In shadowed halls where whispers sleep,
A larva dreams in folded deep.
Through patient pain, by silent streams,
It threads itself in fragile dreams.
A hushed cocoon, a trembling heart,
The world's great weight will tear apart.
Through veils of dusk to shards of light,
It claws its way to claim the night.
A fluttered wing in silver air,
The weak no longer linger there.
A shadow shed, a self unmade,
Emerges fierce where fear once stayed.
Do hearts transform, or chains restrain?
The mirror asks in ink and rain.
In garden's breath and echo's call,
One self ascends, and one must fall.
Beyond the gate, beneath the sky,
The question stirs, it will not die:
Do we become what we can see,
Or strength wrestle power to mastery?
"… what does it mean" It has been a week since that day when the figure and I found a way to undo the effects of my old self's attack. We could only achieve this because my old self sent me thoughts from certain angles until I finally understood the correct approach. But also I gain lot of inspiration along with memories of becoming extraordinary monster
It took only three days to free Imertia Tomura. Everyone was terrified by this and thought I had lost my mind. The researcher monsters quickly sent a request for help to the monsters on the surface, but I stopped them. I explained everything—why I had helped Imertia Tomura become Rank 6, and how intelligent he was to form a seal of approval with me.
To be honest, helping Imertia Tomura reach Rank 6 was much easier than I expected. All I really had to do was supply him with magic energy. The difficult part was dispelling my own will of magic from the magic energy so that he could use it freely. We managed to pull it off. Sometimes I also had to gather nature energy and give it to him. There was nothing unusual about the process—it was just me going out to collect nature energy using frost fungus and delivering it to Imertia Tomura. We repeated this simple three-day cycle until he advanced.
Now I am at the Third City Inheritance Ground. Finding it was nearly impossible, but by using Imertia Tomura's memories, I was able to piece together the clues and locate it.
Roar!
"Yeah, you can go now. Thanks for your help," I said, turning to face Imertia Tomura.
Unlike before, Imertia Tomura had taken on a draconic form. If I hadn't already known he was a dragon beast, I might have mistaken him for a real dragon beast.
Also Its presence was so overwhelming that I could barely walk. Thankfully, with the Hundred Mind Arcane Artifact, the pressure wasn't as severe. Wisdom-type arcane artifacts are especially useful for Rank 6–9 extraordinary monsters that rely on mind magic. Typically, such monsters would use Rank 6 arcane artifacts, but the Hundred Mind Arcane Artifact I carry is only Rank 3. While it is very helpful, its effectiveness drops drastically against higher ranks. Moreover, Rank 6 arcane artifacts can only be used by Rank 6 beings. My best hope would be a Rank 5 arcane artifact—but unfortunately, I don't have one.
Roar!
Then Imertia Tomura flew up to the ceiling of the Third City. As he moved, he passed through the structures effortlessly. This was one of the advantages of being a Rank 6 beast. Beasts at Rank 6 to Rank 9 are also known as Grand Pinnacle Beasts. These beast have transcended the normal cycle of predator and prey, becoming the pinnacle of nature's order.
A Grand Pinnacle Beast's abilities are not only physical but also cognitive. They gain what is called the "invisibility of the world" which essentially grants them immunity to physical harm and allows them to be unbound by ordinary physical limitations. However, even though they possess this extraordinary trait, there are still methods that other Rank 6 monsters can use to cancel this ability.
The true differences lie in how much a beast's state of existence changes, how powerful it becomes, and what position it holds in the natural order. This is why Ranks 1 to 5 are the most important—without them, the environment would collapse entirely.
Rank 6 Imertia Tomura is truly most powerful after beast I have encountered after golden sun phoenix beast which is rank 12 best
I stared at the empty sky where Imertia Tomura had just disappeared, my thoughts tumbling over themselves.
"Rank 6, Rank 7, Rank 8… it felt like a long, winding path laid out before me, step by step, yet my goal was still so far away. I couldn't help but be little tired. It was both annoying and discouraging to see how distant the summit remained—but at the same time, I felt a strange spark ignite in my chest. Exciting. Interesting. That mix of frustration and thrill was something only this journey could give me, and from my point of view, that challenge was the very thing that kept me moving forward."
"Old me, even though I resent your constant meddling with my emotions, I know that without you I might falter. Push me forward, make me hunger for the challenge, and let me feel that fierce rush of excitement born from the very hardships that stand in my way."
I began to feel calmer, as my old self was manipulating my emotions to make me stay composed.
Looking around at my surroundings, I realised that keeping calm was truly necessary.
"Okay, Sans, be careful. Good luck," the researcher monsters said as they gave their farewells and walked away from the gate, leaving me alone.
"Yeah… well, be careful. The Land of Kall is very old, and most of the buildings have deteriorated with time, so they're very fragile. Take care of yourselves, guys," I replied as my own farewell.
The hall behind the gate fell into an almost sacred silence, the faint echo of the departing footsteps of the researcher monsters quickly swallowed by the immense emptiness. I paused at the threshold for a moment, letting the weight of the history around me settle on my shoulders. Then, with a mixture of anticipation and reverence, I stepped forward, my boots stirring up faint motes of dust that drifted lazily in the shafts of pale light filtering down from cracks in the ancient ceiling.
The corridors stretched ahead in a gentle curve, flanked on both sides by towering stone walls. Each wall was adorned with intricate carvings and faded murals, their colours dulled by centuries yet still managing to whisper of a time long past. Scenes emerged in the quiet gloom: the first settlers arriving in the Land of Kall, their faces stern and proud; the construction of vast cities with spires that seemed to reach towards the incredible level of development; and the rise of mighty beasts, their forms both majestic and terrifying, walking side by side with the early guardians of the land.
I ran my fingers lightly over the rough surface of one carving, tracing the outline of a colossal beast standing against a tide of shadows. The air was cool and carried a faint, earthy scent of stone and age. My footsteps echoed softly, mingling with the stories etched into the walls, and for a moment, I almost felt as if the images themselves were alive—watching, remembering, judging.
The further I walked, the richer and more elaborate the images became. Some sections depicted great battles, swirling with chaos and fire, while others showed quiet, reverent moments of harmony between nature, magic, and the people of Kall. There were depictions of strange flora blossoming beneath twin suns, rivers that wound like silver threads through the land, and monolithic figures performing rituals beneath a sky full of unfamiliar stars.
Every step deeper into the hall felt like stepping further into the heart of the world's memory. I could sense that this place had been crafted not simply to record history but to preserve the very essence of the Land of Kall—the triumphs, the tragedies, and the fleeting moments of beauty that defined its long, winding story. A shiver of awe and a hint of unease ran through me, for I knew I was treading where few had ever dared, and the walls themselves seemed to hum with the echoes of an ancient soul.
"The first city of monsters in Frostland… but why are there so many symbols of greater monsters here? Strange." I didn't dwell on it, but it stirred my curiosity.
I sighed. "Greater monster, huh? I still have a long way to go. I'm certain I'll get there one day, but it will take at least 50 years. In my previous life, even as an extreme harbinger monster, my powers were restricted by having too much nature spirit in me. Even the nature spirits themselves were restricted. Now that I think about it, no matter where or when, there were always setbacks and limitations. But this time, I'm at the very beginning of my journey. I have the experience, knowledge, and accumulated skills from previous life that yet to plant. This is my chance—I can't let it slip away."
Eventually, I reached the end of the hall—and there it was. The tree that bleeds true ink. My heart raced as I gazed at the grand prize I was willing to claim, even if it meant facing all the same hardships I had endured since arriving in Frostland. Of course, this was the second most important thing. The first was shards. I needed to collect as many shards as possible to become an empowered monster. Everything else, I could manage on my own.
"At last… true ink. With it, I can obtain the freedom to claim authority in the higher hierarchy of monster society. I can establish my own noble house, conduct research, and develop myself and my cities. And more than that—whoever left this seal of honor must have been a noble monster. If I can contact their family, I might secure my status as a noble guardian. That would allow me to travel to other worlds to gather more shards. Compared to that… everything else feels so trivial—except the shards, of course."
Before me stood the tree that bled true ink, its trunk and branches shaped from what seemed like glistening black mud. Thick droplets of ink fell from its limbs in a slow, rhythmic pattern, splashing softly as they joined a dark, shimmering pool at its roots. The heavy scent of ancient smell lingered in the cool air, and the pool itself rippled faintly under each drop, holding more ink than I had ever gathered before—hundreds of times what I possessed.
