The carriage wheels hummed softly against the cobblestone road, the rhythmic clatter blending with the evening wind.
Klein leaned back against the worn leather seat, his crimson hair catching faint streaks of sunset as he stared absently out the window. The spires of Ostina dwindled behind him — gilded peaks and marble towers fading into the distance, but his mind wasn't in the city anymore.
It was still standing in the High Temple.
Still staring at the shards of the crystal as they dissolved into mana.
He could still feel it — that surge, that flood of energy tearing through him. The gasps, the silence, the way every head had turned.
And the gaze of the High Priest — unblinking, searching, heavy with unspoken understanding.
Klein exhaled and let a small, crooked smile spread across his lips.
"Second in twenty years," he murmured under his breath, his tone almost a whisper of disbelief. "Second since Lucien Valemont…"
The words lingered.
He tilted his head, resting it against the glass, eyes half-lidded as the passing trees blurred into lines of green and gold.
Five years.
Five long years since he'd stumbled into this world — weak, lost, barely able to hold a blade without trembling.
Five years of sweat, bruises, and endless duels beneath Lucien's calm, measuring gaze.
Five years of gutting goblins and waking up with blood under his nails and new scars to count.
And now, he'd broken an orb meant to measure mortals.
A soft laugh escaped him, genuine and quiet.
He never thought he'd laugh like that — not from pride, but from certainty.
He wasn't the nobody from before anymore. Not the forgotten face in a crowd, not the failure.
Here, in this world, he was something different.
Here, he mattered.
And somewhere deep inside, a small, dangerous voice whispered —
'I could stand at the apex.'
He closed his eyes and pulled up the Omnipotent System.
---
[Loading Status Screen…..]
[Host: Klein Adler]
[Level: 56]
[XP: 1889 / 570,000]
[Health: 32,500]
[Mana: 25,000]
[Cultivation: ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆]
[Affinity: Fire]
[Title: None]
[Race: Human]
[Core: Heart of the Iron Drake – 43%]
[Bloodline: Iron Drake]
[Physique: Iron Drake]
[Abilities:]
* Passive Regeneration
* Fire Resistance
[Spatial Dimension:]
* Mantle of the Silent Tempest (Epic)
* Whisperfang (Legendary)
* Aegis of the Hollow Star (Mythical)
* Chalice of Endless Wakefulness (Uncommon)
* Verdant Veil (Uncommon)
* Emberheart Gauntlet (Legendary)
* Mirror of False Crowns (Rare)
[Omni Shop]
---
The glowing text faded softly as he scrolled through his stats.
"First star cultivation…" he muttered. The words felt heavier than he expected.
He could feel it — the shift in his body. Mana now moved through him unconsciously, drawn from the air like a tide answering. The flow circled through his meridians in a steady rhythm before settling into the dantian near his core. Every breath felt alive. Every heartbeat, anchored in energy.
It wasn't like strength in his muscles. It was presence.
He pulled up the Omni Shop next.
[Balance: 51,234,110 OP]
He smirked. "Not bad for five years of goblin genocide."
Pages of glowing icons slid past — artifacts, elixirs, blades, and forbidden scrolls. Klein skimmed lazily until something caught his eye.
Epic | Talisman of Accelerated Insight | 12,000,000 OP
>Reduces comprehension time of complex techniques by 50% for 24 hours.
He tilted his head. "That'll do nicely."
With a flick of thought, the purchase confirmed. The System chimed softly.
[Purchase Complete.]
[Talisman of Accelerated Insight added to spatial dimension.]
Klein leaned back again, watching the faint glow of the interface fade from his vision.
Lucien had promised to teach him a sword technique once he awakened — a true blade art of the Valemont line.
He would master it faster than anyone.
His reflection stared back at him in the glass — crimson hair, steady eyes, a faint smile that didn't quite reach arrogance but lingered on the edge of it.
He wasn't done yet. Not even close.
Outside, the dirt road turned to cobblestone again, the distant walls of the Azure Crest Garrison rising ahead — banners snapping in the wind, guards shifting to attention as the carriage approached.
Klein sat forward, his pulse quickening slightly as the familiar sight filled his vision.
He'd left the garrison as an unawakened.
Now, he was returning as something else entirely.
The carriage slowed, the driver's voice muffled from the front. Klein opened the door before it even stopped fully. The evening air met him — cool, alive with the faint scent of steel and smoke.
He stepped down, eyes lifted toward the tall gates and the watchtower beyond.
The Azure Crest fluttered high above him — and for a moment, Klein swore it shimmered brighter than usual, reflecting the fire that now burned quietly within him.