“Do you really think you can use me as fertiliser?” the being asked, his frown carrying the weight of someone who had not been caught off guard in a very long time.
Here was an ant.
An ant that could be extinguished with less effort than it took to blink.
And yet the ant was looking at him not with terror, not with worship, but with the focused eyes of someone doing mental arithmetic on how much they could extract from the situation.
The being couldn’t help it.
He found it amusing.
In all his existence, across all the beings that had ever stood before him and felt even a fraction of his true pressure, not one had ever looked at him the way this insignificant young man was looking at him now.
As an opportunity.
“You are an interesting one,” he said quietly.
With a calm, unhurried ease, he drew every last trace of his pressure back into himself, sealing it away as simply as a man closing a door.
The dungeon exhaled.
“Such brazenness.
It would be unfair of me to snuff you out,” the being said, studying Michael with something that hadn’t been there moments ago.
Genuine interest.
“You have intrigued me.
I, the Celestial Demon of Flames.” He said the title without arrogance, simply as fact.
“I suppose a parting gift will suffice.”
“Celestial Demon?” Michael asked.
He had spent considerable time working through the kingdom’s library.
He had read widely, carefully, across histories and classifications and records that most people never touched.
Not once had those two words appeared together.
Not once had anything even close to that title been referenced.
“You are too weak, and too ignorant, to comprehend what it means,” the being said, and there was no cruelty in it.
Just honesty, delivered without decoration.
“That will be your task.
Grow stronger until you can stand in my presence one final time.”
He turned and walked away.
A rift split the air ahead of him, edges shimmering, his departure written clearly in the shape of it.
He was almost through.
Then he stopped.
Turned back one last time.
Extended one hand toward Michael and fired.
Michael watched it come.
He didn’t move.
He couldn’t move, and even if he could, the thought of dodging had already dissolved before it fully formed.
There was simply no version of that action that made sense.
The energy reached him.
And instead of tearing him apart, it settled over him like warmth after a long cold night.
Soothing.
Deliberate.
A gift wrapped in the shape of something that could have been an execution.
“Utilise your reward well and grow stronger,” the being said.
Then the rift closed behind him and he was gone.
Michael stood in the ruined dungeon and stared at the empty space where the rift had been.
He had just been looking at his golden goose and working out exactly how to make use of it.
He didn’t even get a name.
But one thing had already settled into certainty inside his chest, quiet and immovable.
He was going to grow strong enough to stand before that being as an equal.
Not as a toy.
Not as an interesting ant.
As an equal.
The thought had barely finished forming when the notifications arrived.
All of them at once.
[Congratulations on surviving and receiving the acknowledgement of the Celestial Demon of Flames!]
[The Celestial Demon has assisted in hastening the calibration of the system!]
[The system has undergone an update!]
[Host now has access to System 2.0 earlier than the previously determined launch date!]
[You have gained a new update!]
[System Tower has been unlocked.]
[System Store has been unlocked.]
[You have received an update pack!]
Michael read through each one slowly, the smile on his face growing by degrees.
He didn’t fully understand what had transpired from the being’s side of things.
But the result was clear enough.
An unexpected harvest.
A very good one.
Before diving into the system update, he turned his attention first to the two upgrades the Celestial Demon had left behind.
Odin’s Eye and Sword Heart.
He pulled up the details and read.
[EX RANK GIFT: ODIN’S EYE]
The world perceived by ordinary beings is incomplete.
Reality is layered beneath reality.
Truth is hidden beneath truth.
And fate itself moves through unseen currents that most will never notice.
Odin’s Eye was born to witness what others cannot.
[Passive Skill: Transcendent Comprehension]
Nothing remains incomprehensible forever.
The moment the eye encounters a phenomenon, it begins unravelling its underlying principles.
Techniques, spells, bloodlines, authorities, ancient languages, and even unfamiliar systems gradually reveal themselves through observation alone.
The greater the complexity, the longer the process requires.
Yet given enough exposure, understanding becomes inevitable.
[Passive Skill: Metaphysical Sight]
The eye perceives far beyond the material world.
Souls become visible.
Spiritual entities reveal themselves.
Invisible forces, lingering emotions, conceptual scars, curses, blessings, fate threads, and hidden authorities all leave traces that can be observed.
To Odin’s Eye, the unseen world is merely another layer of reality.
[Passive Skill: Eye of Revelation]
Falsehood cannot easily survive beneath its gaze.
Illusions weaken.
Concealment techniques reveal inconsistencies.
Whether magical, spiritual, conceptual, or mental in nature, deceptions are continuously scrutinised by the eye until their flaws become apparent.
[Passive Skill: Divine Perception]
The eye elevates all sensory processing to extraordinary levels.
Distance becomes less relevant.
Movement appears slower.
Minute details become obvious.
The slightest fluctuation in mana, intent, emotion, or killing intent can be detected and interpreted.
What others miss entirely becomes impossible for the wielder to overlook.
[Passive Skill: Fate’s Reflection]
The future is an ever-changing sea of possibilities.
Most of the time, its waters remain clouded.
Yet on rare occasions, Odin’s Eye catches reflections from beyond the present moment.
A sudden warning.
A fleeting image.
A glimpse of danger.
A fragment of opportunity.
These visions arrive without warning, often revealing possibilities that would otherwise remain unseen.
[Active Skill: World Appraisal]
Nothing escapes examination.
Upon focusing on a target, Odin’s Eye forcibly analyses its existence.
Strengths.
Weaknesses.
Origins.
Potential.
Hidden abnormalities.
The deeper the analysis, the greater the information revealed.
Few secrets can withstand prolonged scrutiny.
[Active Skill: Fate Divergence]
For a brief moment, the eye peers beyond the immediate future.
Countless possible outcomes unfold before the wielder’s vision.
Though fate cannot be controlled, the knowledge of potential futures allows actions to be chosen with extraordinary precision.
The further one attempts to see, the heavier the burden placed upon the eye.
[Active Skill: Odin’s Revelation]
The supreme authority of Odin’s Eye.
For a short period, every limitation imposed upon the eye is removed.
Perception expands to its absolute limit.
The metaphysical world becomes crystal clear.
Illusions cease to exist.
Fate threads reveal themselves.
Complex phenomena become easier to comprehend.
Reality itself appears stripped bare of its disguises.
For those few moments, the wielder perceives the world as it truly is.
And once such truths are witnessed…
They can never be forgotten.
Warning: The more Odin’s Eye is used, the greater the risk of losing your sight permanently.
Use with caution.