With a quiet, steadying breath, I knelt by the edge of the dark pool beneath the tree that bled true ink. My reflection wavered across the surface, broken by the slow, deliberate ripples from the droplets falling from the branches above. The air was cool, damp, and heavy with the scent of ancient ink, like old libraries and forgotten scrolls. Shadows from the murals behind me stretched long and thin over the black water, flickering in the dim shafts of light that reached through the cracked ceiling.
I stretched my arms toward the pool, my hands trembling with anticipation, and slowly revealed my seal of honor. The faint sigils carved into its surface seemed to hum against my skin. When I held it over the pool, it felt as though the entire hall was holding its breath. The seal hovered like a forbidden relic in the air, and then—softly, almost reverently—it began to drink in the droplets of true ink.
The first drops sank into its surface, sending a faint glow pulsing through the engravings. Each drop that touched it sparked with a soft radiance, reflecting off the black water like fallen stars. Soon it start to pulse like heart and start to quickened as the glow grew, light chasing along the patterns of the seal. The pool quivered under the energy, and the walls of the hall seemed to lean closer, watching.
Then, suddenly, I noticed something was wrong.
"What…? This seal of honor has selective true ink?" I whispered, startled.
The moment the absorbed ink reached the core of the seal, it was spat back in a thin spray, splashing into the pool with sharp plinks that shattered the stillness. My eyes widened. The seal was rejecting most of the ink, only drinking in certain drops, as if it was searching for something precise, something rare. Glowing and trembling in my hands, it pulsed softly with each careful acceptance and violent rejection, like it had a will of its own.
The vast hall around me felt even more solemn, the murals of mighty beasts and ancient guardians staring down, as though testing me. The pool's surface shimmered with rejected ink, casting ghostly reflections of stone dragons and the bleeding tree's sinuous branches, and in that breathless moment, I realized that claiming true authority would be far more complicated than I had imagined.
"Damn it… that means I need to return to the Motherland and use the true ink in the inheritance process. Hah. Well, it's not a huge problem for me right now—just a delay. Great, just great. Small setbacks… but unavoidable. Ugh."
I gritted my teeth, frustration bubbling up, but I forced myself to calm down. Getting angry wouldn't help. Instead, I shifted my focus to the real priority: collecting the shards. That was what truly mattered now.
"No worries, no worries. I'm almost certain the shards are somewhere around here."
I turned around and walked toward the gate behind the tree that bled true ink. Its ink was black as night. Step by step, I approached until I finally reached the gate and pushed it open.
The hinges creaked softly, and the gate swung inward, revealing what lay beyond.
The garden unfolded before me like a dream preserved in stone and vine, an inheritance of a world older than memory itself. Every step upon the cracked pathways stirred soft clouds of pollen and dust, mingling in the shafts of pale light that filtered through fractured domes of crystal and vine-choked arches. It was a place where nature and artifice had long since entwined, each claiming and surrendering the other in a dance of timeless harmony.
Ancient trees rose from the earth, their trunks twisted into flowing, lattice-like forms that seemed deliberately sculpted, bearing blossoms that glimmered with faint, coloured light. Vines draped from carved stone pergolas, their leaves etched with natural runes that pulsed faintly in rhythm with the wind, whispering secrets of a craftsmanship that seemed both organic and arcane. Even the air felt alive, tingling with a subtle, resonant energy—a hush that carried the weight of guardianship.
Pools of water, black and still as polished obsidian, reflected broken statues of strange, majestic beasts half-buried in moss. Petals drifted across these mirrored surfaces, and when they touched the water, ripples carried patterns like arcane sigils. Bridges of pale stone curved over the pools, their rails carved with intricate reliefs of monsters, flora, and celestial events, telling a silent story of a civilisation that had nurtured this place not for beauty alone, but as a sacred testament.
Between the trees, fragments of luminous stones emerged from the soil, forming deliberate patterns that marked the pathways of past rituals. Some hummed softly when I passed, acknowledging my presence. The scent of the garden was rich and layered: old soil, sweet pollen, a faint metallic trace of magic lingering as though the air itself was charged with memory.
This was no common garden—it was a living inheritance. A sanctuary shaped by intelligence and reverence, where every flower and stone had been placed with purpose. It was a place where time itself seemed willing to pause, holding its breath, waiting for the worthy to claim its secrets.
Without wasting a heartbeat, I stepped into the garden's shadowed paths. My first act was to activate a scanneization spell. Sharp lines of faint light darted from my fingertips, tracing the forms of nearby trees, stones, and broken statues before curling back into my palm. This spell was designed to map the immediate environment, picking up any traces of abnormality, hidden mechanisms, or disturbances in natural flow. The garden's response was subtle—like a faint whisper in my mind—revealing slight fluctuations in the energy currents drifting around the pools and under the bridges.
I moved carefully, allowing the scanneization spell to update with every step. Its glow flickered whenever I passed by a luminous stone fragment buried in the moss, or when the air grew heavier near the carved pergolas. These pulses told me the stones had been intentionally arranged as silent guardians, reacting to any magical presence.
Next, I layered my investigation spell over the scanneization matrix. This spell sharpened details from the environmental data, translating whispers into patterns. Through my vision, the world shifted slightly—the garden's colors growing muted while threads of residual magic shimmered like spider silk. I followed one such thread to a bridge where the rails bore carvings of celestial beasts. My hand hovered over the stone, and the investigation spell hummed, confirming the presence of a faint, ancient ward. It wasn't dangerous, just marking a boundary.
Hours passed as I repeated the process: sweep with scanneization to detect fluctuations, then probe with investigation to analyze them. The spells revealed more than sight alone could—footsteps long erased by time, and the subtle magnetic hum of a buried mechanism beneath a lattice-rooted tree.
Even with these tools, the challenge was maddening. The spells were restricted to their most basic forms without artificial magic, meaning I had to rely on slow, methodical sweeps and my own intuition. Each success, each fragment of a clue uncovered, felt like grasping a single thread in an endless tapestry. But step by step, corner by corner, the garden began to share its secrets, and I refused to stop until it gave me all of them.
Soon, I halted as a sudden shift in my emotions signalled that my old self had discovered a clue.
"What is it?" I asked inwardly, sensing the change.
"Wait for a moment," the figure replied.
I stood still, waiting patiently, letting the silence stretch until the figure finally spoke again.
"I don't fully understand it yet," the figure admitted, "but from the thoughts I've received, I believe it means you must become Rank 6 to find the shard."
"…Are you serious? Damn, that's going to be painful," I muttered, turning to leave the garden.
"Rank 6, huh? With my body unstable, this is probably the best time to ascend. Last time I checked, my hyper-state clouds were at 12,500, and 15,000 is the limit. I need to reach Rank 6 before hitting that ceiling," I murmured, recalling the basic principles of ascending.
When a monster reaches the peak Rank 5 stage, the journey to Rank 6 is a grueling transformation open. First, the soul must be overdriven—pushed beyond its natural limits—which exerts immense pressure on the body. This pressure forces the body to imprint the soul's full power into its structure. During this stage, the body will naturally reveal its weaknesses, like cracks in a hastily forged weapon. Recognizing these flaws is the first step toward perfection.
For an entire year, the monster must repair, strengthen, and reshape its body to remove all weaknesses. This is not just a physical test but a deep spiritual discipline. Only when the body is near-perfect—able to withstand the raw force of the soul—can the next step begin. Then, the soul must overdrive again, pressing the body to evolve under intense strain. This process triggers a profound metamorphosis, transforming the body into a vessel capable of fully harnessing the soul's power.
That is the true birth of a Rank 6 monster.
I face one major problem: there is a wall between my body and my soul. This means I cannot overdrive my true soul. I only have an artificial soul, and attempting to overdrive it would result in guaranteed failure. However, after reaching Rank 5, I started thinking of a way to ascend to Rank 6, and my idea turned out to be much better than I expected.
I realized that my unstable body might actually be an advantage. The more unstable my body is, the more it will respond to the pressure of an overdriven soul—even to the point of risking destruction. But what if I can use this to my benefit? With the help of the figure beside me, and with my will of magic being so much stronger, I could use at least Grade 3 magic energy to simulate the effect of a soul pressing against the body.
By doing this, I could trick my body into attempting a metamorphosis, allowing me to reach an unstable Rank 6 state. Then, with the figure's support, I could hold my unstable Rank 6 form until it stabilizes. This method feels almost perfect. Even if I fail, the worst backlash I would suffer would simply return me to my original Rank 5 stage, where I can start over again—without any lethal consequences.
However, there is a clear limit: I can only keep my body unstable for an all time. If I remain in this unstable state constantly and stabilized it, ascending to Rank 6 will become much more difficult, and the very advantage I rely on could turn into a massive setback.
