The dimension of ash was as silent as a graveyard of stars…
Owen stood motionless before the translucent blue system screen that floated prominently in the void. The two words glowing upon it, [Accept / Refuse], were another of the most critical turning points in his life. The roar of the Berserker Fist King still echoed in his soul. The atmosphere around him was so heavy it was as if all the air had been sucked away, leaving only him and the choice that would decide everything.
His spiritual heart pounded as two lines of thought waged a fierce war within him.
'Sacrifice the "Permanent Covenant"… for a full year!' the voice of reason screamed frantically. The power that was one of his most important trump cards… the power that helped him grow and strengthen by leaps and bounds. For the coming month, he had already planned to use it to exchange for the ability "Martial Arts Genius" to elevate his skills to another level… Losing it wasn't just losing a power; it was the complete and utter destruction of the entire plan he had so carefully laid out.
But then… another voice, one from his raw instincts, roared back…
The images of a terrified Clara, a confused Damian, and a desperate Julian in the veil of mist superimposed themselves on his thoughts… 'And what if I refuse? What will I use to fight that nightmare? Will I be able to protect them in time?' He needed power… decisive power that could be used instantly, not power he had to wait for!
Owen closed his eyes, inhaling a non-existent breath into his spiritual lungs. And when he opened them again… his gaze held no more hesitation. It was filled with a resolve as cold as polar ice.
"Just one year… in exchange for the power to protect everyone right now… it's more than worth it!"
He had made his decision.
Owen raised a spiritual hand that had been trembling slightly, before clenching it into a tight fist to stop the shaking. He then extended his index finger and pressed down on the word [Accept], firmly and steadily.
The moment he confirmed it, the [Accept] symbol on the screen flashed as bright as the sun, before the entire screen dissolved into dozens of "chains of black energy." Those chains shot towards Owen's spiritual body with great speed, binding themselves completely to his power core. He could feel that "something" important had been "locked" and "sealed" away so tightly he could no longer access it.
The Berserker Fist King, who had been watching, nodded slowly. The crazed look in his eyes had calmed slightly, as if some of his vengeance had been released along with the forming of this covenant. His roar softened but still retained its power.
"A firm decision… But remember… from this moment on, you can only rely on your own true strength… Use my power… and go 'protect' what you desire!"
With those final words, the Fist King's spirit raised a palm and pushed violently at the empty air before him. Although there was no physical contact, Owen felt as if he had been struck in the chest by a giant. His spirit was thrown backward, returning to the real world in an instant!
Owen opened his eyes again. He was panting heavily as if he had just broken the surface after being underwater. His mind was still dazed, confused between the image of the barren land and the reality before him.
But then… he froze… as he felt an unfamiliar "weight" on both his hands.
It wasn't just the weight of ordinary metal, but a solid feeling, filled with immense energy. He slowly lowered his head to look… and found that the "blood-red armored gauntlets" that had been on the stone pedestal… were now fitted perfectly onto both his hands!
He tried to move his fingers slowly… and the blood-colored metal joints moved according to his thoughts, flawlessly. It didn't feel like he was wearing any equipment, but rather… as if these were his real hands from birth. He could feel a raw, searing energy circulating within the gauntlets like boiling blood… waiting for the day it would be unleashed with a mad frenzy.
And as Owen was stunned by the feeling of being one with his new weapon, he heard a shaky, abnormally loud gasp…
Tenzin, who had been watching, stood with his eyes wide in a shock he had never shown before! His rock-like composure had shattered in an instant. He was trembling slightly, his lips parted as if to say something, but no sound came out. He stared back and forth between Owen's face and the cursed gauntlets, in utter disbelief.
Finally, he managed to force out the words, his voice hoarse and trembling. "Im… impossible… After almost a thousand years… finally… finally, it has… accepted its master."
His eyes were filled with a mix of emotions: shock, disbelief, and a slight dread of what Owen had traded away… But as a caretaker who had seen the world, he would not ask such an intrusive question directly. Instead, he chose to give a warning out of genuine concern. "Use it with caution, Guardian. Do not let it devour your true self… As the caretaker, this is all I can warn you of."
But Owen didn't pay much attention to Tenzin's reaction, because right now… he could feel the immense power flowing from the gauntlets into every particle of his body. It was a raw and unbelievably powerful feeling. He flexed his fingers and opened his palm, feeling as if it had always been a part of him.
