The relic flared once more, surging into Kael like a tidal wave of pure energy.
His vision went white, then black, and finally opened onto a reality layered with flowing streams of golden light.
Every muscle, every nerve, every breath was flooded with energy he could feel running through the very fabric of the world.
Origin Pulse… fully awakened.
Kael gasped.
He could see the faint threads of energy flowing through the chamber, linking every carving, every wall, every corner.
The Origin Core in his chest harmonized perfectly with the relic.
For the first time, he sensed the world in a way no mortal had ever perceived.
He could feel the heartbeat of the Iron Flame Sect, the flow of energy beneath the mountains, even faint traces of power from distant lands.
His senses had expanded far beyond his body, but he retained perfect control.
The chamber fell silent, save for the gentle hum of the relic. Kael's eyes gleamed gold.
He was no longer merely an outsider.
He was the bearer of Origin, chosen by a civilization older than history itself.
And from this moment onward, nothing not sect politics, nor rival disciples, nor the limits of mortal power would be able to hold him back.