DING
[ You have acquired a new item: Popcorn (Consumable) ]
[ Description: A very good popcorn made by a very good popcorn maker. ]
[ Do you wish to try again? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
"Fucking…"
Adriel gritted his teeth in frustration.
'A popcorn.'
'A very good popcorn.'
'What the fuck am I supposed to use a fucking popcorn to do?'
He thought with palpable irritation.
Although he had 5 more random draw cards remaining, he decided against using them.
He resolutely chose 'No,' knowing he would pretty much get nothing or get something ridiculous, like a popcorn or a doughnut.
Looking at his inventory, he discovered he had used all of his rewards.
There was nothing else to do apart from fusion with what needed to be fused.
—
DING
[ Inventory ]
5x Random Draw Card 10x Nutrition Pills (Consumable) 100 Grade 1 Aether Stones Active Skill - Flash Step (Movement-Type, Mortal Rank) Weapon – Shadow Fang Blades (Dual Daggers) Popcorn (Consumable) Sword Talent Ice Affinity Primordial Void Aetherix Primordial Void Ascension Technique Primordial Void Physique Primordial Void Seed
—
He cast a glance at the sky, watching as the setting sun bled gold and crimson through the narrow gap between two towering, pitch-black pillars.
"Nightfall's about an hour away," he estimated, a note of urgency creeping into his thoughts. "Time to finally claim my rewards—for real this time."
He had no idea how long the fusion would take. Minutes? Hours? But one thing was certain: the sooner he began, the better. Delay could mean danger.
If things dragged on, he could always spend the night in the temple. It felt quiet… safe, even. At least for now.
'Let's see, which one do I fuse with first?'
—
DING
[ System recommends fusion in this order ]
Primordial Void Physique Primordial Void Aetherix Ice Affinity Sword Talent
—
'Why?' he asked, slightly surprised that the usually silent system actually gave him an order of fusion without him asking.
—
DING
[ It is recommended to fuse the Primordial Void Physique and the Primordial Void Aetherix at the same time. This will result in a natural and perfect Awakening. Fusion with the Sword Talent after the Ice Affinity is not required. Then host can proceed to learn other skills. ]
—
"What is a perfect awakening?" he asked in confusion. It was the first time he had heard of this term.
—
DING
[ A perfect awakening refers to an awakening in which the being in question does not rely on external forces to awaken their latent affinity with aether. It is also known as a natural awakening. ]
—
'Oh…' he thought, nodding in understanding.
The awakening undergone by humans at age sixteen was actually the forceful injection of aether through special pathways known as meridians.
These meridians were the channels through which aether flowed in the body.
The potential grade given to individuals was simply a measure of how long it took for aether to pass through their meridians.
The faster the successful injection of aether, the higher the potential grade.
Wider and thicker meridians meant a higher grade.
Wider meridians allowed faster aether absorption and quicker ascension speed.
Thicker meridians provided greater resistance to the pressure of aether during cultivation. They also enabled faster circulation of aether within the body.
"Alright…"
He said, putting those thoughts to the back of his mind.
"…start the fusion."
—
DING
[ Do you wish to fuse with the Primordial Void Physique? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Yes.'
—
DING
[ Fusion has commenced… ]
[ 1%... ]
—
Soon, something changed.
At first, it was subtle—a prickling itch beneath his skin, faint and fleeting. But within seconds, it spread. A wave of discomfort rippled across his entire body. It felt like a colony of invisible ants had been unleashed inside him, crawling over his flesh, burrowing through muscle, threading across nerves he didn't even know existed.
They were everywhere.
His scalp. His lungs. His teeth. Even the marrow of his bones itched as if something ancient was being disturbed, awakened, or rewritten.
His fingers twitched with the urge to scratch—anything, anywhere—but he forced them still. By sheer will alone, he anchored himself, refusing to flinch, to scream, to succumb.
---
[ 13%... ]
[ 19%... ]
---
Then the crawling changed.
They began to bite.
First a sting—then a storm.
The itching turned to agony. A brutal, unrelenting firestorm of sensation detonated through his body. Every inch of his skin burned with invisible punctures. It felt like billions of tiny needles jabbed into him at once—sharp, surgical, merciless.
His muscles convulsed.
His bones throbbed.
His very cells felt like they were being shattered and reforged, melted down in some alchemical crucible and hammered into a new shape.
'What is this…?'
The thought barely formed—swallowed by the wave of pain.
He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw cracked.
His nails dug into his forearms, drawing blood in crescent-shaped arcs. He couldn't open his eyes. Even thinking hurt. Every breath was a victory.
He didn't know how long it lasted.
A minute? An hour?
A lifetime?
Time blurred into a single, screaming moment.
Then, like a storm finally spent, the pain began to recede—slowly, cautiously, like it was being dragged away claw by claw. The biting lessened. The itching faded.
And in the silence that followed, his body felt… different.
Changed.
