The lightning struck Ryuzen.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
For one terrifying moment, everything disappeared.
The mountain.
The sky.
The ancient chamber.
Even the ground beneath his feet.
There was only light.
Ryuzen’s body was suspended inside the lightning.
His eyes were wide open.
He couldn’t move.
He couldn’t breathe.
He couldn’t even hear his own heartbeat.
The Life Contract sword floated beside him, surrounded by golden light.
Then—
CRACK!
Another bolt struck him.
Ryuzen’s body jerked violently.
“AAAGH!”
He screamed.
Blue thunder exploded from his body.
His muscles tightened as the energy forced its way through him.
The Electric Eel inside his soul reacted immediately.
It began thrashing violently.
Ryuzen could feel it.
His Inner Beast wasn’t afraid.
It was overwhelmed.
“What… is happening?!”
Another bolt descended.
BOOM!
Ryuzen’s knees almost collapsed.
He forced himself to remain standing.
The sword beside him vibrated.
Golden markings on its blade became brighter.
Ryuzen looked at it.
“Is this because of the contract?”
The sword gave no answer.
Another wave of thunder entered his body.
Ryuzen screamed again.
His veins began glowing blue beneath his skin.
Thunder moved through his arms.
His chest.
His back.
His legs.
Every part of his body was being filled with energy.
But this wasn’t ordinary lightning.
It was ancient thunder.
Thunder that had been gathering around Thunder Mountain for centuries.
Ryuzen’s body could barely contain it.
His breathing became ragged.
“Too much…”
He fell to one knee.
His hand slammed against the ground.
The stone beneath his palm cracked.
His entire body shook.
“I can’t…”
The thunder intensified.
Ryuzen’s teeth clenched.
“I can’t hold it!”
The Electric Eel inside his soul released a violent surge.
Blue lightning exploded outward.
The mountain trembled.
Ryuzen looked up.
The storm above him had become enormous.
Clouds covered the entire summit.
Lightning moved through them like giant serpents.
It looked as though the heavens themselves were pouring their power into the mountain.
Ryuzen’s eyes widened.
“Why me?”
No answer came.
Then he remembered Eldran.
Your thunder isn’t weak, Ryuzen.
Your body is simply too weak to carry what sleeps inside you.
Ryuzen closed his eyes.
He understood.
This was the same lesson.
His body had grown stronger.
His control had improved.
But this…
This was beyond anything he had experienced before.
He couldn’t fight it.
He couldn’t overpower it.
He had to endure it.
Ryuzen slowly stood.
His legs trembled.
His body was covered in blue lightning.
“Fine.”
He raised his head.
“If you’re going to enter my body…”
His fists tightened.
“…then I’ll endure you.”
The next bolt struck.
BOOOOOOM!
Ryuzen screamed.
The thunder entered his chest.
For a moment, his heartbeat stopped.
Then—
THUMP!
His heart slammed again.
THUMP!
Another beat.
THUMP!
Another.
The lightning moved with every heartbeat.
Ryuzen’s eyes opened.
Something had changed.
The energy was no longer simply attacking him.
It was beginning to synchronize with him.
His Electric Eel calmed.
The violent movement inside his soul slowed.
Ryuzen took a breath.
Then another.
The thunder continued entering his body.
But this time—
He didn’t scream.
He stood still.
He accepted it.
Blue light surrounded him.
The sword hovered beside him.
For a brief moment, everything became peaceful.
Then a strange sensation appeared on his forehead.
Ryuzen frowned.
“What…”
A burning pain spread across his forehead.
He raised his hand.
Before he could touch it—
CRACK!
A thin line of golden light appeared on his skin.
Ryuzen gasped.
The light spread.
Ancient symbols began forming across his forehead.
They were not random markings.
They were letters.
A language older than the kingdoms.
Older than the current records of Inner Beasts.
Ryuzen fell to one knee.
His hand pressed against his forehead.
“It burns!”
The symbol continued forming.
Blue thunder surrounded it.
Then golden light appeared at its center.
Ryuzen’s eyes widened.
For one brief moment, he saw something.
A vast sky.
A golden thunderstorm.
A warrior standing alone.
A sword in his hand.
And behind him—
A darkness so enormous that it seemed to swallow the world.
Ryuzen blinked.
The vision disappeared.
“What was that?”
The ancient voice returned.
Not from the mountain.
Not from the sword.
From somewhere deep within his soul.
“THE PATH HAS BEGUN.”
