The idea wasn't originally his.
Ten years before his birth, a hero from another world introduced something called a Network — a system that connected people across vast distances, allowing information to travel between them simultaneously rather than one point to the next.
The concept was revolutionary at the time. The idea that you could link countless individual nodes into a single unified system, and that information fed into one node would reach all of them at once, changed the world.
It sparked the idea of the Union Bridge, a rudimentary version of the satellite. It allows one to use a special device that can broadcast a message to the entire world. At first, it could only be used for emergency broadcasts.
But after a few years, they were able to perfect the device and isolate different nodes to allow for a two-way communication channel. Of course, if need be, they could connect more nodes together.
But that's beside the point.
Abel used the concept of a network to create a spell that could disintegrate everything within it.
Instead of people, nodes. Instead of information, elemental particles. Instead of a communication system, a weapon. He linked every ambient Qi particle across a planetary range — via millions of mana threads — into a single resonant network, gave them all the same convergence point, and the moment he activated it, every particle discharged simultaneously toward that point.
A spell created from the concept of a different world, with the power of another.
Nexus.
───
The moment I activate Nexus, everything goes white.
It's not from the spell activating nor is it me blacking out. It's just… white.
Then it fades.
When my vision returns, I notice the sky above me. Wait… no, below me. Or is it behind me?
I can't seem to tell right from left or up and down.
But I do notice that I'm standing on the sky.
There's not much I can do, so I begin to walk.
Where, I don't know. But staying here — wherever here is — won't do anything.
This situation reminds me of that time after defeating Fang, when I blacked out and ended up in some weird black space.
Maybe it's happening again.
I continue to walk for a few minutes then spot a figure in the distance.
I dash towards the figure. It might be the same guy I saw last time when I ended up in this type of situation.
But I create a mana weapon, just in case this is another part of the trial. Can't let my guard down just because I'm done with one part of the trial.
I finally stop a meter or two away from the figure.
Upon closer inspection, I can easily tell he's not the guy I saw last time.
He doesn't emit the same aura as him and besides, this time I can see his face.
There's a handsome face with snow-white hair and golden eyes.
He's wearing a black shirt and black pants under a long white robe open at the front. He wears white shoes so spotless you would think they've never touched the ground before.
His hands are tucked in his pockets and his expression is that of someone who was forced to be there.
He scratches his head before looking at me.
"Oh good, you made it."
His voice lacks energy, and he doesn't seem to be in a rush. It's like he really doesn't want to be here.
I don't sense any hostility from him so I don't attack. But somehow… that only makes me even more cautious. Anyone strong enough to hide their killing intent completely is someone I should be wary of.
I keep my weapon ready and simply stare at him.
He bends down a little then scratches his chin.
"You don't look like someone who just blasted a hole through the planet."
Finally, I speak up.
"Who are you?"
The man smiles, then lifts himself up.
"I am the Sovereign of Null, the general of the Regulator."
The Regulator!
The same Omniversal being that created everything in creation, the same Omniversal being who, with a blink, could obliterate all of creation!?
"Yup. That guy."
Huh, but I didn't even say anything.
"You don't need to. Most people who have heard of him usually make that face when I mention him."
Then he pouts.
"Nobody ever makes that face when I mention my name though."
"But you didn't say your name, you only mentioned your title."
"Hmm, maybe. Well whatever. It's none of my business who you admire."
"So, what's your role here?"
He snaps out of it and makes a face that says: oh yeah, I almost forgot.
"The Regulator was supposed to be here, but he couldn't make it. So he sent me in his place."
... I see.
"That's good though, I kinda wanted to meet you myself."
"Why's that?"
"Simply put, you piqued my interest. I wanted to see for myself. The guy who managed to earn the interest of the Regulator himself."
Hold on, I managed to earn the interest of the Regulator? How? I've never even met him.
"Wait, why does the ─"
"Sorry, but I can't answer that. My job is to give your reward, and I've already spent quite a bit of time talking to you."
He puts his right hand into his pocket and takes out a black card. There are tiny cracks that glow red like embers.
He then sticks out his right hand at me.
"Here, take it."
I don't like this.
