Fenric was stunned when he heard Aurora Morwyn's words.
This was the first time he'd learned that the Samsara Tower had such a hidden rule.
The first person to clear the 33rd floor… can obtain partial authority over the Samsara Space?
He drew a slow breath. "What kind of authority are we talking about?"
Aurora shook her head. "No one knows for certain—because no one has reached it. But the top think tank speculates one of the privileges is the power to uncover true identities."
Her eyes hardened. "Shura, even if you ignore every other privilege, that one alone is terrifying. If Adam gets it, he doesn't have to lift a finger—just leak the real names of Jadeveil's top Samsaras, and our entire domestic structure collapses."
Fenric's expression grew solemn.
In the Samsara Space, every Samsara was, by nature, a competitor. The higher you climbed, the more enemies you made.
If someone's true identity were exposed… revenge would follow like blood in the water.
Unless your strength was so overwhelming no one dared retaliate—like Aurora Morwyn.
Fenric thought of himself. If his real name leaked, disaster would strike overnight. With his dungeon strategies alone, countless people would hunt him down.
And One Leaf Knows Autumn? He'd be first in line.
Fenric wasn't afraid—but he wasn't strong enough yet. In truth, he was still a rookie compared to veterans who had bled their way through the Tower for years.
Give me time, he told himself. Give me time, and it'll be a different story.
Right now, what he lacked most… was time.
Aurora's words lit a fire under him. The sense of urgency hit like a war drum.
Fenric forced a smile. "I'm still miles behind you. If I want to catch Adam—or even stand against him—I'll need the support of stronger allies."
But Aurora shook her head. "I know Adam. I've faced him before. I'm not his equal. None of Jadeveil's elites are."
Her tone carried rare heaviness. "Adam's not just talented—he's relentless. He's survived in the Tower for years. You've only just started."
A pause. Then she sighed. "Still… this concerns more than either of us. Every Jadeveil Samsara should stand together."
Fenric said nothing. Inwardly, his resolve hardened.
If he couldn't overtake Adam, then at least he needed enough strength to survive before Adam reached the 33rd floor.
"By the way," Aurora suddenly asked, "I heard you had a run-in with One Leaf Knows Autumn before I arrived. He even put a bounty on you. Need me to handle it?"
Fenric shook his head immediately. "No. I'll settle it myself."
The deal was done. Fenric didn't like owing favors—especially the kind you could never repay.
Aurora read his stance and didn't press. "Then at least add me as a friend. If you hit trouble, reach out."
She had another mission: recruit Fenric into the government's special unit. But after talking to him, she knew—Shura wasn't someone who enjoyed chains. So she left it unsaid.
Fenric didn't object to adding friends. It was a function of the Samsara Space's comms system—friends could see each other's online status and initiate direct contact.
Currently, Fenric had only two friends:
One was Arke.
The other—now—was Aurora Morwyn.
…Both women.
A short while later, Aurora Morwyn logged off—returning to the real world.
Fenric, still in the Samsara Space, entered his personal warehouse.
Time to examine his haul.
And what a haul it was.
Super Soldier Serum.
Armament Haki Scroll
and the Heart of the Brave.
Every single one was a treasure. The combined value rivaled, maybe even exceeded, his last SSS-rated reward.
"System—use Super Soldier Serum!"
The command barely left his lips before a syringe shimmered into existence.
Fenric fitted the serum and drove the needle into his arm without hesitation.
The instant the blue liquid entered his bloodstream, agony detonated inside him—like every cell tearing itself apart.
"Urgg!!"
He clenched his jaw, sweat flooding his brow, muscles locked in convulsions.
Ten endless minutes later, the torment ebbed.
And then…
He opened his eyes—and felt it.
Raw power, thrumming through every fiber. His body had become a weapon of precision and force. Limbs light, balance perfect, strength coiled like steel cables under his skin.
Even his reflection had shifted.
Before, he'd been just shy of 1.8 meters. Now he'd shot past that mark—taller, leaner, carved. Rigid lines traced his torso: abs, obliques, the sculpted frame of an apex predator.
A figure out of a combat holovid!
In the Samsara Space, appearances were usually locked. But transformations born of special items? They bent the rules.
If you ignored the blindfold masking his eyes, Fenric now carried the physique—and aura—of a god of war.