Having an unstable body doesn't just mean I take damage more easily—it also makes it much harder to heal. I didn't think much of this weakness at first, since it felt insignificant. That changed when Rank 5 Imertia Tomura self‑detonated. The explosion nearly killed me. If my body had been stable, I could have withstood it without much trouble.
"Rank 6… how can I ascend to Rank 6 right now?" I muttered to myself. After thinking it over, it didn't feel impossible anymore. The real problem was that I would need an enormous amount of Grade 3 magic energy, on a scale far beyond anything I currently have. "Where am I supposed to find that much magic energy?"
I spent hours pondering how to obtain the enormous amount of grade 3 magic energy I needed. My thoughts circled endlessly, until at last, a spark of inspiration struck—an idea so clear and brilliant that I felt certain it was the influence of my old self guiding me.
"The Second City… that's the answer," I murmured, a smile tugging at my lips.
Without hesitation, I stepped out of the inheritance hall, the air cool and still behind me, and began my journey toward the Second City. The cracked paths of the Land of Kall stretched ahead, flanked by the quiet ruins where time had settled like a patient guardian. The other researcher monsters had all left long ago, their tasks complete. They had gathered the historical data they needed and saw no further reason to remain in land of kall.
When it came time for me to depart, I refused. I crafted excuses, speaking of further searches and undiscovered secrets, knowing that my true purpose lay elsewhere. Now, with the silent halls behind me, I felt the weight of solitude and opportunity pressing in equal measure.
Hours later, the Second City rose before me like a solemn monument, its walls draped in shadow and age. As I crossed its threshold, a sudden wave of pressure rolled over me. My body tensed instinctively, and I realized at once the source: grade 2 magic energy, dense and heavy, saturating the air.
I smiled as I set my plan into motion, stepping into the heart of the Second City where the grade 2 magic energy was at its most dense. The air here was thick and heavy, almost tangible, and each breath carried the weight of untamed power. My senses tingled under the constant pressure, but rather than relent, I felt excitement stir within me.
With meticulous care, I withdrew every golden coin in my possession—dozens upon dozens, each inscribed with faint runes that pulsed in harmony with my will. I began to construct a formation of greater intricacy than any I had attempted before. The coins were set in layered concentric circles, but no longer merely flat or simply elevated; each ring was staggered at varying heights, supported by lattices of shaped stone and fragments of luminous crystal. Tiny channels carved into the stone between supports formed pathways for the magic energy to circulate, creating a slow, spiraling current that fed toward the core.
The outermost rings fanned wide like the petals of a golden lotus, designed to catch and draw in every wisp of ambient magic energy. As the rings tightened toward the center, the coins shifted orientation, some standing on their edges at precise tilts, others hovering ever so slightly due to the subtle magnetic fields created by the runes. Each coin was angled to focus the flow inward, guided by an unseen geometry that I had mapped meticulously in my mind.
At intervals, I placed small reflective mirrors of enchanted glass between the raised segments of the formation. These mirrors bounced threads of light and runic energy along predetermined paths, creating a lattice of interwoven sigils in the air above the spiral. At the very heart, where the spiral funneled to a narrow tip, I embedded three coins in a triangular suspension, their runes glowing faintly as they resonated with one another. This triad would act as the stabilizer, ensuring that the torrent of condensed energy would not fracture the formation.
By the time I finished, the array resembled not just a spiral but a three-dimensional sculpture of light, stone, and gold—an ascending funnel whose mirrored surfaces and hovering coins wove together into a luminous spellnet. The air vibrated softly, and with each breath, I felt the formation pulling the surrounding grade 2 magic energy toward its core in a slow, graceful dance.
I knelt and began to weave my intent into the array. Threads of faint light extended from my fingertips, connecting to the coins. The outermost ring thrummed first, resonating with the grade 2 magic energy saturating the air. Slowly, the coins began to glow, and the very air above them stirred, rippling as if pulled by some unseen current.
The formation awakened.
I took out the rings I had used to store magic energy before I gained my artificial soul, and I placed them in the area where the magic energy was most concentrated.
My plan was straightforward.
Grade 1 magic energy is created by a Grade 1 soul. Grade 2 magic energy comes from a Grade 2 soul. The difference between them lies in quality. Magic energy is like heat from a fire—which is emotions, higher-grade energy is more potent and faces fewer of the world's restrictions. Grade 2 magic energy, though limited by the world's rules, is still far stronger than Grade 1. A small amount of Grade 2 energy can cast a spell more effectively than an entire Rank 2 core filled with Grade 1 energy.
The problem is that higher-grade magic energy normally requires a higher-grade soul or a higher rank body to use. But my theory is that by gathering and compressing enough Grade 2 magic energy, I can store it in my rings. Then, by forcing the stored energies to collide with each other, I can make them strip away the world's restrictions—like erasing ink on paper by rubbing it with another inked paper till it erased like it was erased by eraser.
Doing this won't directly create true Grade 3 magic energy, because Grade 3 energy is completely unbounded. However, if I can generate even a small portion of Grade 3 magic energy this way, it will trigger a chain reaction, producing more as long as I keep the supply flowing.
Of course, this carries a huge risk. The process could easily destroy the Second City. But there's one advantage: any Grade 3 magic energy produced will carry my will of magic, because it's generated through my rings, which already contain my imprint.
All of the Grade 3 magic energy I generate will help me ascend to Rank 6. After that, I will deactivate the formation.
"Come on, come on," I muttered bitterly, my voice barely audible over the low hum of the formation. My eyes were fixed on the delicate dance of luminous threads as the concentrated magic energy collided between the suspended rings. Each ring gleamed faintly, their runes pulsating in a rhythm that mirrored the frantic beat of my own heart. I felt the entire array tremble as the streams of Grade 2 magic energy wound tightly into the core of the formation, pressing against the boundaries I had so painstakingly constructed.
Then, the collision came.
A violent ripple of force surged through the air, like the crack of thunder trapped in a sealed hall. The runes flared bright enough to blind, and for a heartbeat, the formation held—before the compressed energy burst outward in a shockwave that slammed into my chest like a runaway beast. Pain knifed through my body, and the metallic taste of failure filled my taste as I was hurled backward across the stone floor.
"Damn it," I muttered, spitting out a mouthful of water—a monster's way of expressing pain.
My self‑regeneration kicked in quickly, and before long my body had mostly recovered. Once I could stand, I walked back to the formation to examine why it had failed. Logically, the setup should have failed one or two times, but I needed to identify any mistakes I could fix.
As I inspected the array, I noticed small issues. The center of the formation had too much energy concentrating toward the right. I adjusted the golden coins to shift the concentration toward the left instead. However, I realized that some of the changes in alignment had only happened because I was thrown across the room in the last explosion. Those weren't true mistakes. After some thought, I continued making minor adjustments to the formation.
Then I attempted the next activation.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
Whoosh.
The Grade 2 magic energy streams surged toward each other in a violent ballet, colliding like titanic ocean waves slamming into one another during a storm. Each impact resonated through the air with a deep, vibrating hum that rattled the very stones beneath my feet. With every successive collision, the intensity multiplied, pressure mounting as if the city itself were holding its breath. I could see the compressed energy twisting and writhing at the heart of the formation, the luminous threads of magic trembling under the strain of my design.
The formation's golden coins glimmered fiercely, the runes etched onto their surfaces flaring in sync with the pulsing energy. Lightning‑like arcs flickered between the mirrored surfaces, illuminating the chamber in a flashing strobe of white and gold. The spiraling funnel of power writhed as the streams pressed into each other, compressing tighter and tighter, until the air was thick with raw magic and the scent of ozone.
Suddenly, a sharp crack split the air.
Bam!
The core of the formation imploded before it could stabilize, erupting in a violent shockwave that ripped through the Second City's silent hall. The force slammed into my chest like a battering ram, sending me tumbling backwards. I hit the stone floor hard, my vision swimming, ears ringing with the echoes of the failure. The taste of iron—or what I knew as my monster's water—filled my mouth as I spat and coughed.
Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself upright, my body already knitting back together under the effects of self‑regeneration. Steam rose from the fractured coins and shattered supports where the runes had burned themselves out under the stress. The formation, so carefully constructed, now lay in disarray, the remnants of the compressed energy dispersing into the thick Grade 2 aura saturating the air.
I staggered to my feet and approached the ruined array, eyes scanning every tiny detail. The collision had been uneven—too much force had favored the right side of the spiral. I adjusted the golden coins, shifting their delicate angles to redistribute the forthcoming magic energy flow, knowing that even the faintest imbalance could doom the process again. The mirrors tilted slightly, catching new lines of light, and the corridors of magic they reflected formed a slightly altered lattice.