A mysterious man claiming to be the Regulator's subordinate suddenly appears and offers me something. Everything about this screams don't touch it.
"..."
Still… If someone on his level wanted to kill me, he wouldn't need tricks. He could've done it the moment I arrived.
After a brief hesitation, I reach out and take the card.
[ Notice ]
[ Soul link has been established ]
[ You have formed a contract with Cameal: Angel of Flame and Forgery ]
"Cameal!"
I end up screaming the name of the angel. Why shouldn't I? After all, Cameal was my very first creation as a god.
Wait… no, scratch that. It's not my first creation but it is my first perfected creation. The others were all good, but they weren't what I wanted.
But that's beside the point.
It's not just because it's my first creation that made me scream. It's because it's one out of twelve fragments of my ultimate weapon.
Havenhell, the sword of chaos. A sword capable of defying the laws of reality and able to carve a path towards the user's goal.
I clench my fist.
And that's exactly why Lucifer killed me for it. My own friend killed me for the sake of attaining my own creation. And the one who I considered my own brother helped him.
I swear, I will get my revenge. It's only a matter of time.
And Cameal is going to help.
But the only way I can truly win is if I collect all the fragments of Havenhell.
I'm sure I'll be able to recover the rest.
Any attempt to take control of Havenhell would cause it to return into its original 12 fragments, The Angels of Chaos.
Once split, they would scatter to the far ends of the universe.
But, I hate to admit it, Lucifer's a genius himself. I actually thought that he might be able to figure out a way around it.
Guess I've overestimated him.
"You done reflecting over there."
"Huh."
The Sovereign's voice snaps me back to reality.
"Yeah, sorry. I got lost in my own world there. But do you mind if I ask a ─"
"What did I just say," the Sovereign responds.
Right, no questions.
"So, are you gonna grab it, or what."
The Sovereign is sticking his hand out with another card. It's a silver card as pristine as his shoes.
Well, I just obtained Cameal from the other card, so this card must be just as good.
I grab the card and just like before, it dissolves into my palm.
[ Notice ]
[ You have learned the passive skill: Resistance ]
[ Skill: Resistance - Lv. 1 ]
[ Description: A passive skill that surrounds the user's body and soul with an invisible mana circuit. The instant an external force is detected, the circuit forms an ultra-thin defensive barrier that weakens the attack before dispersing. Through repeated exposure, the mana circuit evolves, increasing its effectiveness against previously encountered phenomena. ]
The moment I finish reading, a strange sensation spreads throughout my body.
I look down at my legs.
Faint purple lines run across them like veins, spreading through every part of my body.
Just as quickly as they appeared, they fade.
"That isn't really necessary but, consider this my gift to you."
"A gift huh. Well, this isn't any angel, but I'm not complaining."
Hell yeah.
What an amazing skill. Forget needing people to attack me—if I use different attacks on myself and endure them, my resistance will increase over time. The faster the better.
And it's a passive skill, so it's always active. Sneak attacks won't work on me anymore.
"Consider this an extra gift from me. Aren't I amazing?" he says with a hint of pride.
His index and middle fingers begin to glow white. Then he presses them on my forehead.
A warmth envelops me like before, but it only lasts a moment.
I wait for the notification, but nothing happens.
"What... was that?" I ask.
The Sovereign simply smiles. A very unhelpful smile.
"You'll find out."
"... fine."
I don't really want to argue with him and in all honesty, I want to get out of here so I won't persist.
It's been a while, so I might as well check my status window.
How strong did I get from fighting Onyx?
The thought is enough to get me excited.
[ Name: Abel MorningStar ]
[ Race: Human/?? ]
[ Level: 135 ] [ 23% of original power ]
[ Strength: 132 ]
[ Agility: 119 ]
[ Intelligence: 127 ]
[ Mana: 164 ] [ Mp: 10,200 ]
[ Luck: 100 ]
[ Class: Divine Arbiter ]
[ Titles: The one who Refused to Die ]
[ Skills: Ghost, Void, Sonic Leap, Infinite's Domain, Replicate, Soul Dominion, Stealth, Skill fusion, Dragons Breath ]
[ Passive Skill: Resistance, Regeneration, Menace ]
[ Attributes: Wind, Fire, Earth, Water, Shadow ]
[ Arcium: None ]
That's it?