—
[ 37%... ]
[ 50%... ]
—
A wave of exhaustion hit him like a collapsing mountain.
His body trembled, hollow and starved. It wasn't just hunger—it was emptiness, like something vital had been drained from him. Every breath felt heavy. His muscles weak.
What he didn't realize was that the fusion with the Primordial Void Physique had consumed an immense amount of energy. And now, his new body was desperate to replenish it.
But the feeling didn't linger…
—
DING
[ Do you wish to fuse with the Primordial Void Aetherix? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
He quickly selected 'Yes.'
He had an inkling of how it would help him.
—
DING
[ Detecting Aether Gathering Formation in host's vicinity… ]
[ Activating Aether Gathering Formation… ]
[ Fusion has commenced… ]
[ 1%... ]
—
Slowly, the runes embedded across every inch of the temple began to glow.
It started at the edges—the towering pillars that held up the temple's colossal frame—then spread across the ground like veins awakening after centuries of slumber. Finally, the light reached the altar, where Adriel sat cross-legged in silent focus.
The aether flowed like a river finding a forgotten path to the sea.
But this "sea" was dry—vast, ravenous, and waiting.
The aether surged into Adriel, coursing through his meridians and rushing toward his aetherix, which at that very moment was undergoing a profound transformation.
The true location of the aetherix was believed to lie two inches below the navel—a small, sacred space meant for storing aether.
But his was being devoured.
In its place formed a void—not merely black, but an utter absence of color, light, or substance. A silent, pitch-black emptiness that consumed his original aetherix entirely.
This was the Primordial Void Aetherix.
To Adriel, it felt as though everything had originated from this place—yet nothing truly existed within it. It was the birthplace of all, and yet the end of all things.
Then, like the stroke of a brush across a blank canvas, the first drop of aether fell into the void.
One drop became many.
More and more flooded in, pulled as if by gravity itself. It gathered at the center, condensing into a swirling dark sphere within the heart of the void.
It grew. And grew. And grew.
When it could grow no more, it began to spill outward—from the Primordial Void Aetherix into his meridians, and then into his body.
A warm, soothing sensation enveloped him. A low groan of relief escaped his lips.
Every inch of his being was baptized in pure, primordial aether.
His body drank it in like a starved sponge submerged in living water.
He could almost hear it—the ecstatic cheers of countless cells within his bones and muscles. The hunger and fatigue that once plagued him vanished, replaced by boundless vitality.
His skin thickened.
His muscles swelled with strength.
His bones grew harder, denser—his very marrow pulsing with newfound energy.
His organs, his blood—every part of him was reforged.
—
DING
[ Fusion Complete… ]
—
Although he started the fusion process of the Primordial Void Physique before the Primordial Void Aetherix, they were surprisingly completed at the same time.
He clenched his fist tightly, strength flowing through him in billowing waves.
He felt like he could destroy anything with a single punch.
Suppressing the growing urge to punch the black altar that he was seated on, he prepared to check his stats.
But the system didn't give him any time to do that.
—
DING
[ Do you wish to fuse with Sword Talent? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Yes'
—
DING
[ Fusion has commenced… ]
[ 1%... ]
—
He braced himself for pain—or something. A sensation, a spark, anything.
But there was nothing.
No pain.
No warmth.
No energy surging through his veins.
Just… nothing.
He sat in silence, eyes fixed on the fusion percentage as it steadily climbed—rising rapidly, unbothered by his expectations or fears.
He had imagined being pulled into a world of blades and blood, perhaps witnessing an ancient swordsman performing a peerless technique.
But there was nothing.
—
[ 100%... ]
[ Fusion Complete. ]
[ Sword Talent (Fused) ]
[ Grade: — ]
[ Effects: ]
• Learn and master any sword style, skill, or technique, regardless of origin.
• Fuse two or more sword skills into a new, evolved technique. Remove or deconstruct sword techniques at will.
• Create a personal sword style tailored to your instincts, strengths, and combat flow.
• Gain the ability to comprehend and integrate all sword-related concepts, including:
▸ Sword Intent
▸ Sword Will
▸ Sword Soul
▸ Sword Heart
▸ Sword Domain
▸ Sword Dao
▸ Sword Laws
▸ Sword Wheel
• Automatically synchronize with the path of the sword—comprehension speed increased exponentially when engaging in sword-related actions, duels, or meditations.
• Pressure weaker sword wielders into submission; dominant aura can shatter lesser wills.
• Battle power increased when using a sword.
—
DING
[ Do you wish to fuse with Ice Affinity? ]
[ Yes / No ]
—
'Yes,' he said, his mind briefly drifting back to the Sword Talent he had acquired.
It was nothing short of legendary—how else could one explain a talent whose grade was hidden behind a dash? Even the system, with all its omnipotent knowledge, couldn't—or wouldn't—reveal it.
That alone spoke volumes.
Still, that didn't mean he was going to cast aside the Shadow Fang Daggers.
