The echo of their footsteps resonated inside the ancient corridor.
Kim in the lead.
Leon behind him.
Iris to the side.
As for the air...
It was so saturated with ancient mana that the walls themselves glowed with a faint blue light.
The deeper they ventured...
The more the wall inscriptions multiplied.
But something was strange.
Every single inscription spoke of one thing.
Not a king.
Not a wizard.
Not an empire.
But...
A sword.
A sword whose depiction was repeated thousands of times.
Iris whispered:
> "What could be so important about a single sword that they would build an entire city around it?"
>
But Kim didn't answer.
Because he had noticed something.
In all the drawings...
The sword remained the same.
But its wielder changed.
A king.
A warrior.
A beast.
An angel.
As for the sword...
It remained unaltered.
And suddenly...
They reached the end of the corridor.
BOOM!
A colossal space opened up before them.
A chamber as massive as a small city.
And at its center...
A shattered throne.
And behind the throne...
A black rift.
Not a drawing.
Not an inscription.
A real rift in space.
As if it were an open wound inside the world itself.
Everyone froze.
Even Leon.
Because merely looking at the rift...
Made them feel that reality itself was unstable.
Then...
The sword appeared.
It was embedded in midair.
Not in the ground.
Nor in stone.
But within the rift itself.
A pitch-black blade.
Its edge gleaming silver.
As for its hilt...
It was covered in symbols belonging to no known language.
Suddenly...
A voice echoed through the hall.
> "The heir..."
>
The walls trembled.
> "At last..."
>
Iris's eyes widened.
As for Leon...
He instantly dropped into a combat stance.
But only Kim...
Raised his head.
Because the voice was not directed at them.
It was directed at him.
He took a step forward.
Then another.
Until he stood right before the sword.
And the moment he touched the hilt...
The world exploded.
He found himself inside an endless black space.
No stars.
No time.
Nothing.
Only an ancient voice.
A voice so old that universes might not have existed when it was born.
> "I am..."
>
> "The Void Ripper."
>
> "The blade that tore the boundaries of realms."
>
Colossal rifts manifested around Kim.
Rifts connecting thousands of worlds together.
> "Throughout my history..."
>
> "I have severed kingdoms."
>
> "I have severed gods."
>
> "I have severed reality itself."
>
The space trembled.
Then, a giant black door appeared before Kim.
> "But my power has been sealed."
>
> "And I shall only unlock it for the one who can bear it."
>
Suddenly...
An ocean of information rushed into Kim's mind.
**True Name:**
Void Ripper
**First Ability (Unlocked):**
*Rift Strike*
A single swing of the sword can open a spatial rift. The wielder can pass through it to travel short distances.
**Second Ability (Sealed):**
*The Infinite Corridor*
Opening portals between worlds and dimensions.
**Third Ability (Sealed):**
*Absolute Severance*
A blade capable of cutting through any matter, energy, or barrier.
**Fourth Ability (Heavily Sealed):**
*Eternal Void*
Creating a black hole that leads to a void domain exclusive to the sword's master. A world where no laws exist except the laws of its owner.
Silence reigned.
Then, Kim was snapped back to the hall.
Iris and Leon were staring at him in absolute shock.
As for the sword...
It had vanished.
And the giant rift had vanished along with it.
Then, a small black mark materialized on Kim's right hand.
The Seal.
Kim let out a faint smile.
Because he understood something.
The sword wasn't just a weapon.
It was a key.
Another piece on a chessboard far grander than he had imagined.
At that exact moment...
In an unknown location within the black sea of nothingness...
A colossal eye snapped open slowly.
Then, a terrifying voice emanated from it.
> "It has awakened..."
>
And in the darkness...
Ancient entities began opening their eyes, one after another.
> *"Some treasures do not merely grant power...
>
They announce to the universe that their master has arrived."*