I inhaled slowly, steadying my will of magic, and triggered the formation once more.
Whoosh.
The air swirled as streams of Grade 2 magic energy bent under my command.
Whoosh.
The spiraling funnel began to form, runes resonating in perfect harmony, threads of light weaving through the mirrored surfaces.
Whoosh.
The streams collided again, slamming into one another with explosive force, the pressure mounting, the lattice trembling as if the very air were glass about to shatter. I could see the energy compressing, folding in on itself under the relentless strain. The formation groaned, the coins vibrating violently, and for a single moment, I thought it might hold.
Bam!
The force erupted in an even greater explosion than before. I was hurled backward once more, the shockwave tearing the air from my lungs as the formation collapsed in yet another failure.
"Well, it's understandable that it keeps failing. I mean, the idea of using Grade 2 magic energy to create Grade 3 magic energy is ridiculous—honestly, even I wouldn't believe it myself. But with the theory I learned from Imertia Tomura and the level of mastery I've achieved, there's about a 30% chance of success. Considering my luck, though… yeah, I'll probably fail a few more times." I muttered to myself as I began the process all over again.
…
Bam!
…
Bam!
…
"Wait… it worked? What?!" I was speechless, staring in disbelief as Grade 3 magic energy began to manifest like a flowing river.
"Haha… haha! My luck isn't so bad after all!" I laughed, ignoring the pain from my injuries, and walked forward with a strange sense of triumph. The Grade 3 magic energy swirled and grew, its sheer volume soon dwarfing me until I felt like an ant standing before a mountain.
"This is enough," I said with a satisfied sigh, and I deactivated the formation.
I waited patiently as my self‑regeneration finished healing my body. Once fully recovered, I sat cross‑legged on the cold stone floor, closing all my thinking to prepare myself both mentally and emotionally for the next step.
"To look beyond the limits of a normal monster, to step forward into the realm of the extraordinary. That is the first step toward transcending the mortality of monsters, a rebirth in its purest form."
"Okay, I'm ready."
With that, I began my ascent to Rank 6.
The Grade 3 magic energy around me flowed into my body, entering my magic energy flow like blood into veins. The pressure immediately built up against my solidified magic, and because my body was unstable, cracks and weaknesses appeared everywhere. Magic energy leaked out of me as if I were a tube full of holes.
But that was the plan.
I allowed the Grade 3 magic energy to envelop me completely, then carefully forced it to stay within my magic channels. Containing it was agonising, but I held on, keeping that unstable energy inside for half an hour.
"Gah!"
The solidified magic in my body sent constant pain signals—a warning that I was pushing myself to the edge—but I stayed focused. That pain was necessary. It kept me alert, let me monitor the process.
Then, finally, something changed.
A smile tugged at my lips as my body began to transform on its own. The metamorphosis had started. I had successfully tricked my body into evolving, the first step toward becoming a true Rank 6 monster.
The sensation was undeniable—I was transforming. Unlike the breakthroughs from Rank 1 to Rank 5, which felt like forcing my body to grow up rapidly, this was entirely different. This time, it felt as though my whole body was being remade from the inside out.
"Huff…" I gasped, the pain overwhelming. My body felt as if it were boiling from within. Even though I knew I could stop the process, I forced myself to continue, enduring the agony to push the transformation forward.
Soon, I felt a strange sensation in my hand. When I looked down, I saw my skeletal arm start to melt, like ice touched by fire. The parts that melted turned into a floating liquid, forming rings that circled my arm. Bit by bit, the bones of my hand dissolved into this strange substance.
But I smiled. Everything was going as planned.
My body is unstable which made it like steam while a normal monster's body is stable which is like ice. My goal is to reshape this unstable form into something beyond an ordinary monster. To do that, I must completely break down my current body and its limits. This is the true nature of my metamorphosis.
Think of it like water. Ice and steam are simply different states of the same substance. No matter the form, it all returns to water in the end. The difference lies in how much water there is and what it can hold. Monsters are the same. Their transformations may look different, but the core principle is always about changing a monster into extraordinary monster.
As my arm continued to melt away, a new skeletal arm began to form from the floating liquid—this time, it was pitch black. That was the sign I had been waiting for: my metamorphosis was happening exactly as it should.
Soon, not just my arms but all other parts of my body began to undergo the same transformation, one by one. Even as this happened, I felt my will of body change to an extreme degree. My consciousness seemed to break down completely, only to reassemble itself again, over and over, in a cycle of dissolution and rebirth.
Even after my body transformed, it continued to change again and again. It was like trying to mold steam into a shape—a shape that barely held together. Yet inside that fragile form, my will of magic guided and controlled the Grade 3 magic energy. Because of that, the continuous metamorphosis was not a problem.
It wasn't long before I became rank 6 not true but half rank 6 but it almost over
…
"Are you there, buddy?"
"…"
"I see." I sighed as I kept walking through the garden.
I had finally completed my ascension after damn two hours. I was now a semi Rank 6 extraordinary monster. But I was utterly exhausted and my state was lowest of the low among extraordinary monsters capacity.
"Well, thank you for your help. Rest well," I said, stretching my body.
The figure had used all his mental strength and willpower to help me ascend to Rank 6. He had always possessed a small will, and this process drained him completely. He went into hibernation to recover. Even so, he continued to sustain my new form with Grade 3 magic energy.
This was critical. My extraordinary monster body was unstable. Without the figure's constant monitoring and control, it would collapse back into my original Rank 5 stage body. It was similar to transformation magic, but with one key difference: I had reshaped myself beyond my natural limits. Transformation magic can turn a being into forms related or unrelated to a monster's body, but my path had forged a vessel that could surpass my own limitations.
Until I stabilize this extraordinary monster body, I must maintain this state, or risk losing everything I've gained.
"I feel like an empty bottle," I admitted. Like the figure, I was completely drained, but unlike him, my body could still support my will and mind.
I quickly noticed a remarkable change. My thoughts were faster, sharper, and capable of far deeper analysis than before. In mere minutes, my understanding of my body had reached incredible heights. This was the advantage of a Rank 6 monster—our bodies surpass anything a Rank 5 could achieve, and our minds become sharper than even the greatest geniuses under rank 6.
"Investigation and scanneization spells are useless to me now," I murmured. "My extraordinary senses have replaced them."
I released my magic energy, allowing my magic sense to expand. It covered nearly the entire garden, letting me feel and sense everything within its range.
"Hmm, what is this?" I murmured, sensing a strange presence emanating from the pond. Slowly, I approached the water's edge and stepped into its center.
"Heh." After a few seconds of observation, the meaning became clear. Without hesitation, I stomped down on the stone beneath my feet, shattering it. The ground gave way, and I plummeted into the abyss below.
"Well, that was easier than I expected. I suppose that's the advantage of being an extraordinary monster," I muttered, voice weak with exhaustion. I twisted my body midair, gliding along the wall, and landed softly on the ground far below. For me, this descent was almost effortless.
"Hmm… this is…" I whispered, eyes widening.
Before me stretched a vast cavern glittering with emeralds. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling were covered in countless glowing green gems.
"I see," I said, clarity striking like daylight.
It was a test. Among all these emeralds, one concealed a shard. How did I know? Simple—shards are objects of super monster level. The best way to hide something so valuable is to bury it among things that seem worthless. To a monster, plain emeralds are nothing more than beautiful rocks unless they carry magic. They hold no interest for us. Only a shard would matter here. Anyone other than a monster or beast might find the gems alluring, but for me, their purpose was obvious.
"Since I can't locate the shard through any magical means, I have to rely on my analytical skills," I murmured with a weary sigh. I really didn't want to play mental games right now—my exhaustion was crushing, and I was on the brink of collapse.
Still, I forced myself to continue. I approached the emeralds one by one. With each glance, I immediately understood whether it was a shard or not. It was almost effortless. I had seen shards before—they always left an imprint in my mind. Even now, that lingering memory allowed me to sense which were real and which were fakes.
I examined each emerald carefully, moving slowly and methodically.
One by one.
One by one.
I never touched or moved them, because there was always a possibility that disturbing them could trigger something dangerous.
One by one.
One by one.
I hummed absentmindedly—"Hmm, huhu, hmm, huhu"—as I searched, losing track of time. It must have been around four hours before I finally noticed something different.
"Wait a second," I muttered, stopping in my tracks.
There, before a small waterfall, the shard hung in open air—silent, still, and utterly exposed.