'Who in their right mind would abandon a Sky-Rank weapon?' he mused, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
While his Celestial Fang Katana was impressive, it was only a Mortal Rank – High Grade weapon.
---
DING
[ Fusion has commenced… ]
[ 1%... ]
—
Unlike the Sword Talent fusion, this one didn't begin with pressure or energy.
It began with cold.
Bone-chilling. Invasive. Ancient.
The temperature inside the temple plummeted, a thin mist curling at the edges of the altar. Adriel's breath frosted instantly, and his skin prickled as icy winds—summoned from nowhere—began to stir.
The fusion wasn't just happening inside him.
It was affecting everything.
He remained seated on the altar, unmoving, as frost crawled up the stone beneath him. Hairline cracks formed in the marble as aether condensed into shimmering ice. Within seconds, the entire temple was caught in an accelerating freeze.
---
CRACK–CRACK–CRACK—
Ice burst from Adriel's body in an uncontrollable surge, laced with aetheric essence. In moments, the whole chamber was entombed in frost. The towering pillars became translucent sculptures. The walls, floor, and ceiling vanished under a sheen of pale blue. Light refracted in a thousand directions, turning the sanctuary into something else entirely.
A celestial temple of ice.
Adriel, now fully encased in a crystalline shell, looked like a frozen statue—serene, eternal, untouched by time.
But within that ice, something was changing.
He didn't feel the cold anymore. Not because it disappeared—no, it didn't bother him. What once felt like death now felt like dusk on a winter evening. Calm. Familiar.
After an unknown stretch of silence—
---
[ Fusion Complete… ]
[ Ice Affinity (Fused) ]
[ Grade: Mortal—Rank 1 ]
[ Passive Effects Unlocked: ]
+10% Resistance to Cold-Based Attacks +10% Efficiency when using Ice-Based Techniques and Skills Body temperature stabilized against environmental extremes Ice-aspect Aether Channels unlocked (6% conversion rate)
[ Unique Trait Unlocked: Glacial Calm ]
— Your emotions remain centered under pressure. Immune to fear-based or anger-based mental interference below Tier 3.
[ Affinity Evolution Potential: UNLOCKED ]
[ Additional Notes: ]
— Ice-based abilities will now become easier to comprehend
— Your body may develop subconscious cold resistance and aura emission with further growth
—
DING
New skill unlocked.
[ Basic Ice Control ]
[ Level 1 - 0/100 EXP ]
---
The frost began to withdraw. Slowly, as though exhaling, the temple released its breath. The walls thawed. The pillars cracked and reformed. The sheen faded until only the faintest shimmer remained in the air.
Adriel's ice shell cracked.
KRRRRRRK
His body emerged—pale vapor curling off his skin. He flexed his fingers, now strangely still. Not numb. Not frozen. Simply composed. His thoughts were focused. The usual noise of fear, doubt, and overstimulation had dulled, wrapped in an inner hush.
> "So this is Glacial Calm…"
He looked at his hand. Slowly, he summoned aether from the Primordial Void Aetherix, guiding it through his meridians as he willed it into shape.
A soft hum.
His right arm was swiftly encased in ice. Translucent, light blue, and smooth as glass.
He clenched his fist, reinforcing it, and turned toward the black altar.
BOOM
The impact echoed through the silent chamber. Ice shattered on contact, scattering in brilliant shards—but his hand remained undamaged.
It's not that the ice was brittle.
No.
It was because the altar, and everything else that made up the temple, was insanely hard and durable.
It felt… indestructible.
"It could serve as my primary defense…" he muttered, his voice low, thoughtful.
---
Adriel stood up for the first time in a while, lightly jumping from the altar to the ground.
He stretched his stiff limbs, his bones popping and cracking in the silence.
After some light warm-up, he said to the system:
"System, I want to fuse with all my skills."
—
DING
[ Active Skill - Flash Step - Learned ]
—
"Huh, that's all?"
"I swear I had more skills," he said.
He mentally said 'Status' and was shocked by what he saw.
—
DING
[ Status ]
Name: Adriel Goldhaven
Age: 16
Race: Human
Ascension Level: Low Tier 1
Title: Mirage Breaker
Bloodline: None
Physique: Primordial Void Physique
Potential: ???
Traits: Glacial Calm
Affinities: Ice
Talents: Sword
---
[ Attributes ]
Strength: 10 → 35
Agility: 10 → 35
Dexterity: 10 → 35
Endurance: 10 → 35
Vitality: 10 → 35
Perception: 10 → 35
Intelligence: 27
Willpower: 32 → 43
Charm: 10 → 50
—
[ Skill Archive ]
Active Skills:
[ Flash Step ]
[ Level 1 - 0/100 ]
[ Basic Ice Control ]
[ Level 1 - 3/100 ]
Passive Skills:
[ Pain Tolerance ]
[ Level 37 → 45 - 22,487/103,500 ]
—