Night had fallen over the Drunken Boar Inn.
Inside the stable, beneath the scent of fresh hay, two small singularities shimmered in Soren's hands.
One was translucent purple, with tiny green points emerging from the center of a miniature galaxy swirling within it.
"This one… Audrey said it was interesting," Soren said with a faint smile.
Grim tilted his head, intrigued.
The other was white.
It shone far more intensely—almost like a level-three singularity—and the galaxy inside pulsed slowly, like a heart made of light.
Lying on the hay, Soren lazily kicked his legs in the air, like a child lost in thought.
"This one… this one caught my attention the moment I got it from Audrey."
Grim watched from the side, his tail swaying in rhythm with Soren's feet.
Soren took a deep breath and looked at the purple singularity again—this time with the clear intention of consuming it.
Immediately, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
Singularity — Level 2
Type: Ability
Subtype: Hunter
Name: Weaver King's Mark
Assimilation Requirement: Optional
The user must choose one of the following sacrifices:
• The user will experience paralyzing pain for 12 hours
• The user will lose their sense of sight for a full day
Blessing: None
Curse: None
Secret:
If the user is very close to the target, this singularity allows them to perceive the target's emotions
Description:
When activated, this singularity manifests as a tattoo on the user's chest in the shape of an eight-legged black spider.
By touching a target, the user can mark them and track them, always knowing the exact distance between them.
Range: 4.5 kilometers
The mark placed on the target is translucent and lasts 24 hours
Assimilate?
Soren lowered his head slightly, thinking.
"Wow…" he muttered. "This isn't useful for direct combat, but… it's extremely valuable for negotiation and tracking."
His hand trembled slightly.
The requirements seemed reasonable—but he remembered far too well what it had felt like before.
When he assimilated the level-one Hot Potato Nest, the sharp pain that lasted ten minutes had been… far from pleasant.
Now, the price was completely different.
Twelve hours of paralyzing pain.
Or losing his sight for an entire day.
Losing something as valuable as his vision, in his current situation, was not an option.
He needed resources.
He needed stability.
And most importantly, he needed to be able to safely take shelter in a place like this inn.
Soren exhaled slowly.
There was something else he had realized.
Singularities didn't just have types… they also had subtypes.
In this case, it was an Ability-type, but its subtype was Hunter.
Which made sense—it was a skill focused on tracking, both physical and emotional.
Grim also seemed thoughtful, trying to imitate Soren's serious expression with a tiny, exaggerated frown.
Soren glanced at him.
"Relax. Let's check the second one."
Soren picked up the pulsing white sphere.
He observed it carefully, with the clear intention of consuming it.
Immediately, the cold mechanical voice returned.
Singularity — Level 2
Type: Dream
Name: Memory Chamber
Assimilation Requirement: Unique
To assimilate this singularity, the user must sacrifice 25 level-one singularities
Blessing:
This singularity can return a cherished memory to you
Curse: None
Secret: None
Description:
This singularity creates a mental space that the user can access while sleeping. Inside that space, the user remains conscious and can train in a safe environment.
While the body rests in the real world, the mind can train within the mental space.
Upon waking, the user will feel no fatigue, as if they had slept peacefully through the entire night
Assimilate?
Soren stared at it, lost in thought.
He was gripping it tightly without realizing.
Training during the night…
It was an incredible ability.
So far, it was the strangest and most fascinating singularity he had seen.
It could help him grow stronger much faster.
But the cost…
That was insane.
Sacrificing twenty-five level-one singularities was, at this moment, completely impossible for him.
Soren's eyes lit up faintly.
But…
It was worth it.
His chest tightened slightly, leaving behind a hollow sensation.
To remember something that was no longer there.
A forgotten memory.
Soren didn't know what he had lost when he assimilated Grim.
But he knew it was something important.
Something far too precious to have been forgotten.
He tightened his grip on the sphere and looked at Grim.
Then he brought the singularity closer to the kanima.
"This is our greatest treasure. And no matter what… we cannot lose it."
"Keep it."
Grim opened his mouth.
His translucent purple teeth gleamed softly—and in an instant, the level-two white singularity disappeared inside him.
"From now on," Soren continued, "this is our goal."
"To gather twenty-five level-one singularities… and assimilate this one."
He looked at his hands.
"Right now, I have two level-one singularities from the Blade Spine Rat—but I already have plans for them."
"After using them… collecting twenty-five more will be our top priority."
This time, Grim didn't just feel.
He spoke.
His voice was soft and warm, carrying a simple and sincere emotion.
"Yes… if that's our goal… we'll achieve it."
Soren smiled faintly and patted his head.
Now, with renewed focus and a faint fire burning in his eyes, he said:
"What comes next, my friend… won't be pretty."
He let those thoughts settle.
Then he picked up the purple singularity again.
He held it in front of him.
"Assimilate."
For a second, nothing happened.
Then the purple singularity dissolved in his hand like liquid ink.
A black line appeared on his palm.
The line moved.
Like a vein.
Soren frowned.
"Hm…?"
The line suddenly spread.
Black veins twisted beneath his skin, emerging from his hand and slowly climbing up his arm. They moved like dark roots searching for something inside his body.
The pain came a moment later.
Soren clenched his teeth.
It wasn't sharp.
It was pressure.
A deep, suffocating pressure spreading through his muscles and nerves, as if something was carving a mark into his body.
The black veins continued.
Up his forearm.
Then his upper arm.
Until they reached his chest.
Soren let out a low groan as he collapsed onto the hay.
"Gh…"
Grim immediately moved closer, his tail flicking with concern.
The black veins gathered on the left side of Soren's chest.
Then they all sank inward.
Directly into his heart.
The pain exploded for a brief instant.
Soren clenched his fists, his body going rigid.
He didn't scream.
But he came close.
His breathing grew heavy as the pain continued to rise.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
The pain didn't disappear.
It changed.
Over time, it stopped being a constant explosion and became something worse—a persistent pressure spreading through his entire body, as if every nerve was being slowly stretched.
Hours passed.
At times, the pain intensified, forcing him to curl into himself on the hay.
At others, it simply remained—embedded in his chest like an unbearable weight.
Soren lost track of time.
The stable was silent.
The chickens slept.
The horse snorted a few times during the night.
Grim stayed close, never leaving his side.
After what felt like hours, Soren's body began to adapt.
The pain was still there.
But it no longer shook him like before.
Now it was like carrying a massive stone inside his chest.
His breathing slowed.
Heavy.
His muscles no longer responded with the same strength.
Exhaustion began to take over.
Soren tried to stay conscious.
He knew something was happening inside his body.
But his eyes were starting to close.
"Twelve hours…" he murmured weakly.
His mind was already sinking into darkness.
Finally, his body gave in.
Soren collapsed onto the hay, unconscious.
Grim immediately moved closer, settling beside him.
The night continued slowly inside the stable.
And beneath Soren's shirt, over his chest…
a black mark began to form.
An eight-legged spider.
The mark pulsed once.
Then again.
As if it were alive.
Grim lifted his head.
Something inside Soren's chest…
was moving.
Outside, the sky slowly began to brighten.
Morning wouldn't take long to arrive.