My breath caught.
"What? The shard wasn't hidden in an emerald at all… but why would it just float there, inviting me?" My voice was barely a whisper, swallowed by the soft rush of water. "This is… far too suspicious."
A chill ran down my spine. Instinct screamed at me to hesitate, to watch, to wait.
Slowly, I raised my guard, letting my magic sense unfurl like a web across the cavern. Every ripple, every tremor of energy, I examined with painstaking care. The walls were quiet. The air was still. The waterfall carried only its own ancient rhythm. Nothing stirred beyond my own heartbeat.
And yet
My eyes stayed locked on the shard, my thoughts spiraling between hunger and fear. "Is this a gift? A test? Or a trap waiting for the fool who reaches too soon?"
My fingers twitched, aching for the prize, but the weight of caution anchored me in place.
A long, tense sigh escaped my lips. "If I walk away now, I may never forgive myself. If I reach… I might not walk away at all."
The shard pulsed faintly in the mist, as if mocking my hesitation.
My jaw clenched. "I'll take the gamble."
Step by careful step, I approached, each movement deliberate, each breath measured. Bones coiled tight, ready to spring, to defend, to flee—whatever the instant demanded. My senses screamed for any sign of danger, ready to ignite the moment the world betrayed me.
At last, within reach, my hand hovered over the shard. For a heartbeat, the cavern's silence thundered in my ears.
I seized it.
…
Nothing.
No explosion. No curse. No ripple of magic.
"…What?" I whispered, the word trembling off my tongue. Confusion settled like a weight on my chest, heavy and cold.
The shard simply rested in my hand, perfect and inert, and that—somehow—was more unnerving than any attack could have been.
"This feels unusual," I said quietly, my voice echoing gently off the cavern walls. The soft sound of the waterfall filled the space, calm and steady. I held the shard a little tighter, alert to any change.
Before I could think further, a sudden pull dragged me backward, firm and unavoidable. My stomach flipped with the motion, and I let out an involuntary yell as I was pulled across the cavern.
My back struck a stone pillar, breaking it into scattered pieces. The impact stung, and I hit another pillar soon after, the sound of cracking rock following each collision. Dust and fragments floated in the air, dimming the glow of the emeralds.
Then a bright green light surrounded me, washing out the cavern's shadows. For a moment, I felt weightless, drifting in glowing mist. The shard hummed softly in my hand. Time seemed to slow, and I wondered briefly what would happen next.
The light faded.
The cavern, the waterfall, the emerald walls—everything was gone.
I was standing in the frost zone.
"The f***?" I exclaimed in shock, completely taken aback because I hadn't sensed anything unusual.
"What the hell is happening—" I began to question, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of the situation. Just then, I felt a subtle movement behind me. Instinctively, I began to visualize the attacker's shape and speed, piecing together the threat in my mind.
Bam
In that split second, I swiftly swung my chest and arm, connecting with the attacker using my elbow.
Ruru ruru ruru
The impact was powerful, sending the attacker hurtling through the air for a distance of a hundred meters.
"Did I overdo it… what was that?" I sighed softly before activating my magic shield technique, creating a barrier to protect me from the frost and snow. Almost immediately, I felt my body move on its own, continuing to cast the magic shield technique without my conscious effort. This was one of the advantages of being an extraordinary monster: once I had used a technique at least once, my body could instinctively perform it, even subconsciously.
"Well, that makes things much easier," I muttered, feeling relief as the shield maintained itself. I began walking slowly, looking around and trying to figure out where I was, the cold wind swirling around me but unable to breach my barrier.
While walking, I decided to test my new body. I entered a half‑hyper state, letting part of my consciousness focus inward. What I saw left me stunned—my Rank 6 core had split into three layers. In this hyper state, I could clearly see three storms overlapping in perfect harmony. Before, my inner world was peaceful, filled with gentle clouds; now, towering storm clouds stretched beyond my sight, endlessly swirling.
I compared it to before: a Rank 5 core can be filled quickly and is easy to break. I could sense it as though I had a third eye. But a Rank 6 core is different—it has no limits. It can keep absorbing magic energy without end. The reason is that this core now supports Grade 2 magic energy. But when I reached transcendent rank 6, it will evolve to contain Grade 3 magic energy. I suppose I've traded some physical appearances, like losing my old abs, for raw power.
Rank 6 cores are reliable and easy to use, while Rank 5 cores are better for control and spell casting. Even so, the advantages of a Rank 6 core far outweigh the disadvantages.
Whoosh.
Hoosh.
"This body has immense strength and speed as well, but no Rank 6 aura leaks out," I muttered as I swung my arms. Each simple movement created bursts of wind.
As for fully exploring the skills and advantages of this extraordinary monster body, one day is nowhere near enough.
As I wandered through the frost‑covered terrain, my foot brushed against a patch of snow that seemed softer than the rest. I glanced down and noticed a small hollow in the ice—a rabbit's nest.
"Rabbit?" I muttered under my breath, crouching to get a better look.
A tiny rabbit hopped out, its fur the color of pale ash. It was just a normal animal, not a beast, and it trembled as it stared up at me. Then it began hopping frantically in small circles, making quick, urgent sounds as if trying to grab my attention. I could almost feel its fear, though I couldn't quite tell what it wanted from me. For a few moments, I simply stood there, watching its strange behavior, unsure how to respond.
After a pause, I decided to leave it be. I turned and slowly walked away, careful not to disturb the nest any further.
Then, a sudden, sharp howl cut through the cold air.
I spun around just in time to see a grey wolf leap from behind a snow‑covered rock. Its fangs sank into the rabbit's neck with a vicious snap. The tiny creature gave a brief twitch before going still, its soft body collapsing in the snow.
"…*sigh* That was my fault," I whispered, a heavy weight settling on my chest. Only then did I understand—this rabbit hadn't been panicking at me. It had been trying to lure me away, leading me from danger it didn't fully comprehend itself. In its desperate attempt to survive, it had drawn the predator's attention to its own hiding place.
"Damn it," I muttered quietly, turning back toward my path. Snow crunched softly under my feet, and a cold wind brushed past my skull as I walked on.
Moments like this reminded me of a truth I couldn't escape: as monsters, we give this world life—yet sometimes, we are also the reason it suffers.
Soon, I reached the peak of a mountain.
"Well, let's see where I am," I muttered, crouching on the icy peak. Frost cracked under my feet as I readied myself. The cold wind cut against my face, sharp with the scent of snow and pine. I took a breath, tightened my core, and leapt upward.
The world blurred below—white mountains and dark valleys streaking past. The air grew colder and thinner, my chest both aching and thrilled. Soon the land was a distant mosaic, and the wind's bite stung my skin. After a long count, my rise slowed, and I reached the peak of my jump.
Suspended in the frigid air, I gazed at the endless frost zone. Jagged peaks pierced the mist, rivers of ice gleaming far below. In that still moment, I felt weightless, a shard of snow lost in an infinite sky.
"Hmm… what is this place? I don't recognize anything. And this frost zone's magic pressure here is far stronger than any I've been in."
I tried to recall every frost zone I had ever been to, hoping to figure out where I was. As an extraordinary monster, my mind had evolved far beyond its previous state. My body and mind were now deeply connected; my will and my memories were intertwined. Strengthening my mind also strengthened my will and sharpened my memory.
I let out a quiet sigh as the cold wind whipped around me. I would need to explore carefully if I wanted to understand exactly where I had ended up.
"It seems I've never been in this frost zone before," I muttered to myself as I fell through the icy air. "That leaves 89 other frost zones I've never visited. Could it be an unknown frost zone? Hmm… possibly. But I highly doubt it. Frostland is very small compared to other continents, and it's the most heavily populated by monsters. There's no way a frost zone could remain undiscovered. So… that means it must be one of the 89."
I sighed as the cold wind whipped around me during my descent.
Bam!
I landed softly, though the impact was heavy enough to send a burst of wind outward.
"That was just a normal high jump, and this is the result," I muttered.
I paused, thinking about my new strength. "Hmm… it seems my Rank 5 strength hasn't changed much. Is it because my ascension was non‑traditional? Or maybe my Rank 5 power was already too great and resisted the metamorphosis…"
"No, it's probably because my Rank 6 body is still unstable. I've managed to ascend to Rank 6, but the transformation isn't complete yet. My current plan is to keep maintaining this unstable Rank 6 form until it stabilizes on its own. So for now, even though I officially have the status of a Rank 6 monster, in practice I function more like a very strong Rank 5 monster. Great."