Driven by instinct, he decided to test it…
Owen got into a firm stance and threw a right punch into the empty air before him… It was a punch without any complex technique, just a straight punch.
Vwoom! Fwip!
Even though it was just a punch without his full strength, an incredible phenomenon occurred! The air in front of his fist was compressed until a "shockwave," visible to the naked eye, shot out! The wave of power flew straight ahead and slammed into the stone wall of the armory, dozens of meters away.
TUNGGG!
A dull sound echoed, accompanied by a light tremor in the floor. And on the strong, ancient stone wall… a small "crack" appeared!
Owen looked back and forth between his handiwork and his right fist in shock, before that shock turned into the utmost satisfaction… The corners of his lips lifted into a smile that grew wider and wider… 'This is it! This is the power I wanted!'
And as Owen was reveling in his new power, the familiar system notification sounded in his head. But this time, it wasn't the simple "Ting!" as usual, but a sound that was much more excited and grand.
A translucent blue screen appeared before him, with a message that made his heart pound.
….
[Congratulations! You have fulfilled the conditions for System Upgrade Level 1!:
1.Raise anyone's "Affection" to 100 points (Rosy, Jessica)
2.Raise anyone's "Angel Path" or "Demon Path" to 100 points (Victoria)
3. Receive a large amount of energy from a high-level power source (Essence of Dreams)
4.Possess a Legendary-level object (Gauntlets of the Sun God)]
[System Upgrade Conditions Met!]
[Upgrading 'Choice System' V.1.0 to V.2.0…]
[…10%…50%…99%...]
[Upgrade Complete!]
[New Ability Unlocked: [Status Window]]
[New Ability Unlocked: [Relationship Meter]]
…..
Owen stood stunned for the second time in just a few minutes, but this time it was a shock that came with the utmost excitement. He stared at the system window as it slowly faded… One thought rose clearly in his mind…
'This damn system… it can upgrade itself!?'
That thought was like a lightning bolt to his heart!
This fact opened his world up even wider. It meant his power still held many secrets waiting to be unlocked. And the decision he had just made… might have been the best decision of his life! The slight worry in his eyes was now replaced by a blazing anticipation he had never felt before.
He didn't wait, giving his first command in his mind with curiosity, 'System! Open Status Window!'
Instantly, a familiar-looking blue holographic screen, but with much more complex details, appeared before him. It was a status window format, just like the games he was so familiar with.
…..
[Name: Owen Marlowe
Awakened Rank: B+
Strength: C+
Speed: C
Intellect: B
Mana Capacity: B
Charm: B
Luck: ??? (The Test of Fate)
Combat Skills (Unarmed): B
Abilities: [Choice System V.2.0], [The Sire], [Scales of Covenant], [Avatar of Asura], [Essence of Dreams], [Warp Reality 1 time], [Status Window], [Relationship Meter]
Equipped: [Gauntlets of the Sun God] ]
…..
Owen scanned his own stats quickly, before his brow furrowed when he saw the name of his equipped item…
'Gauntlets of the Sun God? Not the 'Gauntlets of the Fallen King'?'
He didn't wait, immediately ordering the system to display its details.
…..
[ Gauntlets of the Sun God:
Level: Legendary (Can grow)
Description: A cursed weapon born from the dark despair of the Berserker Fist King. But upon accepting a master with the qualities of the 'Sun' (one who desires power to protect those they love), the curse was transformed into a blessing, unleashing the true power that slept within.
Unlocked Abilities:
[Fist of the Rising Sun]: Every time a physical attack makes contact with a target, the gauntlets will begin to accumulate thermal energy. Can accumulate up to 6,000 degrees Celsius (equivalent to the surface temperature of the sun). The user can then release all the energy in a single attack.
2.[Locked]
3.[Locked] ]
…..
When Owen finished reading the description of the first ability, his jaw dropped in the utmost shock!
"Six… Six thousand degrees Celsius!"
He repeated the words out loud without realizing it. Destructive power at this level was insane! This wasn't just an ordinary punch anymore… it was like releasing a miniature sun from his fist!
