One word echoed in Victor Lionheart's mind:
"Monstrous."
The artifact he had just obtained—the Soul Cube—wasn't simply a high-tier item. It was practically an SSS-level talent encapsulated in form. A relic of terrifying power, woven from the very essence of death and time.
In his previous life, he remembered hearing of a lone traveler who had crossed the lifeless Gobi Desert, stumbled upon a Diamond Chest, and became a soul-based powerhouse whose name echoed across the world.
That man became known as the Soul Reaper.
Now, Victor knew why.
"Even if I didn't get those ten SSS talents... with this alone, I could still reach the top."
He calmed his breathing, locking away the thrill in his chest. Power wasn't just to be held—it had to be timed, leveraged, and unleashed with precision.
Victor exited the ruined village of Lauktush, now swallowed by time and red mist. He headed back to his car—but froze as his instincts flared.
Footprints.
Two sets.
Not his.
He crouched, studying the signs in the dirt. Someone had been here. Recently.
He reached under the driver's seat, drawing out a solid carbon-titanium throwing stick.
"Still no monsters. That means someone human was here."
He stepped forward. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
A voice rose from behind a collapsed mud wall.
"Hey, chill out, man. Not looking for trouble."
A man stepped out into view.
He was tall, lean, and dust-covered, with tanned skin and long, tangled hair. He wore a torn army-green coat and carried two enormous bags, heavy with supplies.
Victor's eyes narrowed—and then widened in recognition.
Leon Graves.
He remembered that name from his previous life.
Leon Graves—later known as the Soul Reaper—had become one of humanity's great survivors. A Level 100 soul-sequence powerhouse, often appearing on broadcasts to give people hope when the world had none left.
And here he was. Still ordinary. Still unaware of the destiny that had passed him by.
Victor's guard lowered slightly—but only slightly.
In this new world, trust was more dangerous than any monster.
Leon looked hopeful. "Mind giving me a ride to the nearest city? I've been walking across this cursed place for days. Haven't seen another soul until now."
Victor remembered Leon's first talent: S-Rank Equipment Enhancement. It allowed him to upgrade looted gear to +10, doubling its base stats. That talent alone had carried him to greatness.
Having him around could be… useful.
Victor nodded. "Get in."
"Thank you, man! Seriously. I owe you."
Leon grinned and tossed his bags in the trunk, then jumped into the passenger seat.
Victor started the engine, wheels crunching over the red-dusted sand as they headed across the empty Gobi Wastes.
In Victor's past life, the traveler had taken four days and nights on foot to reach Lauktush and open the Diamond Chest.
Victor had done it in under a day.
Already, the red mist was evolving him.
He had reached Level 6, and every physical attribute had increased. Strength, agility, cognition—his entire being pulsed with raw energy. He felt tireless. Sharp. Alive.
"At Level 10, the System balances everyone's base stats. The old, the sick, the weak—they all become physically perfect. But that's just the foundation."
Once the seven-day Newbie Protection Period ended, the true chaos would begin.
And only the strongest—and smartest—would thrive.
Suddenly—bang!
The car jolted to a stop as it collided with something solid.
Victor leapt out.
They had struck an old clay wall, barely visible in the mist.
He looked up.
Lauktush.
They were here.
He grabbed his flashlight and ran, red mist curling around his legs. His enhanced physique let him sprint hundreds of meters in under ten seconds.
At the village's center,
There it was.
Shimmering with cold, pulsing light, wrapped in mist and memory—the Diamond Chest.
His breath caught for a moment.
"This is it. No mistakes. No second chances."
He extended his hand, tapped the interface, and confirmed the action.
"Congratulations. You have opened the Diamond Chest and obtained the Unique Artifact: [Eclipse Core]."
A surge of cold power rushed into him, biting into his soul like frozen iron. The light from the chest exploded outward, then vanished, leaving behind only silence—and the artifact, now glowing faintly in his inventory space.
Victor opened its status screen, eyes narrowing with awe.
💠 [Eclipse Core] — Unique Artifact
Description:A six-faced relic that manipulates time, erases existence, and binds the soul in eternal darkness.
Grade: Diamond (Unique, One-of-a-Kind)
Effect 1: Erase TimeGenerates a time field around the enemy, accelerating their decay and halting all forms of regeneration.
Effect 2: Death GazeLocks the target in a death illusion. If they fail to break free within 60 seconds, the illusion becomes irreversible reality.
Effect 3: Soul ProtectionGrants complete immunity to all forms of soul-based damage, manipulation, or corruption.
Effect 4: Death CurseMarks a target for inevitable death in seven days. The method of death is determined by logic and circumstance. (Cooldown: 10 days. Forbidden Spell Cost: 10 years of life.)
Effect 5: Soul EnslavementTemporarily dominates the will of a target, forcing obedience. Control fades over time, leaving behind extreme hatred.
Effect 6: Dark KnowledgeDark-type abilities and forbidden magic are amplified 10× in power.
Victor exhaled shakily, staring at the description.
"This... is no simple weapon. This is a world-ending artifact."
In his past life, the man who discovered it rose from nothing to become a god of the Soul Sequence.
But now, the Eclipse Core belonged to him.
It pulsed in his inventory, hungry—sentient, almost. Each face glowed with buried whispers. He could feel it nudging the corners of his mind.
"I need to stay in control. This thing doesn't serve me... unless I make it."
He clenched his fists.
Now he had ten SSS-level talents and the Eclipse Core.
He wasn't just prepared for what was coming.He was built to conquer it.
Back at the car, Leon Graves stood outside, breathing in the red air. The mist had thickened—visibility was down to ten meters.
"You good?" Victor asked as he approached.
Leon nodded. "Yeah. Just weird, y'know? Feels like the world's holding its breath."
Victor said nothing, slipping the Soul Cube into his inventory. "Let's keep moving. Cities will be chaos soon."
Leon climbed in. "You think it's gonna get worse?"
Victor smiled faintly.
"No. It's going to get real."
The mist swallowed the road ahead as the car sped forward—two souls in a dying world neither of them recognized anymore.
But only one of them knew he'd already become its ruler.