"…My reserves have increased. Wonderful."
I could feel it—that subtle but undeniable thrum of power weaving through my veins. Stronger than before. More *alive*. I clenched my fist and let the sensation settle into my bones.
No hesitation. I turned and made my way through the halls toward my father's chambers, my steps calm, deliberate.
"Father," I said, pausing at the door.
"Come in, my boy," he replied, his voice steady as always—measured, warm in its own distant way.
I stepped inside, carrying a bottle of aged wine. He appreciated little gestures like that. I set it gently on the table, a blackwood slab carved with elegant patterns, the kind of furniture that carried generations of quiet pride.
"I'll be leaving for the Savage Mountains," I told him. "It's time I stabilized my foundation."
I didn't need help hunting lizard-type beasts anymore. I'd long since passed that level, I wanted to get what I can get my hands in myself. But hunting wasn't the reason I was going.
What I truly wanted—what I needed—was understanding.
The world I'd fallen into was strange. Its rules, its systems, its *mana*… they didn't behave like the theories I'd once lived by. The previous owner of this body had only scratched the surface, and that surface wouldn't carry me far. If I wanted to grow—*really* grow—I need more.
I need answers.
Why did mana saturate the wilderness? What was it really? A resource? A force of life? A law?
Even with all the books I'd devoured, I still felt like a blind man stumbling through a cathedral of knowledge.
My father watched me for a moment before answering. His voice softened—not as a ruler, but as someone who'd walked through fire and kept walking.
"I know how you feel. You're my son. I know your heart… but you should know the basics law of survival."
Then, quieter: "Listen—never trust too easily. Always keep one eye open. Betrayal doesn't come when you're ready for it. It comes smiling."
He stood slowly and added, "And if you ever feel your life's in danger… don't hesitate. Strike first. Kill without mercy."
It wasn't a warning. It was a truth. The kind only men who'd lived long enough to see friends turn into enemies could offer.
"Yes, Father," I said.
And then, I remembered.
With a flick of my fingers, I summoned Boa's corpse.
Bang.
It hit the floor like a dropped tree trunk. The weight of it echoed in the chamber.
My father's eyes widened as he stepped forward to examine it. The thing was still leaking that heavy, oppressive aura. Awakened. Final form. A monster in every sense of the word.
"You… killed an Awakened?" he said, circling the body slowly. "While still in the Mortal Realm? You've only been gone five months."
"It seems so," I replied, casual as ever. There was no point pretending to be modest. I didn't care to impress him. I had a reason.
I held out my hand.
"I need your weapon."
His brow arched. But he didn't question me.
He raised his hand and summoned it. The broadsword formed in the air with a shimmer of heat and light—big, beautiful, balanced.
He handed it to me.
"This is my blade. Nero," he said. "Forged by Fabian. A dwarf… and a friend."
I took it in silence, running my fingers along the edge. The steel was cold, humming with latent power. Runes glowed faintly along the fuller—subtle, alive.
Satisfied, I summoned two bots.
"Dismantle it." I pointed at Boa's.
They got to work instantly. Efficient. Ruthless. Within ten minutes, Boa's body had been reduced to parts—muscle, bone, tendon, organs. Sorted like lab samples on a pristine floor.
But one thing drew my eye.
A glowing green core. Alive with baleful energy. Throbbing, slow and steady.
I crouched beside it, intrigued.
"Hm. Now this is a surprise."
*Master… don't tell me you're thinking what I think you are…*
Inerous's voice chimed in, warbling with doubt.
"Yes. I am." I grinned, sharp. "Why not?"
*If you introduce the Living Weapon Race… you'll break the balance of this world.*
I laughed under my breath.
"The balance of this world? Inerous, look around. It's already broken."
I reached out and picked up both the core and Boa's heart.
"Synthesis."
Black liquid gushed from my palm—thick, like molten ink. It wrapped around the items, swallowing them whole. The mass twisted and convulsed, then hardened with a hiss of steam.
Cracks formed, light pouring from inside.
And when it split open, there it was:
A heart of crystal. Emerald. Bright. Pulsing like a second sun.
*Item Acquired: Baleful Heart*
*Rank: ??*
I drew Nero from its sheath and pressed the heart against the hilt's base.
"Fuse."
Power exploded outward in a tight burst. The sword pulsed in my hand. Runes lit up like fire eating dry parchment. The blade writhed once—then went still, as if inhaling.
It was awake now.
Meanwhile, the bots turned back to their task. Everything except the brain—reduced, refined, rendered into purified essence.
All that remained… was thought. Flesh and nerve and memory.
I crouched again.
"Hm. What do I use to convert this brain into an item?"
Mana stones? Too bland. Too safe.
But a different idea slipped in, uninvited.
Twisted. Curious.
Perfect.
"Fetch me a Spraw Seed. Contained."
They returned moments later with the seed in a containment shell—glass humming with suppression glyphs. The seed inside was yellow, hard, twitching like an insect folded into a fetal curl.
Pa!
I clapped once and grinned wide.
"Perfect."