Chapter 2: The Eclipse Sovereign System
The fire didn't burn him. It fed him. Heat throbbed in his veins, molten and alive, as if his blood had turned into liquid flame.
Kael clenched his fist. Dark embers coiled around his knuckles. A fire that consumed without smoke, without mercy.
[Power Acquired: Ember Void Strike]
—A basic flame technique infused with the Void's hunger.
Kael's lips curved into a sharp grin. Betrayal had broken him. Death had claimed him. But here he stood, alive—reborn—and the fire answered to him.
Another screen flickered before his eyes:
[Eclipse Sovereign System Activated]
Core Functions Unlocked:
—[Absorption]: Devour the essence of fallen foes.
—[Evolution]: Twist absorbed powers with Void attributes.
—[Quests]: Directives issued for survival and growth.
"Absorb. Evolve. Survive," Kael muttered, heartbeat quickening. "If this is real… then I'll never be powerless again."
The ground trembled. Smoke parted. Shadows moved.
Figures emerged from the burning ruins—scavengers, six of them, clad in rags and iron scraps, their weapons little more than rusted blades and spears. Greedy eyes fixed on Kael.
"Well, well," one sneered. "A rat survived the fire."
Kael raised his hand. Flames coiled along his palm.
The scavengers froze—then laughed.
"Mana sparks? Pathetic. Kill him."
They rushed him.
Kael's body moved on instinct. His fist snapped forward, blackened fire lashing out in a streak. It punched straight through the first scavenger's chest. The man's scream ended in ash.
[Essence Absorbed – Lesser Marauder]
Attribute Detected: Physical Toughness.
Integrating…
Kael staggered, breath ragged. Then his muscles tightened, strength blooming through his frame. The fatigue lessened.
He blinked, shock and wonder colliding. Did I just steal part of him?
The second scavenger lunged. Kael slammed a palm to his face—black fire erupted, hollowing him into cinders.
But the strain tore at him. His chest heaved, vision swimming. The flames wanted more.
The System's cold voice pierced his mind:
[Quest Activated]
Objective: Survive the Ashen Plains.
Reach the Ruins of Valthor to stabilize your Eclipse fragment.
Reward: System Upgrade.
Failure: Soul Collapse.
Kael bared his teeth. "So it's fight or die. Fine."
He let the fire surge, forcing his body forward. Each strike devoured, each kill hollowed another scavenger into ash. Their screams echoed through the ruins—until silence fell.
Kael dropped to his knees, gasping, sweat soaking his skin. Around him, only ash and scorched corpses remained. His body trembled, not from fear, but from hunger. The Void still whispered: More. More.
Then he saw it—on one body, faint runes burned into the flesh. Not from his flames. Something older. Something alien.
He reached out.
[Foreign Mark Detected]
Decoding…
Warning: Entity Linked to Godmarked Clans.
The rune pulsed once before disintegrating into dust.
Kael clenched his fists. "Godmarked Clans… Whoever you are, I'll burn you too. If the Void wanted me dead, it shouldn't have brought me back."
From the smoke, unseen eyes glowed—watching.
And a voice, distant yet sharp, whispered on the wind:
"He survives. Mark him. The hunt begins."
[Warning: Host Targeted by Unknown Faction]
Kael's head snapped up, heart pounding. For the first time, he realized—his second life had already painted a target on his back.