Ryuzen looked around.
“Who are you?”
Silence.
The thunder continued.
The ancient mark finished forming.
It glowed brightly on his forehead.
Then—
The energy suddenly stopped.
Ryuzen stood motionless.
The storm above the mountain slowly weakened.
The clouds began separating.
The lightning disappeared.
Silence returned.
Ryuzen looked down at his hands.
Blue sparks moved between his fingers.
His breathing was heavy.
His entire body felt strangely different.
The Life Contract sword floated beside him.
He reached for it.
His fingers wrapped around the handle.
This time, the sword felt like an extension of his own soul.
Ryuzen smiled faintly.
“We really did it.”
Then his vision blurred.
Ryuzen blinked.
The chamber spun.
He took a step.
His legs failed.
“Wait…”
He dropped to one knee.
His hand tried to catch the sword.
He missed.
The weapon fell beside him with a metallic sound.
Ryuzen tried to stand.
He couldn’t.
His body had reached its limit.
“Just…”
His voice became weak.
“Just a little farther…”
He collapsed.
His face struck the stone floor.
The ancient mark on his forehead continued glowing faintly.
The Life Contract sword remained beside him.
Ryuzen was unconscious.
Far below the summit, Lyra suddenly stopped.
She had been studying the ancient ruins when the mountain began shaking.
Then she felt something.
A powerful wave of spiritual energy.
Her Moon Wolf stirred inside her soul.
“What was that?”
The mountain was silent again.
But something felt wrong.
She looked upward.
The clouds were beginning to clear.
Lyra hesitated.
She had come to Thunder Mountain to investigate the ancient ruins.
She had no reason to climb toward the summit.
But her instincts wouldn’t let her ignore what she had just felt.
Someone was up there.
Someone had just released an enormous amount of energy.
Lyra tightened her grip.
“I hope that idiot didn’t actually get himself killed.”
She began climbing.
The path upward was difficult.
The rain had made the rocks slippery.
Several sections had collapsed.
Lyra moved carefully but quickly.
Her Moon Wolf power strengthened her body.
She jumped across broken rocks.
She climbed narrow ledges.
She continued upward.
As she climbed, she noticed something strange.
The mountain was covered in ancient symbols.
Some were glowing.
Others had cracked.
She stopped at one.
“This energy…”
Lyra placed her hand against the stone.
A faint pulse traveled through it.
She immediately pulled her hand away.
“This mountain has awakened.”
She looked toward the summit.
Her expression became serious.
“Whoever climbed up there…”
She continued.
“…is in serious trouble.”
Hours later, Lyra finally reached the upper mountain.
She stepped onto a large stone platform.
The ancient chamber was ahead.
She noticed the broken gate.
Her eyes widened.
“Someone came through here.”
She entered carefully.
Then she saw him.
A young man was lying motionless on the stone floor.
His clothes were damaged.
Blue sparks moved across his body.
Beside him lay an ancient sword.
Lyra froze.
Her eyes moved from the sword…
To the unconscious figure…
Then to the strange ancient mark glowing on his forehead.
Her expression changed.
“This is…”
She remembered the person she had seen climbing the mountain.
The person surrounded by lightning.
The person she had shouted at from below.
She slowly approached.
“It was you.”
Ryuzen didn’t move.
Lyra crouched beside him.
She placed two fingers near his neck.
A heartbeat.
Weak.
But present.
“He’s alive.”
She sighed with relief.
Then she noticed the energy still moving through his body.
Her expression became serious.
“Whatever happened here…”
She looked at the ancient sword.
“…it nearly killed you.”
Ryuzen suddenly coughed.
Lyra immediately supported his head.
“Hey!”
Ryuzen’s eyes opened slightly.
Everything was blurry.
He could barely see her.
“Who…”
His voice was almost a whisper.
Lyra looked at him.
“My name is Lyra.”
Ryuzen tried to focus.
“Lyra…”
His eyes closed again.
Lyra tightened her grip.
“Hey! Don’t you dare collapse again!”
But Ryuzen was already unconscious.
Lyra looked toward the sky.
Then back at him.
“You’re definitely the craziest person I’ve ever seen.”
She carefully reached for his arm.
“Come on.”
She began pulling him away from the center of the chamber.
“We’re getting you somewhere safe.”
Behind them, the ancient sword remained on the ground.
Its golden markings slowly dimmed.
But the strange mark on Ryuzen’s forehead…
continued to glow.