Before Evan could react, Arven hurled the so-called "gift" straight at him—moving faster than sound.
"Arven, you unmerciful ghost—!" Evan shouted, raising his arms on instinct.
A dark shadow loomed over him.
The "gift" wasn't some trinket or relic.
It was the entire Monolith crystal, plummeting from above like a meteor.
His mind went blank for half a second. Then instinct kicked in—both hands lifted, mana surging to block the impact.
But before contact, something strange happened.
The massive crystal began to shrink.
Its enormous body crumbled, condensing into shards, then dust—until it looked harmless, barely fist-sized.
Evan exhaled in relief. "What in the—"
The fragments suddenly reformed, spinning into a smaller monolith—sleek, refined, and radiating the same crimson and black hue.
And this time, it moved.
The compressed Monolith lunged at him like a bullet.
Evan tried to grab it midair, but his hand passed through it—like touching smoke.
"What—"
The Monolith phased through his palmand buried itself into his chest.
Pain exploded across his body. His breath caught.
He staggered backward, trembling, clutching his chest where it had struck.
It was dangerously close to his heart.
"What the hell did you just do?! Are you trying to kill me?!" Evan roared,voice shaking as he dropped to his knees.
"You're finally showing your true self, aren't you?! You plan to take over my body!"
Arven didn't flinch. His tone was sharp and cold.
"Stop whining and look alive. You're fine. I said it was a gift, didn't I?"
"Fine?!" Evan rasped, gasping for air.
Every vein in his neck throbbed as the Monolith vanished into his chest completely.
Then—silence.
He waited for death. Nothing came.
A full minute passed before he realized… he was still breathing.
Evan looked down. His shirt was intact. His chest, unscarred.
No blood. No wound. Not even a mark.
He turned to Arven, sheepish.
"Oh… that was—"
"Don't talk," Arven cut him off, turning away.
"I don't need excuses from someone who accuses his own partner at the first sign of pain."
"Hey, wait, I didn't mean—"
"Save it."
Arven's tone was flat, his presence colder than before.
"You think I've stayed by your side this long just to kill you?
If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have thrown the Monolith. I would've shattered your soul myself."
Evan lowered his head, guilt creeping in.
"I'm sorry. I… I've just gotten used to not trusting anyone. Even myself.
I was wrong. I should've known better."
Arven sighed. His gaze softened slightly.
"Listen, Evan. In this world, you'll learn to doubt everything—your allies, your gods, even your fate.
But not me. I swore my existence to you just after the bond, not to my dead creator.
What I do now isn't out of duty. It's because I believe in the one holding my soul."
Evan froze. For a moment, words failed him.
Then he nodded, firm.
"I understand. I swear I'll never doubt you again. And for the record… I'm not betraying you either."
"Good," Arven said, expression neutral but voice faintly pleased.
"Because if you did, I'd have to kill you. And trust me, that would make us both miserable."
Evan chuckled weakly. The tension eased.
But only for a moment.
The mana crystal above the Monolith began to glow.
In front of their eyes, it shattered—then reformed into four astral-blue chains,each pulsing with condensed mana.
They shot toward Evan like streaks of lightning.
He didn't move this time.
He simply stood there believing Arven this time, watching as the chains phased through his body, disappearing without resistance.
A moment later, the thick mist surrounding them began to thin.
The entire dome of fog—once forbidden and sealed—started to fade into the air.
In less than a minute, it was gone.
Evan stood in the open field, staring blankly at the dissipating fog.
Another forbidden zone erased. Another ruin cleansed.
He sighed.
"Great. Another place destroyed because of me. Some things never change."
He looked toward the horizon, feeling the faint ripple of energy spreading through the expanse.
The very mana around them felt richer now—the quality increased, refined by the Monolith's absorption.
Then he turned back to Arven.
"Alright, explain. What the hell kind of 'gift' was that? You threw a divine crystal at my chest and called it a present."
Arven smirked faintly.
"It was a gift.
That Monolith was a spiritual core—your key to surpassing even my former master.
With it, you'll eventually reach the realm he never could."
Evan blinked.
"So you're saying that thing's inside me right now?"
"Yes," Arven replied.
"It's not a physical relic.
It's spiritual, bound directly to your soul. You'll see it when you access your Sea of Consciousness."
"Wait… so if I wasn't compatible, that thing could've shattered my soul, right?"
Arven shrugged. "If anyone else threw it at you, sure. But since it was me, your odds of survival were a clean hundred percent."
"That's comforting," Evan muttered dryly.
He was about to ask more when Arven's eyes narrowed.
"Time's up, kid. We've got company.
Hundreds of adventurers are heading this way. Looks like they sensed the mana shift."
Evan's expression hardened. "Then we're leaving."
He activated several stealth abilities in quick succession—shadows wrapping around his body as his presence faded.
With rapid bursts of Shadow Leap, he vanished into the distance, mana draining fast but steady.
By the time he stopped, the dome was far behind him. From the sky, he saw dozens of adventuring parties storming the zone he'd just left—each one chasing the afterglow of the vanished Monolith.