I sighed again. My recent ascension had left me drained, and I found myself sighing far too often. It wasn't dangerous, just a sign of exhaustion. My old self would be busy with the next step—planning how to advance in grade.
I paused my thoughts as I noticed streaks of blue light weaving across the night sky, flowing like waves upon a dark ocean.
"It's been so long since I last saw the northern weave," I murmured, smiling as the sight drew me into the moment. Slowly, the snowstorm began to fade as I withdrew my magic shield, letting the pale light touch me directly.
Memories stirred. "The last time I saw this was when I travelled with Aziemer across the sea. I was only at the average Rank 2 stage then—weak, but skilled at sailing. Me and papyrus used binoculars to watch the northern weaves from the Motherland."
The quiet beauty of the sky filled my chest with a rare calm, a brief reprieve from the endless journey ahead.
Soon, the northern weaves faded into the dark horizon, and the snowstorm returned, covering the world in white and shadow. My magic shield kept the cold at bay, though the view outside blurred almost completely. Inside, I held onto the memories I had just revisited—small, warm glimpses of the past that reminded me why I kept moving forward. The storm was harsh, and the way ahead uncertain, but I took each step steadily, letting those quiet memories dance inside me as I walk while humming.
…
—————————————————————————
In Moltier City's central divide's school, a young monster sat on the ceiling, quietly observing the world below. Soon, another young monster walked in and climbed up to join him.
"Are you hungry, Millia?" Asok asked, settling beside his friend.
"No… but I am a little curious," Millia replied with a soft smile.
Then, with a hint of concern in his voice, Millia added, "But what about you? Are you really okay? During the tournament, you suffered an unbelievably heavy injury to your soul." As he spoke, he idly played with water, shaping it into small forms that floated and shifted at his will.
"I'm okay… I think," Asok said quietly. "I just keep wondering… why did he
Asok's eyes turned upward to the sky, where two moons hung close together. Unlike the time when Nasira's palace had appeared, these two moons now drifted closer than ever, with one partially covering the other and blocking parts of the night from view.
Millia stayed silent, the soft sound of swirling water the only answer, as both young monsters pondered the strange night and the events that still haunted them.
Asok turned to Millia and asked, "Did your family discover any clues?"
Millia shook his head. "Nothing at all. We tried everything, but we couldn't find anything."
"I see," Asok sighed, stretching his arms before lying down on his back. "Right now, I just want some cheesecake."
"Same here," Millia replied, lying back beside him.
After a moment, Millia glanced at Asok. "But now that your soul is injured, what will you do?"
Asok's eyes darkened with worry. Ever since his soul was damaged, he could no longer ascend. In monsters, the soul and body are deeply connected—damage to one harms the other—unless, like Sans, there is a wall separating the two. Without that separation, Asok had no way to heal his soul.
The only option left to him was the natural path of aging. Monsters grow stronger with time: newborns start at Rank 1, typically reach Rank 2 by age 14, and continue ascending to Rank 3 and Rank 4 as they mature. Around 300 years old, most monsters reach Rank 5 simply through accumulated experience and the gradual strengthening of their will of body.
But Asok was a noble monster. Nobles are expected to ascend far beyond that through deliberate effort, fulfilling both tradition and responsibility. Because of the injury caused by Sans, Asok could no longer meet those expectations. Every attempt to ascend only damaged his body further, leaving him to rely on his family to find a way to heal his soul.
What they did not know was that Sans had left a hidden mechanism—a "timer"—within Asok's soul when he used soul magic on him. When the timer runs out, Asok's soul will heal on its own. This was part of Sans's plan, shifting attention from himself onto Asok while secretly ensuring the injury would one day mend.
Asok let out a worried sigh. "I don't know, dude… I need to ascend, but I can't. I don't want my family to suffer because of me."
It was clear he was struggling, trying his best to ascend for the sake of his family but unable to do so. Millia watched him with understanding; he, too, didn't want to bring trouble to his own family. Unlike Asok, Millia was completely fine and had already advanced two stages higher. Yet, seeing his friend trying so hard just to keep up, Millia had decided to slow down his own ascension, even though he also needed to go further.
"I'm sorry, Asok," Millia said quietly, guilt in his eyes. "If I were in your place, you wouldn't have had to suffer like this."
Asok shook his head and patted Millia's shoulder. "Millia, we've talked about this. That monster targeted me on purpose. It wasn't your fault—or anyone's."
Millia hesitated, his voice tinged with confusion. "But… I still don't understand why. I'm a noble monster too. How am I any different from you? Why did he target you instead of me?"
"Yeah… I don't understand it either," Asok admitted, his gaze distant as he recalled the events of the tournament.
"Wait!" Asok suddenly jumped to his feet, his thoughts racing at incredible speed.
"What is it?" Millia asked, startled by the sudden movement and also standing up.
"Didn't that monster use soul magic?" Asok said, his eyes lighting up.
"Uh… yeah?" Millia replied, still confused.
"And we know soul magic leaves behind a trace—a part of the monster's will of magic—that lingers around my soul," Asok said, his excitement growing.
"That means… if I try to bait my soul into advancing grades, wouldn't that create a connection with that monster?" Asok turned to Millia, and Millia's expression shifted as he began thinking along the same lines.
"Soul magic users are extremely rare. In Moltier City, there are only three extraordinary monsters who specialize in soul magic, and even they found nothing. They had to rely on investigation methods to search for that monster," Asok said, a hopeful smile forming.
Millia's eyes widened with realization when Asok continued "So, if we couldn't find him just by knowing he used soul magic, why not use this lingering trace to find him?"
"That means you could literally sense him no matter where he is. This is a genius idea," Millia said, hope sparking in his voice.
"What are we waiting for? Let's try it with my family's Grade Master Arcane Artifact. We can do this!" Asok said enthusiastically. Millia nodded, and the two of them headed to the Monderia family mansion. They went straight to the storage area, ready to attempt their plan.
"Okay, here we go," Asok said, gripping the Grade Master Arcane Artifact. It was a Rank 4 artifact, difficult for him to use, but he held it with determination. With hope in his eyes, he activated the artifact.
Immediately, overwhelming emotions surged through him. If this were an ordinary situation, his core would already be overflowing with magic energy—but this time, something different was happening
"Guh…" Asok spat out water as he collapsed, but Millia quickly caught him and helped him back to his feet.
Moments later, the arcane artifact deactivated, and Asok fell unconscious for a short time before finally regaining his awareness.
"What happened? Did you sense him?" Millia asked, his voice filled with hope.
Asok said nothing at first, breathing heavily from exhaustion. Finally, he whispered, "…Nothing. Literally nothing. I didn't sense anything. It's like staring into an empty void." He could barely finish his sentence, his energy completely drained.
What Asok didn't know was that Sans was in the middle of ascending to Rank 6, a process that completely blocked any traces of his magic or presence from being detected on Asok's soul.
"Damn it… I don't know whether to admire or fear that monster," Millia muttered, frustration in his voice. "It's like he already knew every possible way to avoid being found." His expression grew heavy with resignation, and the last bit of hope faded from his eyes.
Even though the idea ultimately failed, it was still impressive. They possessed very little mastery, relying mostly on basic knowledge of the soul mastery path, yet they managed to come up with and attempt such a bold concept.
"Come on—let's get you to bed," Millia said gently, helping Asok into his room. The two of them sat quietly, gazing out the window at the night sky.
"You know," Millia said softly, "I never thought we could rebuild our friendship. Because I don't even know how we ruined it in the first place."
"Heh… yeah," Asok replied with a faint smile. "All it takes is one crazy, scary monster to fix everything. Isn't that ironic?"
Both of them sat in silence for a moment before bursting into quiet, heartfelt laughter.
As time goes both them go part away
—————————————————————————
Lucky trudged through the snowstorm alongside his expedition team, his face a mixture of worry and suspicion. The icy wind bit at his skin, but the real chill came from the thoughts swirling in his mind.
"Am I imagining things… or is there truly a connection between them?" he muttered to himself, his voice almost lost in the howl of the storm.
For the entire expedition, Lucky had been plagued with this inner conflict. As a noble monster, it was his duty to uncover the one responsible for the tournament incident. All evidence pointed to Sans as the culprit. Yet, deep in his heart, Lucky didn't want to believe it.
Every piece of evidence he examined seemed to confirm Sans's guilt. But whenever he stepped away and cleared his mind, those same clues appeared to tell a different story—one that suggested Sans was innocent. It was as if the truth itself was slipping through his fingers, shifting under his gaze.
This constant cycle of doubt and torment had followed him for ten days straight. Lucky kept it all to himself, unwilling to share his turmoil with anyone. He didn't know how to move forward, trapped between the weight of duty and the voice of his own heart.
