The cold blade pierced through his chest.
Kael's eyes widened, his breath catching as warmth spilled down his robes. He staggered, the world tilting beneath his feet.
"…Why?"
His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
Standing before him was the person he trusted most.
Elder Varyn.
The man who had taken him in, who had praised him as a "once-in-a-century genius," who had promised him a future among the inner sect.
And now—
"You should feel honored," Varyn said calmly, withdrawing the blade. "To become a stepping stone for someone greater."
Kael's knees hit the ground.
Blood pooled beneath him, staining the stone floor of the cultivation hall.
His vision blurred, but he could still see them.
The other disciples.
Watching.
Not one of them moved.
Not one of them spoke.
Some looked away. Some sneered.
Some… smiled.
"So this is how it ends…" Kael let out a bitter laugh, coughing up blood. "All those years… wasted on lies."
"Don't misunderstand," Varyn said, his expression indifferent. "Your talent is real. That is precisely why you must die."
Kael's fingers dug into the ground.
His heart burned—not just from the wound, but from rage.
From betrayal.
From the crushing realization that everything he believed in… was a lie.
"Remember this, Kael," Varyn continued. "In this world, strength is everything. Without it, you are nothing but prey."
The words echoed in his mind.
Strength is everything.
Prey.
Kael's breathing grew weaker.
His consciousness faded.
So this is it…
No revenge.
No justice.
Just… death.
[Detecting host's life signs…]
A faint, mechanical voice suddenly rang out.
Kael's fading consciousness trembled.
What…?
[Vital condition: Critical.][Host compatible.][System initializing…]
A surge of heat exploded within his chest.
His eyes snapped open.
"What—?!"
Pain.
Unbearable pain flooded his entire body, as if something was reconstructing him from the inside out.
His broken meridians… were healing.
His shattered core… was reforming.
The blood stopped flowing.
The world sharpened.
And then—
A glowing blue interface appeared before his eyes.
[ASCENSION SYSTEM — ACTIVATED]
Host: KaelLevel: Tier 0 → Tier 1 (Initiating)Power: 12Status: Critical RecoverySkill Points: 0
[New Function Unlocked: Absorption][New Function Unlocked: Bond System]
Kael froze.
"…A system?"
His heart began to race.
The pain was still there—but beneath it, something else surged.
Power.
Cold.
Controlled.
Real.
"Interesting…" he muttered, his lips curling into a faint smile.
Footsteps echoed.
Elder Varyn turned, frowning. "You're still alive?"
The disciples gasped.
"He should be dead—"
"That wound—impossible!"
Kael slowly pushed himself to his feet.
Blood still stained his robes, but his posture—
Had completely changed.
His eyes, once filled with trust and naivety…
Were now cold.
Sharp.
Predatory.
"You were right," Kael said quietly.
Varyn narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"In this world… strength is everything."
A faint glow flickered around Kael's hand.
The system interface pulsed.
[Target Detected: Varyn — Tier 3 Cultivator][Defeat target to absorb power.]
Kael lifted his gaze.
And for the first time—
He smiled.
"But you made one mistake."
The air grew heavy.
A strange pressure began to spread.
"You should have killed me… completely."
Lightning crackled in his palm.
The hall trembled.
And something deep within him—
Awakened.
[Do you wish to ascend?]
Kael's eyes burned with killing intent.
"…Yes."