in there, or did you pass out already?"
No response.
Yet something felt… off.
"If you're still healing," he muttered, "guess I'll seal you for a few years—"
The sword trembled violently.
He halted, pulling it back out just in time.
The phoenix's eyes on the hilt ignited.
From the blade, flames parted.
And Vela stepped out.
"Wait—!" she snapped. "I was just resting. Don't throw me into that void of junk again."
She recoiled from the inventory space like it offended her existence.
Evan sighed. "Then answer when I call."
He dismissed the inventory, eyes shifting toward Kael's unconscious body nearby.
Vela followed his gaze, suspicion sharpening her voice.
"You got what you wanted. His flames. His fate. Why call me now?"
Evan didn't look away.
"Because I said I would help him."
She froze.
"…You're serious?"
"I don't joke about promises."
For the first time in centuries, Vela didn't know what to say.
She had seen kings lie.
Heroes abandon vows.
Beasts betray bonds the moment power changed hands.
Yet here he stood.
Unchanged.
"…He has nothing left," she said quietly. "No flames. No backing. Helping him gains you nothing."
"Maybe," Evan replied. "But that's not why I'm doing it."
She studied him, then sighed. "Just remove the mark. Let him live."
Evan raised his hand.
Death flames condensed into a controlled spiral above his palm.
Vela's eyes widened. "Stop! You think anyone can survive that?!"
"No," Evan said calmly. "That's why I didn't use this."
Something appeared within the flames.
Tiny.
Pure.
Uncorrupted.
A fragment of flame that burned without corruption's taint.
Vela went still.
"…That shouldn't exist."
"It does," Evan said. "Because it was his."
He explained.
How one fragment resisted absorption.
How Phoenix flames regenerate.
How he saved it.
Silence followed.
She grabbed his collar, disbelief shaking her voice. "What are you?"
"Someone who finishes what he starts."
He placed the fragment against Kael's chest.
It sank in.
Veins of red light spread briefly, then vanished.
Kael breathed.
"It'll take time," Evan said. "But he'll recover."
He planted his blade into the ground beside Kael.
"Say what you need to say. Then I remove the mark."
The mountain stood quiet.
Above them, the world kept moving.
And somewhere far away—
Fate shifted.
...
Evan left the spot without looking back.
His body was screaming for rest.
Muscles ached, mana pathways felt raw, and even his thoughts carried a dull pressure, like something heavy had settled behind his eyes.
This fight had not been clean.
It had been reckless, wasteful, and far more taxing than he liked to admit.
'I hope that old relic shuts up for a few days,' he thought bitterly. 'Just let me have some peace.'
Silence answered him.
Unnaturally so.
What Evan didn't know was that Arven heard every word.
And chose not to reply.
Meanwhile, Vela remained behind.
She hovered near Kael's cocooned body, watching silently as the thin shell of flame pulsed around him. Her expression was unreadable.
Then her lips began to move.
Fast.
Too fast.
The chant that flowed from her mouth was long, layered, and utterly alien. It wasn't mana-based in the conventional sense.
It felt older. Deeper. Like something etched into existence rather than spoken.
Evan paused several steps away, trying to listen.
Nothing made sense.
The cadence twisted in on itself, syllables folding and reforming before his mind could grasp them. Even his system offered no translation.
He gave up.
This was beyond him.
He turned away, moving further down the mountain ridge, letting her work undisturbed while he checked himself.
Three Destined Ones.
That was the count.
Three beings the world itself leaned toward.
Among them, Kael had been the easiest.
And Evan knew the truth.
Without Vela, that fight would have ended the moment fear hollowed him out.
He glanced back.
The sword stood embedded upright in the stone, Vela hovering above it like a living flame halo.
Even restrained, the blade radiated a dangerous presence. Subtle. Controlled. But undeniably lethal.
'I hope this is enough rate of growth,' Evan thought. 'Because what's coming next won't wait for me to catch up.'
Candidates.
Monarchs.
Entities that didn't play by the same rules.
On this path, he would clash with them sooner or later. And when that time came, hesitation would be death.
Power wasn't optional.
It was mandatory.