Lucky trudged through the snowstorm with his expedition team, his mind consumed by doubt. Sans's words still echoed in his head. They were meant to mislead him—or perhaps to make it seem like Sans had connections to the culprits. At the same time, Sans always framed his statements like a joke. This left Lucky with too many interpretations, pulling him in conflicting directions. The uncertainty tormented him.
It was as if Sans had accidentally trapped Lucky inside an invisible cage. The door stood open, but whenever Lucky tried to leave, he felt drawn back in. Every attempt to escape his suspicions only led him to the same confusion.
"Sans… should I consider you involved in this? Or were you really just joking?" Lucky whispered to himself, deep in thought. He didn't even notice he had drifted away from the group.
"Oh shoot!" He snapped back to awareness and looked around. The snowstorm had swallowed everything. He saw no one.
Panic drove him to sprint toward the team's next stopping point. But as he ran, three Rank 4 wolf beasts leapt into his path.
Tsing.
Tsing.
Tsing.
He unleashed his lightning spell, cutting them down effortlessly. As a Rank 5 monster, Rank 4 beasts were no challenge to him.
Before he could catch his breath, the snow parted to reveal an entire pack of wolf beasts emerging from the storm.
"Seriously?" Lucky muttered, startled by the sheer number.
He quickly decided to rely on his innate talent.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Lucky transformed into a rabbit. Simultaneously, he conjured dense swirls of snow to obscure the beasts' vision. It was a perfect blend of stealth and misdirection—one of the unique advantages of his animal transformation ability.
But there was still a wolf beast that noticed Lucky. It didn't attack or respond because beasts and normal animals exist in separate ecosystems. Each follows its own natural chain—beasts with their own hierarchy, and animals with theirs. They rarely interfere with each other. Even so, animals are extremely rare in the 10th region, making encounters like this unusual.
Lucky finally escaped the wolf beast pack and stumbled back into the snow‑shrouded camp, his fur soaked and his breath ragged in the icy wind. His heart hammered against his ribs, each beat echoing the panic that had gripped him when the white void of the storm swallowed his team. The moment he emerged into the circle of dim lantern‑light, every pair of eyes snapped toward him, a mixture of relief and worry gleaming in them. He forced a smile, though his chest still heaved.
"I… I got lost," he said, voice thin, almost apologetic. The lie tasted bitter on his tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to admit how shaken he truly was. His hands trembled as he brushed the frost from his coat, and the cold that clung to him felt less like winter and more like the weight of his own doubt.
When the group settled down to rest, Lucky sat apart, staring into the snow‑blurred darkness. The wind howled, and with it came the whispers of his own indecision. His chest tightened with the same gnawing uncertainty that had haunted him for ten days: Sans—guilty or innocent? His duty pulled one way, his heart another. Every clue seemed to shift under his scrutiny, twisting into a shape he couldn't hold. His stomach churned with frustration, and he rubbed his temples, as if he could will the thoughts to still.
Beep.
The sharp tone of his communication device made him flinch. His eyes stung from fatigue as he fumbled it open with stiff, cold fingers. A simple question appeared on the screen, stark against the glow of the frost‑dimmed night:
Have you discovered whether Sans is the culprit?
Lucky's throat tightened. He hesitated, staring at the words, feeling the weight of expectation pressing on his shoulders.
"I… don't know," he whispered finally, the words barely audible over the wind. His own voice sounded lonely, fragile. "Your guess might be correct. Sans seems completely unaware… Either he really isn't the culprit, or he has some sort of connection. I'm… I'm not sure."
Even as he said it, his chest ached with the guilt of uncertainty, and the gnawing fear that he was failing in his duty.
He slowly compiled all the notes and fragments he had gathered on Sans—the conversations, the movements, the contradictions—and sent them through the device. When the transmission confirmed, he exhaled, a shudder running through his body.
"Hope you can find something in it, Marvellia," he murmured, voice trembling with both hope and weariness.
Right before sleeping he saw northern weaves
—————————————————————————
…
"Where the hell am I" I was frustrated because after 7 hours I still didn't find where am I just as I was getting annoyed earthquake happened
"What?" I was surprised by such powerful earthquake with curiosity i leaped through air to source of earthquake as I go to source it became stronger and stronger till it suddenly stopped
"Why did it stop?" I was even more curious as I still continues to go to source
The suddenly stampede erupted like a rolling thunderstorm across the frozen expanse. Snow sprayed into the air as the horse beasts thundered toward me, their breath steaming like smoke in the brittle frost. My skeletal frame stood motionless, its black bones glinting faintly under the dim light, an extraordinary monster's vessel honed to near perfection.
I took a single step forward.
The horse beasts charged across the frozen plain, hooves pounding the snow in a steady rhythm. My skeletal body moved calmly through the stampede, every shift precise and minimal. I took short steps, each one angled to slip past the oncoming legs, letting the herd flow naturally around me.
My arms barely moved. A small tilt of the shoulder, a lean in the spine, and the nearest beasts passed without contact. Snow curled around my legs as I walked forward, the motion smooth and quiet. My black bones caught the faint light, flexing as they adjusted to each step. I let my body run on instinct, my extraordinary body guiding itself, a perfect autopilot.
I noticed everything—the frost on their manes, the rhythm of their hooves, the flow of wind between them. My body adapted automatically, shifting with each beat. A beast's breath brushed across my skull; I simply tilted a degree, and it was gone. Another's flank swept close, but my knee turned just enough for the air to pass cleanly between us.
Minute after minute, I dodged without effort. No wasted movement, no hesitation. The stampede was a river, and I was a stone, letting the current part around me. When the last of the herd passed, I stepped onto open snow, unmarked and steady.
"The extraordinary monster body truly is remarkable. After the first few minutes of dodging, it began to move on its own, without my conscious control it is like a reflex. Even more, I can create any reflex I want and change those reflexes at will. My body can act before my mind even has time to process it. Hehe."
I decided to create a set of dodging reflexes. This choice was important because it allowed my body to move on instinct, while my mind could focus on casting spells or magic. With these reflexes, my body could automatically avoid attacks without me thinking about it.
This reflex system gave me a clear advantage. In battle, I could focus my attention on magic while my body handled the defensive movements—twisting, ducking, and stepping aside as needed. It meant I could attack and defend at the same time without splitting my focus.
And this is just one of the many skills my extraordinary monster body possesses. There are countless others I have yet to explore.
"But I need to get used to this body," I murmured to myself. I am still newly ascended to Rank 6, and I am unfamiliar with my transformed body. Ascension up to Rank 5 was like climbing a staircase: each breakthrough was just another step higher along the same path. Every rank from 1 to 5 has five stages, making a total of twenty‑five steps. To progress, a monster must break through a barrier at each fifth stage to reach the next rank.
But Rank 6 is different—this is an entirely new story. Reaching Rank 6 is no longer about simple enhancement; it is about transformation. It is like I reached the top of the staircase and there was no higher step to climb. So, I built my own stairway, rising beyond the height of the old one.
Becoming a Rank 6 monster is stepping onto a path of self‑made evolution, where each movement, reflex, and thought reshapes what I am. My body now acts instinctively, creating and adjusting reflexes on its own, allowing me to focus on magic while my form defends itself. This is the essence of the extraordinary monster body—a new existence entirely.
"Even though I'm only a semi‑Rank 6, I'm already this strong. I can't help but wonder just how powerful I'll be when I become a transcendent Rank 6," I sighed, feeling a faint irritation at the long journey still ahead.
Howl.
Howl.
A pack of wolf beasts emerged from the swirling snow, their eyes fixed on me, ready to attack. But right now I had no desire to fight or waste any time with them. Instead, I released a prepared magic fast, letting its aura flare openly.
Almost instantly, the wolves halted, their bodies trembling under the pressure of presence. One by one, they turned and fled, vanishing into the frost‑covered wilderness without daring to look back.
Before I could finish saying "Well—", I sensed something racing toward me at extreme speed.
"Here we go again," I muttered in annoyance, instantly preparing soul magic. Whatever was coming had to be at least Rank 6, and soul magic was my best choice—it had the highest offensive and lethal potential I could wield. Moreover, because soul magic is true magic, I could prepare it much faster than artificial magic.
In magic, there are two essential aspects: casting and preparation. Mastery of both is required for anyone who wants to use magic effectively.
A white ray of light formed in the palm of my skeletal hand as my black fingers flexed.
"Go."
A small hawk, made entirely of those white rays, burst into existence and streaked toward the incoming threat.