I mean, it's not bad. In fact, I am happy but after nearly dying, I expected my level to be much higher than this.
Well, I guess the skills and Cameal will have to make up for it.
I did notice that I've got a new slot labeled passive skills though. And Regeneration and Menace are now part of that slot.
"Just so you know, you can change some of your skills to become passive."
"Huh, what do you mean?"
"I mean skills like regeneration can be changed to become passive skills. Provided they possess the qualifications."
I see. But menace isn't something that I really want active all the time.
"But you can always change them back into regular skills. That solves the problem with menace, right?"
Are you reading my mind?
"Not exactly. I'm just very good at reading facial expressions."
The Sovereign puts both hands in his pockets and turns.
"Alright, with that, I'm done. See you later, Abel."
Huh.
The moment the Sovereign utters those words, the white space from before returns. This time though, I can feel my consciousness slipping away. Almost like I'm falling asleep.
Then, it's gone.
───
Every death inside the Trial came at a cost.
While Abel fought for another chance, another day disappeared from the world outside.
Back in the real world, a figure runs.
White hair tucked under the hood of a Selene academy uniform — dark, fitted, the kind that blends into crowds. The girl over his shoulder is slight, blonde hair falling loose, peach skin, silver eyes shut. He adjusts his grip and keeps moving.
The Capital of Selene.
What's left of it.
He doesn't know what caused this. He doesn't have time to find out.
He has only one task, and that is to protect his master's sister.
He looks back.
A young woman with black hair is chasing him. She doesn't seem to be flustered or angry or anything.
Her eyes are red but they lack emotion.
If possible, he would like to face her instead of running away like a coward. But he cannot abandon the girl hung over his shoulder.
He continues to run through the piles of rubble and the black-haired woman continues pursuit.
He notices an alley, several meters away from him.
He focuses his mana onto his feet and dashes forward to the alley.
The moment he's at the entrance, he rotates himself and runs through the alley.
He looks behind him and the woman is nowhere to be found.
Then —
From below, a sword cuts through the air and aims for his neck.
He stops running, bends himself backwards and the sword narrowly misses its mark.
He then kicks upwards and hits the chin of the black-haired woman but tumbles backwards in the process.
The black-haired woman doesn't miss the chance and immediately tries to grab the girl hung up on his shoulder.
He turns himself and attempts to punch the woman but she's quick. She snaps her neck to the side and dodges the punch. Then, she grabs the girl's leg.
She quickly pulls her and thrusts backwards.
But just as she does, the girl's body turns into a purple mist and disappears.
She looks up and sees the girl in the white-haired man's arm.
He lightly puts her down against a half-standing wall then straightens himself.
"I don't know who you are," he says as he unsheathes his katana. "But I won't let you touch her."
The woman doesn't reply. She merely stares at him.
They both pull their swords back.
The white-haired one's starts to glow with a faint purple while the black-haired one glows with a bright crimson red.
Then they move.
"Phantom blade."
"Vermillion wing."
The woman finally talks. Her voice is hollow and devoid of life, but that doesn't stop the white-haired man.
Their swords clash and a wave of magic bursts through the alley.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Every strike the white-haired man gives is automatically parried by the black-haired woman and she in turn attacks but her strikes are dodged with minimal movement.
The white-haired man's attacks look as if he's using more than one sword, which makes the black-haired woman parry the wrong attacks. But she makes up for it with her fast and repetitive sword strikes.
The white-haired man wants to end this as fast as he can so—
"Phantom blade, Mirror Grave."
The white-haired man's body begins to burst with mana.
Then he releases a barrage of strikes which appear as purple lines. Each one is relentless and fast and doesn't give the woman any chance to counter.
Cuts form all over her body, yet she still continues to attack. She doesn't even flinch nor react.
It's unsettling to the white-haired man.
Finally, with one final strike, her sword shatters into pieces like shards of mirrors.
But the moment that her sword broke, the white-haired man vanishes, along with the blonde-haired girl.
The black-haired woman stares at the spot where the blonde-haired girl was for a moment. Then she turns and walks out from the alley