The air at the edge of the forest turned ice-cold.
Before Lilith could take a step forward, a blinding golden ring of System runes materialized directly beneath her feet.
"Fufufu... what is this?" Lilith purred, raising an eyebrow as dark purple void-fire flared from her scythe. "A restriction spell?"
[CRITICAL SYSTEM RE-CALIBRATION INITIATED]
[ATTENTION USER: KAELEN CROSS]
A massive, crimson HUD window expanded across my vision, forcing me to stop mid-step.
[NOTICE: NOVICE TRAINING PHASE CONCLUDED]
[System Adjustments Implemented:]
[Auxiliary Entity Seal Engaged:]Second Calamity Entity ’Lilith’ has been locked within the Soul Database.
[Unlock Requirement:]Accumulate 2,000 Soul Essence.
[Kill-Scaling Removed:]Artificial stat-accumulation via monster kills has been permanently disabled. Real progression now requires Soul Synchronization, Axiomatic Comprehension, and direct Essence Refinement.
"Wait, what?!" I stared at the screen. "You’re taking away the easy kill-scaling?!"
"Ah... how boring," Lilith sighed as dark void-chains rose from the golden circle, wrapping around her waist and arms. She didn’t panic; instead, she looked back at me with a lazy, seductive smile as she was slowly pulled backward into a dark spatial rift. "Looks like the System wants us to get better acquainted later, little master... Don’t make me wait too long..."
With a soft pop, the spatial rift collapsed, and Lilith vanished back into the depths of my soul.
Valeska sheathed her six-foot black greatsword, her featureless visor glowing with cold satisfaction. "Good. One less noisy parasite."
Twenty Imperial Bounty Hunters came out of nowhere.
"These bastards were probably hiding and now they have seen Lilith getting in my soul, they think they have a chance." Kaelen muttered.
"It’s time to get a little sweaty, boys. He’s out of Aether! KILL HIM!" The Bounty Hunters Commander yelled.
The twenty men drew their weapons and charged across the mud.
I braced myself, reaching for my dagger—but before I could move, my HUD flashed again.
[Primary Soul-Tether Synchronization Complete]
[Innate Ability Granted via Valeska, The Ashen Monarch:]
[Ashen Pulse (Basic) Lv. 1]:Release a short-range wave of black kinetic force derived from the Ashen Monarch’s soul. Ignores physical defense. (Cost: 20 Soul Essence).
’An ability directly from Valeska?!’
I didn’t hesitate. As the Commander swung his massive warhammer toward my head, I stepped forward, planted my feet in the mud, and thrust my right palm straight into his chestplate.
"Ashen Pulse!"
BOOM!
A shockwave of jet-black kinetic force detonated from my palm.
The Commander’s heavy steel chestplate caved inward with a sickening crunch. The concussive force passed straight through his body, exploding out his back and blasting the ten bounty hunters behind him into the air like ragdolls.
The Commander flew fifty feet through the trees, crashing through three oak trunks before landing motionless in the mud.
The remaining nine bounty hunters froze. They looked at their crushed Commander, then looked at my glowing palm.
"Fuck!..." one of them whimpered.
They dropped their weapons, turned around, and ran for their lives into the dark fog.
I stood in the quiet clearing, staring at my hand. The black kinetic energy slowly dissipated from my skin, leaving behind a faint, warm sting.
There were no level-up notifications. No stat increases. No artificial chime announcing +50 Aether.
The arcade-style popups were gone. The game-like safety net had been completely stripped away.
"The artificial resonance has faded," Valeska noted, walking up beside me. Her obsidian armor clinked softly in the quiet night. "You feel it now, don’t you, mortal?"
I looked up at her, wiping a smear of mud from my jaw. "Yeah. It seems, son of a gun system deliberately let me have a taste of supremacy. I bet it was not even the full meal."
"The Gods merely shielded your fragile mind while your vessel adapted to my tether. Now, the world’s true laws apply to you. When you bleed, you will feel it. When you fight, you have to rely on real comprehension, not artificial numbers."
She looked out toward the distant, glowing skyline of Oakhaven.
"The High Inquisitor and his Archons do not run on game mechanics. They command ancient Axioms. If you meet them with the mindset of a child playing with toys, you will die before you can even draw a blade."
I looked down at my hands, clenching them into fists.
The flashy, easy phase was over. The real game had begun.
"How can I increase my soul essence then?" Kaelen
"By refining your vessel," Valeska voice dropping into a low, commanding tone. "By forging your soul through trial, discipline, and absolute synchronization with me. You wanted power, Kaelen Cross. Now you must bear the weight of it." Her lips slowly curved into a menacing smile.
’This bitch... she is definitely thinking of different ways to fuck me up. Fuck! At this point I should better die than living this shitty life’
Shortly after, we left the blood-soaked woods and approached the towering iron gates of Oakhaven.
The lawless city loomed before us in the dark—a sprawling, vertical maze of jagged stone towers, iron bridges, and neon-like alchemical lanterns, reeking of crime, black-market magic, and hidden political sects.
"Welcome to Oakhaven," I muttered, looking up at the towering gates as guard-scouts watched us from the high battlements. "Let’s see if this city is ready for us."