After the excitement from his new power began to calm down, he turned his attention back to the status window again. And this time… his eyes were drawn to the strangest stat of all…
[Luck: ??? (The Test of Fate)]
'The Test of Fate?' Owen repeated the words in his mind. Their meaning was vague but felt strangely familiar. He tried to think back on the path his life had taken… and he began to see a clear pattern…
It started with being a million dollars in debt overnight… that was the 'bad luck' that had pushed him to the edge of a cliff. But at the bottom of that cliff… he had received the 'Choice System'… which was the 'good luck' that had changed his life forever.
Then there was being trapped in the dimensional gate of chaos, almost dying at the hands of the parasite queen… that was the most terrible 'bad luck.' But because of his struggle to survive that time… it had brought him 'Iris' as his strongest ally… and that was the unbelievable 'good luck' that followed.
And most recently… having to sacrifice his most important power for a full year… that was the 'bad luck' of a great loss. But the price he paid… had brought him this legendary weapon… and this was the greatest 'good luck' of all.
Suddenly… he understood its meaning completely! Without even having to press to see its description from the status window!
'It's not a stat… it's the story of my life!'
His life wasn't determined by normal good or bad luck, but by repeated gambles with fate… The greater the hardship and despair he faced, the greater the reward he would receive after overcoming it… His luck… could therefore not be measured by a normal scale (F-SSS).
That thought sent a chill down his spine… but at the same time… it made the blood in his veins boil with an excitement he had never felt before!
…..
The atmosphere in the armory fell silent again after Owen realized the meaning of his "Test of Fate." His eyes had changed. They were deeper and filled with an understanding of his own path like never before.
Tenzin, who had heard Owen exclaim about the gauntlets' power, walked over slowly. His shock was gone, but the gaze he now had for Owen was filled with a respect he had never shown before. He no longer saw Owen as just a "successor" to be trained, but as a true "Guardian" who had passed a test no one had ever passed before.
"It seems you truly are one chosen by fate… The power radiating from those gauntlets… it is greater than any record in this monastery has ever described." Tenzin then said in a more serious tone, "But we have no time to admire your new toy… Your friends are in danger."
The old monk led Owen out of the armory, back to the center of the monastery… and stopped again before the jet-black pool that reflected like a mirror. The atmosphere returned to one that was solemn and sacred.
Tenzin turned to face Owen. "Now that you have a 'weapon,' next is how to get to the 'battlefield'… The veil of mist outside is not the true enemy. It is merely a symptom. Its true source is a 'Nightmare Knot'… which is the wound that connects the world of reality with the Dream Dimension."
"Close your eyes…" he continued. "…Do not use your physical eyes to see, but use the [Essence of Dreams] which has now become a part of you. Perceive the world around you… not as matter, but as energy… as interconnected dreams… Then focus, and you will see it… the point where peaceful dreams have been twisted into a distorted nightmare."
Owen followed his instructions. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He focused on the ocean of mana within his body and felt another, different kind of energy… the strange and profound power of the [Essence of Dreams].
The physical world slowly faded from his senses. He no longer "saw" the monastery hall, but "perceived" it as a mass of calm and stable energy. He slowly expanded this perception beyond the monastery walls… through Blackwood Forest… He could feel the "dreams" of the trees, the stream, and the small creatures sleeping there… It was a beautifully harmonized song of nature. But amidst that song… he heard the distorted, wailing "scream" of an intrusive energy!
He focused all his concentration on that scream… and then its image appeared clearly in his head! It wasn't an object, but a "gaping wound torn upon the fabric of reality"… a jet-black tear whose edges were constantly twisting and splitting. A horrifying, dark purple energy was gushing from the tear like blood that wouldn't stop… and deep within that tear… he saw the shadow of "something" massive and terrifying moving about!
Owen's eyes snapped open. A bead of sweat trickled down from his temple. The vision he saw was so terrifying and powerful it had almost drained him. His eyes no longer held the excitement of a young man who had just gotten a new power… but the eyes of a soldier who had just seen the true face of his enemy for the first time.
He turned to Tenzin, his face impassive but his eyes hard. "I see it," he said flatly.
Tenzin nodded, his face solemn but also tinged with pride. "Good… that is your target. You cannot destroy it from here. You must go inside… and destroy its core from within… Are you ready… Guardian?"
Owen's eyes glowed with a faint gold, reflecting the power of the gauntlets on his hands. He slowly clenched both fists… until the sound of the metal gauntlets scraping together was faintly heard.
"I'm ready… I'll be the one to get rid of this nightmare!"
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