Chapter 32 – Nero
The scabbard pulsed with a low, resonant hum—soft, but steady. A quiet rhythm, like the breath of something newly born.
The process had drained a great deal from me. My energy was thin, my thoughts weighed down. But I wasn't done yet.
Not even close.
I rose to my feet and walked over to Omin. He remained perfectly still, eyes closed in deep meditation or trance. Without hesitation, I lifted his hand and made a shallow cut across his palm.
No reaction. Just silence.
That was enough.
I returned to my work and sat once more, laying out the components with practiced care. I picked up Boa's brain—it was yellowish and veined, disturbingly similar in hue to the parasitic Spraw seed.
"This is evil," I muttered with a laugh. "The parasitic nature of Boa, and the seed… they mirror each other."
I was fascinated. I couldn't wait to see the outcome.
With care, I separated Boa's amygdala from the rest of his brain—removing the last remnant of his identity. A clean slate. A blank vessel.
I dropped the now-empty brain into Omin's blood.
"This will erase Boa completely," I whispered. "This is a new brain. It holds no memory of the old mind."
Black goo burst from my palm, merging the blood and brain into one. Once the fusion stabilized, I began to inscribe again.
Drawing. Channeling. Carving.
Line by line. Stroke by stroke.
Suddenly, something shifted.
A thick red string formed beneath my eyes, glowing faintly—it connected Omin to the scabbard like an umbilical cord of power.
"A bond has formed," I said, smiling.
The hardest part was now behind me.
Moments later, the first stage was complete.
The Scabbard of Growth.
It pulsed with life, emerald patterns glowing in synchronized waves. At its center, a crimson inscription came alive—radiating presence. I could feel it... something conscious stirring within.
First came the emerald light.
Next, the crimson flare.
My gaze shifted to the blade.
The Baleful Heart had been fully accepted. Embedded along the hilt and blade were fragments of emerald gemstones, glimmering with latent energy. Near the base of the blade, barely noticeable, was a tiny engraving—an emerald heart.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was close.
I laid the blade across my lap and cradled the remaining bones of Boa in my arms—his final remnants.
One by one, I fused them into the weapon.
This time, my focus was the golden pattern—infusing the bones into the gilded lines of the hilt. Bone and metal merged seamlessly, synthesized by will and precision.
The weapon was no longer a tool.
It was growing.
The merging process was now complete. All that remained was for Omin to bless the weapon with a fragment of his soul.
But he was still lost in trance—his state too delicate to disturb. So I left a note with instructions and took my leave, slipping into the forest in silence.
Omin's P.O.V
I opened my eyes slowly and rose to my feet. The room was empty.
"He's gone..."
I spread my aura outward instinctively—it blanketed the entire Godfall mansion.
"I've reached the peak of the Magic King Realm," I muttered, looking at my palm.
What sort of power did Dax use?
It wasn't divine. It wasn't demonic.
It was something else. Alien. Ancient. Familiar and unknown all at once.
My attention snapped to the blade resting nearby. I approached it, eyes widening as I got closer.
"Is this... my sword?"
It gave off a presence. Not just a refined aura or magical signature. A breath.
It was alive.
It reminded me of Dax's blade—but this felt more personal, more connected. It radiated with my bloodline. My essence.
Soon, I noticed the note resting beside it.
I opened it, curiosity bubbling inside me. The instructions were clear: Infuse the sword with your soul power.
Simple.
I picked up the blade—it hummed as I touched it, responding like a living being. It felt like holding a family member… no, more like meeting one.
With a deep breath, I sheathed the blade.
Instantly, pressure surged around me. The air thickened. My heartbeat quickened.
"Incredible," I whispered, eyes gleaming with awe.
Without hesitation, I poured my soul power into the blade.
Nero.
A feminine voice echoed through my mind.
Gradually, the sword shimmered and transformed—taking on the form of a woman.
her body folded out of light and filament.
She wore a white-gold dress, her hair a cascade of polished jade. Her eyes were human, yet sharp, ancient—an intelligence honed beyond centuries.
Her presence was ethereal. Her body curvaceous, yet regal. And across her dress ran the golden patterns of the parasitic Spraw.
"What... is this?" I breathed.
This shattered everything I knew.
Even divine weapons didn't have humanoid forms. They didn't breathe. They didn't live.
And yet... here she was.
He said he was a researcher—but what kind of researcher creates life so casually?
took a step back. Not in fear—but awe.
"Hahaha... Dax, your skill runs deeper than what you show…"
The woman—no, the blade—simply knelt before me.
Her master.