The wind whistled through the ruins like a dying breath.
Stone towers leaned, cracked and hollow, their shadows long across the gray sand.
For most people, the wasteland meant death.
For Stark, it meant a chance to live one more day.
He crouched beside a half-buried statue, brushing dust from an old rune carved into its base.
The mark flickered—faint blue, then brighter. His detector clicked fast.
"Spirit energy?" he muttered. "Out here?"
The ground shook. Blue light spread in a ring around his boots, forming symbols that wrapped up his legs. The air thickened; static filled his ears.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING…]
Spirit Network: Core Protocols Reactivating.
Time Since Collapse: 1003 Years.
Searching for Compatible Soul…
Match Found — 99.7%.
Binding Host: Stark.
Initializing Spirit Interface…
The light became a pillar, rising through the broken roof.
Cold rushed into his veins; patterns of blue light carved themselves along his arms.
Then, a calm mechanical voice echoed inside his skull.
[CLASS UNLOCKED]
Class: [Unique] Spirit Summoner
Grade: SSS (Singular Origin Path)
Trait Gained: [Soul Link]
Weapon Bound: Eclipse Soulgun
The rune light gathered in front of him, shaping itself into a sleek black weapon.
Blue lines ran along its barrel, glowing with heartbeat rhythm.
Chains of energy connected it to his right wrist.
He grabbed it. The weapon hummed, familiar, as if it had been waiting for him.
[Eclipse Soulgun Bound Successfully.]
Rank: S-Tier Spirit Artifact
Function: Converts Spirit Energy into spectral ammunition.
Secondary Mode: Summon Seal — projects contracted spirits through mark fire.
Before he could speak, another voice—ancient, rough, and sad—whispered inside his mind.
"Finally… someone strong enough to bear my memory."
Mist pooled before him, twisting into a shape.
A tall figure in tattered robes stepped out of the fog, its body flickering like flame.
[SPIRIT CONTRACT DETECTED]
Entity: Wraith of Ashes
Type: Undead / Abyssal
Compatibility: 94 %
Bond: Permanent
Status: Accepted
Spectral chains flared between them. Stark staggered as emotions that weren't his—rage, sorrow, loyalty—rushed through his chest.
He steadied his breathing.
"…You understand me?"
"I am what the fire left behind," the wraith answered. "You called, and I came."
A transparent screen appeared before him, words arranging themselves with clean precision.
🧿 [STATUS WINDOW — STARK]
Attribute
Value
Level
1
Class
[Unique] Spirit Summoner
EXP
0 / 100
Spirit Energy (SE)
45 / 45
Soul Power
52
Vitality
38
Strength
31
Agility
29
Perception
40
Synchronization Rate
12 %
Spirit Slots
0 / 3
Weapon Bond
Eclipse Soulgun (Bound)
Trait
Soul Link (Passive) — Communicate and bind fragmented spirits
Affinity
+50 % with Death / Shadow / Chaos spirits
Active Spirit
Wraith of Ashes | Common (Undead/Abyssal) | Sync 8 %
A new line flashed.
[Mission: The Awakening Path]
Reach Level 10 and increase Wraith Synchronization to 15 %.
Reward: Unlock Spirit Slot (1/3).
Warning: Link decays without combat — absorb Spirit Energy to maintain stability.
Stark lowered the gun, the glow fading along its edge.
He looked at the wraith, then at the dark horizon beyond the temple.
"I don't know what's happening," he said quietly, "but if this is real, I'll master it."
The wraith's eyes burned blue.
"Then hunt. Fight. Rise."
He stepped out into the wasteland.
Ash drifted from the sky like slow snow.
Somewhere in the distance, something howled back at the newly awakened network.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
World: Sanctuary Realm (Small World)
Level Range: 1 – 250
Goal: Survive · Grow · Ascend
Above him, the clouds rippled with faint, glowing runes.
For the first time in a thousand years, the Spirit Network breathed again.
The Age of Spirits begins anew.