None of them noticed the cloaked figure watching from afar.
"Treasure hunters," Evan muttered. "Always late to the party."
He adjusted his cloak and summoned his Undead Eagle. The creature spread its enormous wings as Evan leapt onto its back.
Before leaving, he burned his ruined shirt—the one still stinking from the Abyssal foundation ritual.
The smell alone could've killed a mortal.
As the flames consumed the fabric, Evan looked toward the horizon. "Let's move. Before the Lord's Raid begins."
The eagle screeched and ascended.
Wind rushed past him as he opened his system panel midair.
More notifications awaited—messages that had appeared just moments ago, while he was too busy fleeing to notice.
Evan's eyes narrowed as he tapped the first one open.
The light of the screen reflected in his sharp, focused gaze.
"…Let's see what kind of chaos you've brought me this time."
The messages weren't meant for him alone, but Evan read them carefully, every single line.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
[(Candidates' Exclusive Announcement):
To all Ruler's Legacy Candidates, the final candidate for the race of the Nexus's Supremacy Rulership has been fully registered.]
[No further candidates will be admitted due to a system error.]
[Candidate Survival Race rules will be reiterated for clarity.]
[Legacy Race Instructions:
Subdue or eliminate other Candidates to dominate the expanse.
Only ≥90% control counts.
Victorious Candidates inherit the defeated's proof, authorities, and powers; losers are stripped bare.
Opposing candidate locations revealed within a 10 km radius.
The last standing Candidate becomes the New Ruler of the Prime Nexus.
May the strongest prevail.]
The declaration struck like lightning.
Candidates who had been hiding, growing quietly, now realized the enlistment was over.
The true bloodbath was about to begin. No one would survive unscathed.
Evan's mind remained calm. He had faced death twice already. This was merely a third challenge—but now, armed with his newfound powers, he could flip the battlefield on a whim.
Others would hesitate, calculate, prepare—but he could act.
Yet he understood the stakes.
There were beings out there, already at their peak, waiting for mistakes, waiting for openings. And now the doors were open.
The future would be decided by their choices.
Meanwhile, his secondary system, the Eternal Omniverse System, activated with a series of notifications:
[System detected: Host has joined the Legacy War. Extracting crucial information, including hidden details.]
[Privileges of the last and true Ruler Candidate granted:]
Exclusive: Sense all Ruler Candidates in the current expanse.
Travel freely between expanses of equal or higher tier. (Common)
Ruler Candidate Authority grows with each advancement. (Common)
Ruler Aura hidden from others. (Exclusive)
Domination Aura +50% (+25% exclusive), increasing chances to subdue living beings. (Common)
Candidate advancement grade assessments enhanced for higher growth potential. (Common) + Special condition for exclusivity.
[Hidden Details:]
A near-Legacy Tier-7 being detected—caution advised.
Candidate proof can be passed in emergencies, risking instant death.
Partial Abyssal corruption affects candidates as Authority grows; immunity granted to host.
Unique gifts exist for all candidates; above the requirement talent host receives compensation exemption, due to Authority level.
Evan scowled.
"Unfair," he muttered, eyes flashing. "I'm top talent, and I get nothing just because I got a little more than what these guys doesn't have? Everyone else gets starter gifts?"
Arven's voice echoed in his mind, dry and patient.
"Even geniuses cry over scraps. Let him scream—he'll survive it."
The system continued, revealing more about the gift Arven had given:
[Detected: Entity entering host body.]
[Invading host Sea of Consciousness...]
[No hostility detected.]
[Request: Form binding with host soul. Forceful binding confirmed via Relic <Arven>.]
[Binding process complete.]
[Entity identified: <Terminus Spire Anchor>]
[Type: Dimensional Core Artifact | Origin: Abyssal Construct | Status: Active Seal Fragment]
[Function: Forcibly summons host to a predetermined coordinate, regardless of distance, realm, or resistance. Syncs with user's soul. Activation requires no consent—only inevitability.]
[System Note: Target Location: Abyss – Deepest Layer.
Dimensional interference: Maximum.
Reversal: Unknown.]
Evan's gaze sharpened.
So that Monolith… that "gift" Arven had hurled at him was no ordinary relic.
It was the key to that massive door he had glimpsed in the Abyss.
A path forward—but one with conditions he couldn't yet control.
It wouldn't simply let him step through on his own.
Some trigger, some key phrase, some event—he didn't know what it would take.
And Arven… would surely only give him cryptic hints.
Yet the truth was clear.
If Evan could cross that threshold, his fate would change forever.
The door, the Anchor, the hidden depths beyond—all of it could elevate him beyond even his current imagination.
But first, he had to survive the Legacy War.
The candidates were now hunting each other, every step a test of skill, will, and cunning.
And Evan?
He was ready.
He closed his system panel and let the wind sweep past him.
The Terminus Spire Anchor pulsed quietly within him, dormant yet brimming with impossible potential.
The Abyss awaited.
The stage was set.
The war had begun.
-To be Continued-
What lies behind that gate that Evan is so eager to reach?
To find out, make sure to add it to your library and stay tuned for its upcoming release.