“How does it feel to lose everything, only to realize that ‘everything’ was just the beginning of a far greater hell?”“And the second door?” Ravian asked, his voice hoarse, worn raw by a despair he could no longer hide.“The second door is ascension,” Abyssos replied, his tone piercingly cold. “You accept your fate as my vessel. You accept this manipulation as the price for absolute power. We will continue this final mission. You will live, Elara will live, but you will never again be able to call yourself human.”Ravian rose slowly. He stared at his pale hands, then at the strand of white hair that had fallen across his eyes. He thought of Elara’s smile in that vision. He thought of Master Han, who had staked his life on him.“You’re truly cunning, System,” Ravian murmured. “You know I would never let Elara die, even if it means becoming your slave forever.”“I do not call it slavery, Ravian. I call it symbiosis.” Abyssos drew closer, his voice like a serpent’s whisper crawling alon

The massive explosion that had collapsed the mouth of the cave still echoed like a dying scream in Ravian’s ears. The long ringing pierced his bones, leaving a vibration that refused to fade. Thick smoke billowed upward, carrying the stench of sulfur and a foul, corrupt odor that seemed to seep into the soul itself. Above, the sky of the Spirit Realm, once a gentle shade of violet, had turned completely black, as if all the darkness in existence had spilled out and devoured the light. At the center of the raging vortex of black clouds, the Astral Fortress floated with terrifying elegance, radiating pulses of dark energy that beat in rhythm with Ravian’s wild, uncontrollable heart.Ravian stood frozen amid the ruins, blood and dust clinging to his face. His eyes, now as dark as night, were locked onto the fortress’s spired towers, burning with fury and unyielding resolve.“Ravian, don’t just stand there! Get back inside!” Master Han shouted, grabbing Ravian’s arm and pulling him away f

A cold that cut into the soul pierced their bones to the marrow, as if the entire world had died and left behind only a breathing darkness. Ahead of them, the Astral Fortress rose like a primordial beast, its gleaming black obsidian body towering into the sky, exhaling the foul stench of death that churned the stomach and sent the heart pounding in fear. Ravian, Elara, and Master Han advanced within Elara’s silver bubble of light, drifting like ghosts through the wildly swirling black clouds, ready to swallow anyone who dared approach.“Focus, Elara. Just a little more,” Ravian whispered. His eyes, now as dark as night, scanned every inch of the fortress’s western tower with lethal vigilance.“I’m trying, Brother. But the pressure… it’s getting heavier. It feels like a giant hand is trying to crush my heart,” Elara replied. Cold sweat streamed down her temples, yet the silver radiance surrounding them held steady despite its tremor.Master Han gripped his staff so tightly his knuckles

The air inside the Heart of the Fortress altar chamber felt like heated, rusted iron. Every breath Ravian took was heavy, leaving a raw burn in his throat. His heart pounded wildly, not from fear, but from the fury and despair gnawing at his soul as he watched the silver light of Elara’s essence writhing above the obsidian altar, surrounded by tongues of black flame that relentlessly drained its purity.There, at the center of the cursed circle, stood Malphas. The Demon Prince spread his arms wide, allowing corrupted Void energy to seep into every pore of his skin, transforming both his armor and his body into something far larger and more terrifying.“You’re too late, Ravian,” Malphas’s voice echoed, no longer coming from his mouth, but from the trembling walls of the fortress. “Your sister’s essence has become the finest seasoning for this awakening. Can’t you smell it? The scent of pure nothingness?”Ravian stepped forward, his light-forged sword trembling violently in his grip. “L

"ARGHHHHH!"Ravian was hurled across the void, his body slamming into invisible pillars of energy at the edge of that dimension. The pain burned through every cell, as if his very soul were being torn apart. Master Han and Elara were flung in opposite directions, like rag dolls caught in a cosmic storm. The Astral Fortress, once floating in majestic silence, was now completely annihilated, leaving behind only a vast darkness streaked with deadly flecks of gold.Ravian lay sprawled in the middle of nothingness. He could no longer feel his arm. His vision blurred, leaving only the golden silhouette of the Guardian slowly approaching, cold and merciless."Target critically wounded. Initiating final purification phase," said the Sky Warden. It raised its sword, the tip hovering directly above Ravian’s chest, poised to pierce his heart."Don’t... touch... my brother..."The voice was faint, yet it carried a strange resonance filled with unyielding resolve. Ravian tried to turn his head and