The silence lasted just a second.
---
And then—
---
[BREAKTHROUGH RECORDED]
[SYNCHRONISATION WITH SPIRITS: 27% → 34%]
[SPIRITUAL CORE: ACTIVE]
[RESONANCE WITH SPIRITS: INCREASED]
---
I barely had time to breathe—
---
[SKILL UPGRADED: SPIRIT SENSING → LEVEL 3]
[SKILL UPGRADED: SPIRIT CUT → LEVEL 3]
---
— Seriously…?
---
[NEW SKILL: MANY FLOW CONTROL]
[NEW SKILL: OVERLOAD RESISTANCE]
---
I smirked.
---
— That's going too far.
---
But the system didn't stop.
---
[AKARANIA: ACCESS EXPANDED]
[HIDDEN DATA: PARTIALLY REVEALED]
---
My heart beat faster.
---
— Hidden… data?
---
[BODY LIMIT: 62% → 71%]
[SCAR STABILITY: UNSTABLE → CONTROLLED]
---
SCAR smiled quietly.
---
— Hmm… that's better.
---
I clenched my fist.
---
— This is only the beginning.
---
At that moment—
---
A ROAR.
---
The dungeon responded.
---
Louder.
Deeper.
---
The floor trembled.
---
— So…
---
I looked up.
---
— next.
---
The darkness before me…
parted.
---
And a hall opened up.
---
Huge.
---
With columns.
Made of bones.
---
And in the centre—
---
HIM.
---
The boss.
---
Not like the last one.
---
This one…
was alive.
---
Real.
---
Black armour.
A broken body.
And a heart…
on the outside.
---
Beating.
---
Akarania:
---
[BOSS: CORE GUARDIAN]
[LEVEL: CRITICAL]
[WEAKNESS: HEART]
---
I smirked.
---
— Thanks for the tip.
---
He raised his head.
---
And in the next moment—
---
he vanished.
---
— WHAT—
---
BLOW.
---
I was slammed into the ground.
---
BLOOD.
---
— Quick…!
---
I rolled away.
---
Another blow.
---
THE GROUND SHATTERED.
---
— Damn!
---
I lunged forward.
---
LIGHTNING!
---
BLOW!
---
He parried it.
---
Easily.
---
— …harder.
---
He grabbed me.
---
SQUEEZED.
---
I felt my bones crack.
---
— KH—
---
SCAR screamed:
---
— KILL HIM!
---
The spirits trembled.
---
Kuroyami tensed.
---
I clenched my teeth.
---
— NOT NOW!
---
I broke free.
---
RECOIL.
---
My breathing was ragged.
---
— Not enough…
---
The Boss stepped forward.
---
Slowly.
---
Like a death sentence.
---
— Then…
---
I closed my eyes.
---
— That's it.
---
A pause.
---
I opened them.
---
And let go.
---
The lightning exploded.
---
The spirits screamed.
---
SCAR laughed.
---
— YEEES!
---
I vanished.
---
WHISTLE!
---
SMACK!
---
This time—
---
I cut through his armour.
---
BLOOD.
---
— Hit…!
---
But—
---
he struck back.
---
HARDER.
---
I was thrown back.
---
My body…
couldn't hold me up anymore.
---
— Get up… — I whispered to myself.
---
But I couldn't.
---
He came closer.
---
He raised his hand.
---
The end.
---
…
---
— GET UP!!!
---
A voice.
---
Inside.
---
A SCAR.
---
And at that moment—
---
the heart inside me…
beat.
---
STRONGLY.
---
My spiritual core flared up.
---
I leapt up.
---
— IT'S NOT OVER YET!
---
I surged forward.
---
Full speed.
---
All my strength.
---
My Kuroi hummed.
---
— Now!
---
I struck.
---
Straight—
---
into the heart.
---
SILENCE.
---
And then—
---
DESTRUCTION.
---
The boss froze.
---
His eyes went dark.
---
And he…
fell.
---
Silence.
---
I stood.
---
Barely.
---
But I stood.
---
— I… have won…
---
My body trembled.
---
But…
I smiled.
---
And at that moment—
---
something remained.
---
In the boss's place.
---
A HEART.
---
Black.
Alive.
---
Beating.
---
I approached.
---
— This is…
---
And suddenly—
---
THE SCAR stirred.
---
— GIVE IT TO ME.
---
I froze.
---
— No…
---
— GIVE IT.
---
Harder.
---
— It's dangerous.
---
— I DON'T CARE.
---
A pause.
---
My heart was pounding.
---
And I…
realised.
---
It's a chance.
---
And a risk.
---
…
---
— But not completely.
---
I reached out my hand.
---
And at that moment—
---
THE SCAR…
grabbed it.
---
And…
Ate it.
---
THE HEART DISAPPEARED.
---
Silence.
---
And then—
---
AN EXPLOSION INSIDE.
---
— AAAAAAA!!!
---
Pain.
---
But not like before.
---
Stronger.
Deeper.
---
As if I'd been rewritten.
---
Akarania:
---
[ABSORPTION RECORDED]
[NEW ENERGY: UNKNOWN]
---
[BODY LIMIT: 71% → 83%]
---
[NEW SKILL ACQUIRED]
---
I fell to my knees.
---
Breathing heavily.
---
— What… is…
---
Response:
---
[SKILL: CORE DEVOURING]
---
SHRAM laughed.
---
— Now you…
---
Pause.
---
— are starting to get interesting.
---
I raised my head.
---
My eyes were trembling.
---
But…
there was strength in them.
---
A new one.
---
— Then…
---
I stood up.
---
With difficulty.
---
But I stood up.
---
— Let's move on.
---
Because now—
---
there was no turning back.
---
At all.