Yet despite all of that, his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
To something buried deep in memory.
Something unfinished.
...
~~~Four hours Later~~~
Vela finally stopped chanting.
The blade beneath her hummed, its glow dimming for a fraction of a second before stabilising again. Evan felt it instantly.
A pull.
His mana drifted toward the sword, not forcefully, but steadily.
He frowned and approached.
Kael was encased in a thin, cocoon-like orb of flame now, breathing steadily within. Evan picked up the sword planted within the ground beside it and narrowed his eyes.
"Why is it draining my mana?" he muttered.
No system alert appeared.
No warning.
No explanation.
Then Arven spoke.
"Because, fool, that ritual cost her," the old relic said lazily. "And since she's bound to you, guess who foots the bill?"
Evan stiffened.
"And here I thought you wanted peace," Arven continued, amused. "Don't worry. I'll go quiet again. Enjoy~~~"
Silence returned.
Evan stared at nothing for a long moment.
'So you heard everything…' he thought darkly. 'Then why do I still have to talk out loud to you every time?'
No answer came.
He exhaled slowly and slung the sword behind his back, hooking it into a position he rarely used. Normally, everything went into his inventory.
But maybe his sword ego hated confinement, and who wouldn't?
And if he didn't get a proper scabbard soon, this thing would eventually carve him in half while walking.
His gaze returned to Kael.
The cocoon pulsed steadily now.
"Hurry up," Evan muttered. "Someone's waiting for me above."
He didn't know what truth awaited him there.
But he knew it wouldn't be kind.
The system chimed.
Panels erupted into his vision.
"Oh," Evan murmured. "Right. This."
Ding! Ding!
[Host has defeated the Ruler's Candidate:
[Candidate Proof seized.]
[All lands under the Candidate's dominance have been stripped of the Ruler's Seal.]
[Proof Seal collapsing… Core lost.]
[Total Rulership Obtained: 2.33% of the Zeroth Expanse.]
…
[Error.]
[Devouring Protocol Breached.]
[Source Identified.]
[Host's True Authority, , has devoured the true fragment of the Proof's Authority.]
[Fragment integrated.]
…
[Total Rulership Obtained: 99.96%.]
[Remaining Requirement: 0 Proofs of Ruler's Candidate.]
[Host has gained Control Rights over the Expanse.]
[You have become the Sole Candidate of the 0th Expanse.]
[Do you wish to assume the Expanse Ruler's Position?]
[Note: Acceptance will broadcast your existence to all Expanse Candidates.]
Evan raised a brow.
Again.
That authority.
Devouring everything.
Yet still invisible.
"So it's either absurdly powerful," he muttered, "or so damaged it can't even manifest yet."
He hoped it was the first.
Otherwise, the future would be ugly.
He closed the prompt without answering.
"Nah," he smirked. "Not until I get the full hundred percent. There's always a bonus for completion."
The panels faded.
He turned just in time to feel it.
Kael's presence had changed.
Drastically.
The pressure leaking from the cocoon wasn't human anymore.
"…Is he advancing a tier?" Evan muttered. "Without the Ascension Hall?"
"Yes," Arven replied instantly. "Because your sword's ego shared her leftover Destined Luck with him."
Evan's eyes narrowed.
"His body's no longer human," Arven continued. "Lower hybrid. Phoenix and Man. Knock him out the moment he wakes."
A pause.
"I don't know which is more dangerous," Arven added dryly. "His new strength… or your attitude."
Evan cracked his neck.
"We'll see."
The cocoon trembled.
Ten minutes passed.
Cracks spread.
Flames surged outward as the orb shattered in a violent gust of energy.
Evan's hand tightened around his blade.
His senses sharpened.
Mana circulation accelerated.
In front of him stood Kael.
No longer the same.
Not yet hostile.
But no longer harmless.
Evan didn't move.
This was a familiar yet unfamiliar territory of power.
A newly ascended being.
A variable even his past lives had never faced like this in this tier.
Yet beneath the tension—
There was curiosity.
A desire to measure the gap.
To see how far ahead… or behind… he truly was.
And whether that gap would close—
Or explode.