Will stood quietly in the green valley, sunlight falling evenly across the land as a gentle wind passed through the tall grass.
The Domain of Infinity looked exactly the same as it had fourteen years ago, unchanged by time, untouched by decay.
Yet Will himself was no longer the same person who had first stepped into this place.
His expression was calm, almost detached, but the change in his body was impossible to miss.
The lean, sharp frame he once had was gone. In its place stood a tall, broad-shouldered figure with clearly defined muscles that carried neither excess nor stiffness.
His body looked powerful without being bulky, flexible without appearing fragile. Every movement was smooth, controlled, and efficient, as if strength and balance had been engraved into his bones.
If earlier he could be described as handsome in a human sense, now his appearance crossed that boundary. His features were sharper, more refined, yet carried an unnatural clarity.
There was something unsettling about it, something that made it difficult to look at him for too long. He no longer resembled a talented youth. He looked like the edge of the sword in some sense.
Fourteen years.
For fourteen years inside this domain, Will had done almost nothing except train, refine, fail, and repeat.
The first form of the Heaven-Sundering Divine Sword Art had consumed nearly every waking moment of his existence. There were no shortcuts, no sudden leaps, no miracles. Every inch of progress had been carved out through repetition and correction.
In his hands rested the same silver-white bladed sword he had once used in the outer district of the imperial capital.
It looked unimpressive at first glance, still sleek and elegant. But Will knew better. This sword was a divine weapon.
Back then, he had used his free monthly privilege to obtain it. He had been clear with the system about what he wanted.
A sword he could wield without backlash, one that could withstand his growth and not shatter under pressure and in the same way his current self could withstand the pressure of, yet powerful enough to remain relevant no matter how far he advanced.
The system had delivered exactly that.
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Crimson Aeon blade (Divine Treasure)
Every cut is a question.
Every drop of blood is an answer
1. The sword feeds on the target and gains special traits and attributes related to the race of the target. (strong target gives strong attributes)
2. Existing racial attributes get stronger by repeated killing of the same race again and again.
3. Blade can heal its deformities and damages with blood.
4. Blade will ascend the rank once the blood of a god is fed to it.
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A divine treasure that fed on blood, evolution, and conflict.
At first, Will had found the weapon's nature amusing. A sword that grew stronger by killing, that absorbed racial traits, that healed itself through blood.
It sounded like something straight out of a vampire legend.
Over time, however, he had come to understand how dangerous it truly was. This was not just a weapon.
It was an existence that evolved through slaughter, one that would eventually demand far more than ordinary blood.
"Seems like a holy weapon for vampires," Will joked when he got the sword.
But now, standing here after fourteen years, there was no humor left in that thought.
[Are you ready? It's almost time to leave the realm.]
Will exhaled slowly, keeping his grip on the sword steady. "Yeah. Give me a few moments. I want to go over it one last time."
The system did not interrupt.
Will closed his eyes, letting the memory of countless failed attempts replay in his mind. The stance. The flow of mana. The feeling of intent moving through his body rather than being forced out.
He took a step forward and raised his sword, his posture relaxed but precise.
A few seconds passed.
Then he swung.
BOOOOOOM
The sound that followed was deafening, even inside the isolated domain.
The air screamed as the sword descended, and the mountain standing before him reacted instantly. The upper half of the massive landform did not split cleanly.
Instead, it exploded outward, vaporizing as if erased by overwhelming force.
Rock, dust, and debris scattered violently, though much of it vanished before ever touching the ground.
The valley trembled.
If someone from the continent of Aris had witnessed this scene, they would not hesitate to kneel.
A single strike that erased half a mountain was something only Sword Saints were known to accomplish.
By all standards of the world outside, Will had already crossed into legendary territory.
But Will lowered his sword slowly, his expression tightening.
"Still not enough," he muttered.
The requirement was clear. He was not supposed to destroy the mountain. He was supposed to cleave it cleanly in two, leaving both halves standing exactly where they were. That was the condition to even reach the newbie stage of the first form.
Compared to that standard, raw destruction meant nothing.
[Your progress is still faster than expected thanks to the talent and to the path you walk.]
Will remained silent for a moment.
Fourteen years ago, when his training had first begun, he had quickly realized that brute effort alone would not be enough.
A God-rank technique did not bend to obsession or repetition. It demanded understanding and strong Will.
That was when his talent, Lawless Adaptation,had responded.
Without warning, without explanation, a new section had appeared in his status panel.
A Path.
Will had never seen anything like it in the novel. Paths were not something early characters possessed.
Even late into the story, such concepts were vague, tied to ancient existences and beings far removed from mortals. Yet somehow, one had manifested for him.
[You never finished the novel. There are many things you are still unaware of.]
Will nodded faintly. "You're right. Paths probably appeared later in the story. Or maybe they weren't meant to be seen by normal people at all."
He focused on the path section.
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Path of the Eternal Sovereign
The universe is not meant to be ruled from within its laws.
To rule everything, one must step beyond all limitations.
#STAGE 1 - Bending Mortality
TRAIT AWARDED - Increased Comprehension
TASK - Refine a God Physique
#STAGE 2 - ?????
???
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"What exactly is a God Physique?" Will asked quietly.
[It is too soon for you to know. I did not expect this task to appear so early.]
Will let out a short breath. "Figures."
He looked away from the shattered mountain, his gaze drifting across the endless valley. The task itself was absurd.
"If this is just the first stage," Will said slowly, "then the later ones must be completely beyond my current understanding."
[That assumption is correct.]
A faint smile appeared on Will's face, not one of joy, but of resolve.
"I guess that's fine. I didn't choose this path expecting it to make sense."
The system's tone shifted.
[Host, it is time to leave the domain. Brian is actively investigating your background. You need to appear before Sword Saint Klaus becomes more suspicious.]
Will straightened, sheathing the Crimson Aeon Blade.
"Fine," he replied.
But before making the exit, his eyes narrowed slightly. "One question. How would I fare against the Sword Saint right now?"
There was a brief pause.
[If we ignore differences in mana rank and reserves and consider only technique and skill, even if you had fully mastered the first form, which you have not, Sword Saint Klaus would still win. The battle would be difficult, but he could kill you.]
Will did not react negatively. If anything, he seemed satisfied.
"That's good," he said calmly. "if the sword saint find's it even a little difficult to kill me after the first form, then I must have come a long way."
He looked up at the sky of the domain, unchanged and eternal.
"And by now that Ethan must have awakened, I should claim those amplified rewards. My growth will accelerate even more."
[Congratulations in advance. Your potential as an awakened will increase significantly once you come out.]
Will nodded once.
"Let's go."
The valley remained silent as his figure began to fade.