When Riku's eyes slowly fluttered open, the first sensation that struck him wasn't pain—it was the strange, almost intimate caress of the wind. The air moved differently now, wrapping around him like an obedient servant, yet rebelling at the same time. He reached out instinctively, fingers curling, and felt it… the thin streams of air bending to his will.
Only, it wasn't complete control. Far from it. It was as though the atmosphere itself was a wild beast, and he was only holding onto the tip of its tail. But even with that sliver of mastery, Riku found that he could make the air constrict around an invisible point—tighten it like a vice.
A smirk tugged at his lips. If he wanted, he could suffocate a man without ever laying a finger on him.
Yet, his amusement quickly gave way to confusion. In the original novel… this never happened. Cheon Woon had no such ability, no wind manipulation of this nature.
Before he could dwell on it further, a translucent blue panel slid into view, the familiar voice of the System resonating in his mind:
[Ding!]
You have obtained the Power of the Wind Spirit.
Elements Acquired: Ice, Wind (2/5).
Quest Issued — Elemental Ascension:
Collect all 5 elemental powers to ascend to the Upper Realm and pursue immortality.
Riku froze for a moment, then his heart began to race. Immortality.
In the original novel, Cheon Woon had forcibly suppressed his cultivation at the Ascension Realm, deliberately anchoring himself to the mortal world for his own plans. Back then, Riku had wondered—What would happen to me if I reached that point? Would I simply stagnate? Would my journey just… end?
But now… the answer was right before him. He had a path. A purpose. Something greater than just rewriting the novel's events.
The corners of his lips lifted into a slow, dangerous smile. "So that's how it is… I'll collect them all."
Rising to his feet, he turned his gaze toward the massive shadow lying not far away. The beast—his beast—was stirring. But something was wrong, or rather, something was… different.
When Riku had first bonded with it, the creature had been an imposing thirty feet from snout to tail-tip. Now, it stretched nearly twice that length—an enormous, sixty-foot monstrosity of scale and muscle.
And the most shocking change? Another head had grown from its shoulders, just as vicious and primal as the first. Twin maws now glistened with fangs that could tear through fortress walls.
The beast's golden eyes met his own, the bond between them pulsing stronger than ever. The sight was both exhilarating and mildly unsettling. Power changes things. And his beast was proof of that.
Before Riku could examine it further, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed. A familiar aura entered the clearing. The Great Guardian stepped forward, eyes alight with barely concealed excitement.
In his hands, wrapped in layers of protective cloth, was something ancient… and dangerous.
"My lord ," the Great Guardian said, kneeling slightly before presenting the object. "I have recovered the Blade God Art from the ruins."
Riku's eyes narrowed. The Blade God Art—one of the deadliest martial techniques in existence, and the foundation of the Blade School's supremacy but he didn't need it .
He took the wrapped scroll from the Guardian's hands, his voice calm yet sharp. "You've done well. Now… get out of here."
The Great Guardian blinked. "Okay, my lord"
Though confusion flickered in the man's eyes, he obeyed without question. In a blur, his figure vanished, the wind carrying him far beyond the ruins.
-
Once alone, Riku's hand formed a seal.
The shimmering wall of energy surrounding the area—the last remnant of the Blade School's defenses—shattered like fragile glass, fading into nothingness.
He closed his eyes for a moment, then pressed his palms to the ground.
From the depths of the earth, roots began to surge upward. Massive vines twisted and writhed, splintering stone, crushing walls, and swallowing towers whole. The ground trembled violently as ancient trees erupted skyward, their branches intertwining into a vast canopy.
The once-proud headquarters of the Blade School—its grand halls, its proud statues, its polished courtyards—were engulfed in living wood.
Then, with a sudden shift in his expression, Riku altered the flow. The wood receded, splintering into dust, leaving nothing behind but cracked soil and barren earth.
A wasteland now stretched where the Blade School had once stood. Not even rubble remained—only a flat, lifeless expanse under the pale sky.
Riku rose to his full height, the wind swirling around him in silent obedience.
"This," he murmured, "is the fate of those who stand in my way."
The beast slithered closer, its twin heads lowering in a display of loyalty. Riku placed his hand on the scaled snout of the left head, feeling the raw power thrumming beneath its skin.
He didn't need to speak for it to understand. They were bound now—hunter and weapon, master and beast, both walking the same bloodstained path.
Above them, the wind picked up speed, howling across the wasteland. It carried the scent of ash, the memory of destruction, and the promise of more to come.
Riku tilted his head slightly, gazing at the empty horizon. This was only the beginning. The quest for the remaining elements would take him across continents, through wars, and into the realms even the original novel had never dared to describe.
But he would find them—fire, earth, lightning—and when all five elements were his, he would ascend. Not like Cheon Woon. Not by suppressing himself. But by tearing through the heavens and claiming eternity with his own hands.
His gaze sharpened. The upper realm… and immortality.
A faint grin played on his lips. "I suppose I have something to look forward to now."
With that, he stepped forward, the beast following closely behind, leaving the barren land as silent testimony of his power.