In the suffocating depths of a damp underground prison.
Bound heavily by thick, rune-etched chains against the rough stone wall was an older version of Ethan, his once-sharp hair now completely turned white from endless torture and despair.
Standing right in front of him was an imposing young man with flowing, raven-black hair. The man wore luxurious, aristocratic garments that radiated an aura of supreme authority, possessing a heroic, commanding physical figure.
Looking down at the battered, captive Ethan with a mocking amusement, the man chuckled softly. "Guess what I came to tell you today, Ethan?"
Ethan raised his head, glaring through bloodshot eyes filled with unyielding fury. "Shut your worthless trash and get the hell out of my sight!"
The mysterious man merely laughed, a chilling sound echoing off the damp prison walls. "It’s about your fiancée. Surely you’d want to hear how she’s doing?"
Hearing those words, a sharp spike of pure terror pierced Ethan’s heart. His eyes widened in panic as he strained against his chains. "What did you do to her?!"
The man grinned cruelly, leaning in closer. "Your dear fiancée was truly a breathtaking beauty..."
"What did you do to her?!" Ethan roared at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking with desperation and rage.
With chilling calmness, the man shrugged.
"Actually, I didn’t even get the chance to touch her. Before I could lay a single finger on her, she shattered her own soul and destroyed her body.
Such a foolish, tragic choice... and all of that just to remain loyal to a useless loser like you."
The man’s smile widened into something demonic. "Of course, if I wanted to, I could easily resurrect her shattered corpse. In fact... I think I will. And once she is brought back, she will belong entirely to me, body and soul. Did you know that, Ethan?"
A crushing wave of horror struck Ethan like physical blows, leaving him completely paralyzed.
First, the devastating realization that his beloved fiancée was dead, and second, the sickening nightmare of what this monster intended to do to her remains.
Breaking down completely, Ethan thrashed against his bindings, screaming out in sheer agony and despair, "You bastard... you won’t even let her rest in peace even after death?!"
Before Ethan could scream another word, a heavy, merciless boot slammed directly into his face, crushing his head violently against the jagged stone wall.
"Don’t worry," the man sneered, pressing his boot harder into Ethan’s bleeding cheek. "When I resurrect her, I’ll make sure to bring her right in front of you. I’m certain seeing her again will bring you immense joy... watching her belong to me."
Gritting his teeth so hard they nearly fractured, blood dripping from his gums, Ethan glared up with venomous eyes. "You bastard... I’ll tear you apart! I’ll never forgive you!"
The man burst into a mocking, arrogant laugh.
"We’ll see about that. Let’s see what a miserable wretch like you could ever possibly do to me."
He leaned in, his voice dripping with supreme contempt. "Remember who you’re barking at, Ethan. I am the Soul Emperor, Kayel Vance—the absolute ruler of souls and dominions."
"What could a broken, powerless trash heap who can’t even cultivate anymore ever hope to do to me?"
Under the crushing weight of the boot, Ethan’s vision began to blur and darken, plunging into a deep, suffocating abyss.
Gasp—!
Ethan’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
The dark, damp prison cell vanished. Instead, his blurry sight was greeted by the familiar rotting wooden beams and dusty rubble of the dilapidated, abandoned cottage on the outskirts of Veridia Town—the very place where he had collapsed after successfully forging his chaotic first Mana Ring.
As the cold reality of the present washed over him, a ragged, trembling breath shuddered past his lips. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs, and through his gritted teeth, a name escaped like a desperate curse of vengeance:
"Soul Emperor... Kayel Vance...".
The chilling memory of that humiliating defeat and the horrific fate of his fiancée still burned fresh in his mind, even across the boundaries of time and memory.
"That bastard took away the last trustworthy person I had—the one person that had always stayed by my side, even during the worst moments of my life."
"In this life, whatever pain he has caused me, I will make sure he pays for it tenfold."
But as he looked down at his own youthful, callled hands—now pulsing with the terrifying, dormant might of his newly forged dual-toned Space-Time ring and the suppressed flames—a cold, ruthless fire ignited deep within his chest.
A sudden flash of realization struck Ethan as memories of his past life violently resurfaced.
"Now I remember..." Ethan muttered, his eyes narrowing sharply. "Back on the exact night of my awakening ceremony, Kael stumbled upon a heaven-defying opportunity elsewhere.
He awakened the ’Stone fish Body’—a legendary, supreme physique. He only obtained it because he happened to save a stranded mermaid drowning in the open sea, receiving her ultimate racial blessing as a reward!"
Clenching his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, Ethan stood up abruptly from the rubble.
"While I am sitting here trapped in this wretched town, he is out there claiming his destiny? No chance in hell. I’m going right now to intercept him... and I’ll snatch that supreme opportunity away with my own hands!"
"But-But what can I do? That town is extremely far away."
"I’ve only just become a Rank One Mage. Even if I wanted to create a Teleportation Formation using my mana, I would need at least Rank Three or Rank Four mana."
"That’s far beyond my current capacity."
Right as frustration threatened to consume him, the system’s calm voice echoed in his mind.
[If your only obstacle is insufficient mana and distance, Host, then I have a solution for you...]
A translucent holographic window flickered open, displaying the system’s inventory.
Highlighted right at the top was a pulsing, luminous item carrying a staggering description: [Blue Dragon’s Heart]—priced at an eye-watering 30,000 Fate Points.
Ethan stared at the glowing holographic item, his breath catching in his throat. Shock paralyzed him completely.
The B-Blue Dragon’s Heart?!
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