Whoosh.
Bam!
The hawk struck its target, and the impact was devastating. Ice‑trees shattered, exploding into shards.
I exhaled, frustrated. "Hmm… It seems that to unleash the full power of true magic, I need a Grade 2 soul. Unfortunately, that's something I can't obtain. My artificial soul can't be upgraded, and my soul is still in serious trouble."
With a resigned sigh, I began preparing my next attack as the injured enemy recovered and charged toward me again.
"Here it comes," I murmured, bracing myself.
Roar!
From behind the ice‑covered trees, a bear‑like beast appeared. Its aura told me immediately: it was Rank 6, just like me.
Whoosh!
The bear beast swung its massive paw at me. My magic shield shattered like fragile glass under its strike. I ducked swiftly, dodging the blow just in time.
Whoosh
The aftermath of the bear beast's swing created a massive gust of wind that swept outward, forcefully clearing the surrounding snow. The wind carried such strength that I had to avoid it as much as possible.
I pointed my palm at the bear beast's chest, and another hawk of white light flew out. It phased straight through the bear beast, but the effect was immediate—its chest began to rot away. Seizing the moment, I used sharpening technique on my fingers and drove them into the beast's chest in a precise strike.
blish
Black, rotten blood spurted from the wound as I pulled my hand free. I immediately cast soul magic again, this time directing it to my left, sensing that the beast was about to clap me with its paw. A spectral hawk appeared, phasing through the paw and causing it to rot instantly. However, the paw still managed to strike me regardless.
"Gah!" I was thrown away hitting multiple ice trees but moment of hit bear beast's paw get meat past from hitting me painting my clothes with rotten blood and flesh
Roar!
I rose to my feet and saw the bear beast glaring at me with fierce anger. What caught my attention was its chest and paw—they began to regenerate rapidly, displaying the immense nature energy within it. Its vitality was so incredible that the wounds healed completely in just a second.
I extended my skeletal palm toward the bear beast, and a hawk of white light shot forth. But before it could reach its target, the bear beast clapped the hawk with its paw. The moment of impact shattered the hawk, scattering like water splashing against a rock.
"Oh… you're concentrating nature energy on your paw to neutralize the decaying effects of my decayed wings," I muttered with a smirk. "Not bad. Rank 6 beasts gain incredible intelligence, so this makes sense."
With that realization, I ceased using my decayed wings in the same way as before and prepared to employ a different, more strategic approach.
"Come," I commanded.
A hawk of white light burst from my hand. This time, it was much larger than before. Instead of flying toward the bear beast, it perched steadily on my arm.
"My sword is gone… That means I'll have to rely on my own hands and the sharpening technique," I muttered with a sigh. Then, with a burst of speed, I sprinted toward the bear beast. In the blink of an eye, I was behind it.
The bear beast reacted instantly, swinging its paw at me. This time, its paw was enveloped in thick ice.
I smiled.
The moment I had appeared behind it, I had left the hawk behind. Its position was deliberate, and I was already preparing my next move.
Whoosh
The bear beast's paw struck a solid surface, creating an ice wall that surged toward me at incredible speed.
I immediately moved both arms in rapid succession, thrusting at the wall with immense speed.
Brrrrrr
It felt as if I were mining through the ice, standing my ground as I shattered wave after wave of the approaching wall.
Hals!
Just as the bear beast prepared to attack, my hawk swooped in from behind, its claws raking a deep wound into the beast's back. From the wound, streams of green, slimy energy began to spill out. My hawk forcefully dragged this strange substance from the beast's body—it was the beast's nature energy. This happened because soul magic has a unique trait: it can interact with non‑physical things like a creature's internal energy, pulling them out into the open.
Roar!
The bear beast struggled with all its strength, refusing to give in, but my attack couldn't be stopped. As a Rank 6 beast, it had to think carefully. In the end, it made a brutal decision: it cut off the flow of its nature energy around the wound. By doing so, it allowed that part of its body to rot away, preventing the decay from spreading.
The green, slimy energy finally stopped spilling from the bear beast, but the injury had rotted beyond repair.
I burst out from the ice and sprinted toward the beast. My fingers have sharpening technique, slashed swiftly and precisely, each cut aimed to weaken and disable it.
During the fight, the bear beast had to use its nature energy for two things: to cast magic and to heal its injuries. But before it could manage either, my hawk swooped in from behind and struck again, just like before.
Bam
Bum
Tang
My hawk and I were attacking the bear beast together in perfect coordination. We gave it no openings, striking repeatedly from different angles. The bear beast quickly realized this and began fighting more cautiously, using its natural body and instincts to defend itself. Even so, small injuries continued to build up, because it couldn't land a hit on me due to me being simply too fast. That was the critical point: even if it weakened, the bear beast's raw physical strength remained overwhelming, and one mistake could be fatal.
Roar
The bear beast slammed its paw into the ground, causing a small earthquake. I lost my balance and was struck hard by the beast.
"Agh!" I cried out as I was hurled through the air, flying like a thrown rock.
"Damn it," I muttered, realizing that the bear beast was using this attack to retreat. I quickly deactivated my soul magic, and the glowing light in my palm faded away.
Moments later, I crashed heavily to the ground, unable to do anything as I hit the earth.
Bam
Bam
Bam
I rolled several times, each tumble sending small tremors through the ground—almost like creating tiny earthquakes. Finally, I stopped rolling and pushed myself up, a long sigh escaping my mouth.
"That was certainly a unique experience. I've never been thrown like that before," I muttered, stretching my sore body. My clothes were shredded from the impact, so I changed into my clown‑like suit.
"Okay… what should I do now?" I said aloud, feeling completely lost after being hurled so far from my previous position.
Suddenly, an overwhelming aura engulfed my surroundings, a suffocating wave of terror that froze me in place. My mind went blank, and my body refused to respond.
"This… this is the aura of a Rank 15 being! What is happening?" I thought in shock, mind pounding wildly.
The ground trembled violently beneath me, shaking as if the entire continent might crack apart. The force was so immense that I could barely breathe, a primal fear gripping every part of me.
And then just as abruptly as it had come the aura vanished. The earth stilled, the quakes fading into the distant silence of the frost. I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air, my whole body trembling as I struggled to calm down, my mind slowly returning from the brink of panic.
"How… how can there be a Rank 15 beast here?… An apex owl beast, no less!" I whispered in disbelief. At that moment, I didn't know whether to feel thrilled that I'd finally reached the place I'd been seeking, or to be terrified—because I was completely unprepared for this encounter.
The night sky trembled as it began to glow, brighter and brighter, until cracks appeared like splintering glass. From these cracks, strange, insubstantial shapes rained down. They turned black the moment they touched the ground, spreading like cast shadows that swallowed everything they touched.
"Oh no." I spun around, summoning multiple maneuver‑type arcane artifacts. I tried to use them the way I had back in the Third City, when I escaped from Imertia Tomura—but this time, they felt heavily restricted, sluggish under some unseen force.
"What…? Nature force and nature law are suppressed to this extent here?" I muttered, startled. Realizing the artifacts wouldn't work, I abandoned them and switched to shadow magic. My body melted into shadow and my movements became fluid, seamless. In that form, I crossed five mountains in just thirty seconds and finally saw the edge of the frost zone.
"Thankfully, I've reached the nearest border," I exclaimed in relief. I dashed toward it, ready to escape—only to slam into an invisible barrier. A translucent wall shimmered into visibility, blocking my way.
"What…?" I froze. Then, from my shadow dimension, a shard suddenly drifted out. The moment it left me, my body passed through the barrier without resistance.
"What?" My confusion deepened. I re‑entered the barrier and tried to carry the shard out—but this time, the barrier stopped it cold. Only then did I understand: I would have to leave the shard behind.
"Then… how can I hide it safely?" I muttered, thinking fast. An idea struck.
"Leaving my shadow dimension in the frost zone is the best choice. Once I'm fully prepared, I'll return for it. My shadow dimension is perfect for hiding it." With that used shadow magic to travel other mountains searching for cave.
Soon I found a cave shrouded in darkness then I sealed its entrance, plunging it into complete blackness. My shadow merged with the natural darkness of the cave, and I left half of my shadow dimension there with shard in them. Unless a shadow magic user came close, no one would ever access it or even sense it. To an ordinary monster, it would appear as nothing more than a normal cave.
Satisfied, I turned and left the frost zone. I wasn't foolish enough to risk my life blindly for a shard.
"To think there would be a time when I need to step back in order to move forward," I sighed as I headed for the nearest city. Now that I finally knew where I was, I also knew where I needed to go next.