In the Ashes of Fevay
Neros arrived at the ruins of the city. The entire kingdom had been wiped out—everywhere was covered with corpses and the stench of death. His eyes locked onto the central square. There, a single person was still standing: Morde.
"With absolute coldness… So he did all this alone," Neros muttered. His gaze briefly shifted to the other side of the square. Riyo was lying lifeless on the ground.
No way! Did Morde already kill Riyo? Even I might not be able to defeat him now. Unbelievable—he's growing at a terrifying rate. Anyway, my mission here is over. I need to report to Sovereign Impernos immediately. And I can't let him see me. I just came out of battle and spent more than half my energy. I can't fight right now.
Without hesitation, he quickly and silently withdrew from the scene.
Morde turned around. "Hey, is someone there?" he yelled. But he couldn't see anyone. He muttered to himself, "I need to get out of here now. They might send soldiers at any moment and my energy is about to run out. I need to find shelter—fast."
Training Grounds: The Final Test
Meanwhile, Kai and his master were preparing for battle. Kai was already in a combat stance.
His master shouted, "Are you ready, Kai?"
Kai answered, "I'm ready, old man! Come on!"
"In that case," the old man roared, "Take this! Light Strike!"
A burst of intense light exploded from his palm. Kai reacted instantly. "Spirit Veil!" he shouted, raising his defense. A barrier made of spirit energy blocked the attack. But the old man wasn't done yet.
"Light Sword!" A massive slash of light shot toward Kai from the glowing sword forming in his hand.
Kai didn't back down. "Spirit Sword!" He condensed his energy into a blade and countered. "Spirit Rift!"
The two attacks collided in mid-air. The shockwave sent trees flying, tore the ground apart, and created huge waves in the sea below. The energies canceled each other out.
Kai charged forward without hesitation. "Spirit Fist!"
The old man grinned. "Chains of Purity!"
Five chains of light shot forward and wrapped around Kai's fist—but he was ready for it. Kai clenched his fist and growled, "Detonate!" The chains shattered instantly.
His master's eyes gleamed. "Excellent! Now this is getting exciting! I haven't felt like this in years!"
Kai dashed forward again—but the old man suddenly shouted, "You're underestimating me, Kai! Radiant Burst!"
A sphere of yellow light formed around his fist, and he slammed it into the ground. A violent explosion tore the earth apart. The light was so intense that Kai had to shut his eyes—he couldn't see a thing.
The old man took advantage of that moment. "Heavenly Step!"
Moving nearly at the speed of light, he appeared beside Kai. "Light Fist!" His punch struck Kai in the chest—but right then, a Spirit Shield formed around Kai's body. The collision sent Kai flying backward, smashing through three trees before crashing into a fourth, larger one.
The old man approached. "Well done, Kai! You've awakened another new power! Now get up!"
Kai struggled but stood. He was furious. Then suddenly—a new power surged.
"Spirit Leap!"
Before the old man could react, Kai's Spirit Fist smashed directly into his face. The old man was sent flying 10 meters, tumbling across the ground before coming to a stop. He got up, coughing and laughing. His nose was bleeding but his face showed pride.
"This is getting interesting! Hey Kai, what was that speed just now?"
Kai replied coldly, "Why would I share my secrets with my enemy, old man?"
The answer made the old man laugh. "I guess you're right!" He dashed forward. "Spirit Ignition!"
A blazing yellow aura engulfed his body. His speed and power nearly doubled. Everything he touched burned. Without using any technique, he was instantly beside Kai.
Kai adapted quickly. "Spirit Fist!"
The old man threw a simple punch. Their fists collided—another massive shockwave exploded. But this time, the old man's raw strength overwhelmed Kai, sending him flying again.
The old man didn't hold back. "Light Sword – Divine Slash!"
A massive crescent of golden energy shot toward Kai. He was in mid-air—unable to dodge.
What do I do now? Is this it?
