The Nexus of Creation hummed softly.
The massive holographic blueprint faded into Karl's body as pure knowledge.
The cube — now the dormant Nitro Capsule — hovered quietly at his side, pulsing like a patiently waiting heart.
The infinite void was calm again.
Blueprint fragments hovered lazily, fading into thin motes of azure light.
Karl stood beneath them, still catching his breath — the rush of information still buzzing through his skull like static.
Agnes flickered beside him, her digital projection steadying, face bright with exhilaration.
Agnes floated around him in quick circles, sparks popping from her avatar.
"OH. MY. GOD— Karl, do you REALIZE—? With this nitro system we can literally— literally —break the sound barrier on command! We could use shockwave frames! We could—"
Karl laughed breathlessly.
"Slow down, Agnes— one upgrade at a time. I just learned how to build a nuclear shot of adrenaline. Let me process before I explode."
Agnes suddenly froze mid-spin.
"…Actually exploding is now a statistical possibility, yes."
"Agnes—"
"Karl, we NEED to think! If Goliath was that strong in his 'base', imagine when we install—"
Her voice lowered to a whisper.
"…Nitro Overdrive Mode…"
Karl touched the cube gently.
"Yeah… what kind of ability does this even give me? Speed? Impact? Heat? All three?"
"Karl… I can't believe it. The Nexus literally gave us the plans for a nitro system. This means—"
Karl chuckled, rubbing his temples.
"Yeah. We're basically about to turn Erevos into a damn missile."
Agnes grinned. "No, Karl. We're about to turn you into one."
He was about to reply — when the air rippled.
A low hum filled the expanse.
Heat shimmered across the floorless void.
Hephaestus turned back toward them, his form materializing in a blaze of molten-gold aura, arms crossed, expression severe yet strangely intrigued.
A deep, metallic vibration rippled through the Nexus.
Hephaestus stepped forward.
His presence silenced the entire void.
Hephaestus' molten-gold eyes narrowed.
"Before you celebrate your new gift," the god rumbled, "you must understand the nature of what nearly killed you."
Karl blinked. "You mean Goliath?"
Hephaestus nodded. "Yes. Goliath — the Mythic Core Bearer of Colossal Wrath. A creature forged not from blood, but from memory. From fear."
Agnes tilted her head. "Memory?"
Hephaestus raised one massive hand, and the air shimmered, forming a vision — Goliath's towering frame frozen mid-swing, just as Karl had last seen him.
"Every Mythic Core Demon draws strength from remembrance. They are born from the collective memory of mankind — stories, scriptures, myths, even nightmares whispered by the weak. Every retelling, every echo of their legend amplifies their existence."
Karl's eyes narrowed. "So… the more people know about them—"
Hephaestus' gaze flared. "—the stronger they become."
The molten aura behind him pulsed, forming glowing sigils of strength, speed, and regeneration.
"Fear determines their scale. Memory determines their form. The greater their remembrance, the larger they grow. And the more mankind fears them, the deeper their power runs."
Agnes muttered softly, "Fear equals size and power…"
Hephaestus inclined his head.
"Precisely. Goliath's name has echoed for millennia. His image as a monstrous giant of wrath has been spoken of in sermons, depicted in art, retold in countless generations. Every version of that story fed him — until he became the tower of flesh you faced today."
Karl clenched his fists. "And if that's the case… there must be more like him."
"There are," Hephaestus confirmed. "Hundreds, perhaps thousands. Myths reborn through human memory — reanimated and corrupted by Purgatory's influence."
The god's eyes glowed hotter.
"But what you do not yet know, Karl Mitsubishi, is what happens when one of them is wounded beyond recovery."
Karl frowned. "You mean when they're about to die?"
"Yes."
Hephaestus' tone deepened — reverberating like hammer against anvil.
"When a Mythic Core Bearer sustains critical damage, their physical form fractures. In that instant, they transform into what humanity remembers them as — their idealized, exaggerated version. It is a forced rebirth — the Reincarnation Mechanic."
Karl's eyes widened. "So… Goliath wasn't even at full strength yet?"
Agnes' glow dimmed. "He was only the real Goliath… not the remembered one."
Hephaestus nodded gravely.
"When you cut him down next, expect not a man… but the legend of a monster."
Karl exhaled sharply, jaw tightening. "Perfect. I like a challenge."
But Hephaestus wasn't done.
"There is one final law regarding these beings."
He gestured, and a golden orb appeared — pulsing with dark energy at its center.
"The Mythic Core."
Karl's gaze locked onto it. "So that's what we're supposed to destroy?"
"Not destroy," Hephaestus corrected. "Claim. Each Core holds a fragment of the legend's power — a passive essence that reflects its mythic theme. However…"
He raised a single finger, and the orb split into glowing threads, each one marked with a different sigil.
"Only a Chosen whose class matches the Core's alignment may truly inherit it."
Agnes blinked. "Class matching?
"Exactly."
Hephaestus' eyes flared again. "You, Kurogane Karl — a Forge-class Chosen — will only receive rewards from Tech-bound or Creation-based Mythic Cores. Destroy one outside your affinity, and it will simply dissipate."
Karl grinned faintly.
"So you're telling me if I kill a machine-type mythic demon… I get its perks."
"Correct," Hephaestus said, voice like molten steel. "And those perks are permanent. They evolve with you, intertwining with your Core."
Agnes' hologram jittered with giddy curiosity.
"So the system is… scalable? Fear = size and power… class = compatibility… reincarnation = phase two… and destroying them grants permanent buffs?"
Hephaestus gave the faintest smile.
"You are learning quickly, little construct."
Karl crossed his arms, eyes glinting with determination.
"So let me get this straight."
He took a breath.
"These Mythic Core Bearers grow with fear.
They come back stronger when wounded.
They drop Core Orbs that only matching Chosen can use.
And I just unlocked a system to build something that'll let me outrun one next time."
Hephaestus' molten aura flared brighter.
"Now you understand."
Agnes folded her arms, smirking proudly.
"Oh, we definitely understand. Karl, when we get back… we're going to make Erevos roar."
Karl cracked his knuckles.
"And when Goliath comes back as his 'remembered' self…"
He glanced down at the dormant cube floating beside him, faint gold light pulsing from within.
"…we'll show him what fear really looks like."
Hephaestus' voice thundered through the void one last time.
"Then go, Forge-bearer. The Nexus awaits your next evolution."
The world shattered into light.
The frozen instant began to move again.
And Kurogane Karl returned — blueprints burned into his mind, cube in hand, and a grin that promised divine retribution.