Power surged inside him. A Spirit Sword instantly formed in Kai's hand. He brought it up just in time to block the attack. He stopped it—but crashed hard into the ground. He could barely move now.
But the old man didn't stop. "Come on, Kai! Is that all you've got?" He leaped into the air. "Light Fist!"
Kai opened his eyes. His master was about to strike a lethal blow. In a low voice, Kai muttered:
"…It begins."
The old man slammed down his attack. A massive explosion of light erupted. The ground shattered. The old man yelled, "That was it, Kai!"
But when the light cleared—his eyes widened. "What? Where did he—"
A voice came from behind him.
"Spirit Shock!"
Kai's punch slammed into his ribs. The old man flew 10 meters and slid across the dirt. When he stopped—he couldn't move his body anymore.
"W-What is this? I can't move!" He looked up at Kai—and froze.
Kai's eyes were glowing pure white with spirit energy. The light was so intense that his master had to squint.
Kai spoke:
"You asked for this, old man. Take it. Ultimate Technique: Spiritual Binding!"
Four spirit arrows appeared behind Kai—each aiming at a vital point: brain, heart, leg, arm.
The old man yelled in panic, "OKAY KAI, STOP! YOU WIN! IT'S OVER!"
Kai snapped out of it and canceled the technique instantly. The spirit arrows vanished just before piercing him.
His master took a deep breath. "Damn… that was close. What kind of technique was that? I truly felt like I was about to die." Spirit Shock's effect faded and he stood up, stumbling toward Kai.
"KAI! YOU DID IT! YOU FORGED YOUR ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE!"
Kai bowed his head. "I'm sorry, master. I almost killed you."
The old man burst into laughter. "Idiot! That was the whole point! If we didn't fight like this, you would never awaken it. Well done!"
Kai asked, "So that means… Stage Five is complete?"
"Yes," his master nodded. "You now have the power to survive in this world. You even defeated me."
"Don't exaggerate," Kai replied. "You didn't even use your Ultimate Technique or your Domain. Actually, could you show me your Domain?"
The old man shook his head. "Maybe one day, Kai. But not today. I'm sure you'll awaken your Domain in battle one day. Your training is over. So what will you do now?"
Kai answered firmly. "I'm going to Nexan. Morde is there. I'll find him—and try to convince him."
"And if he refuses?"
"Then the answer is obvious. I'll fight him."
"Be careful, Kai," the old man warned. "Soon, the whole world will know your name."
Kai shrugged. "I'll manage, old man." He turned to leave.
His master called after him. "One more thing, Kai. Which side will you choose? Dominion—or the Independents?"
"I'm no murderer. So I'll join the Independents."
His master smiled. "By the way—my name is Ervin. You'll need this name someday. Don't forget it."
Kai paused, smirked slightly. "So you finally told me your name, old man."
He walked toward Nexan.
Ervin shouted after him, "There's a boat down the cliff! You can reach Nexan with it! But be careful!"
Nexan Capital – The Palace
At that moment, two soldiers who had escaped from Fevay reached the capital of Nexan. When the gate guards saw them, they asked:
"Hey—what happened to you two?"
Gasping for breath, the soldiers replied, "No time to explain—we must see King Reacherd immediately!"
"Fine, go in," the guard said.
The palace of Nexan towered at a massive 100 meters in height. Next to it stood the legendary Endless Fortress, said to house the strongest warriors and most dangerous beings. Red Nexan banners flew everywhere.
The two soldiers entered the palace and walked for five minutes before reaching the king's chamber. Commander Sun stood at the entrance.
"What happened to you?" he asked.
The soldiers quickly explained. Sun could hardly believe it. He rushed inside and informed King Reacherd.
The king ordered, "Let them in."
The two soldiers entered in panic. Inside stood Commander Swain and Iron Body Amper. At the center, sitting on his throne with a calm yet powerful expression, was King Reacherd.
"Speak," he commanded.