The moment Lucas stepped into the Heart's light, the world disappeared.
Heat swallowed him whole — not burning, but endless. It wasn't the kind of warmth that touched skin; it sank deeper, threading through muscle and bone until even thought felt molten. His bracer screamed with light, the runes across its surface cascading into unreadable shapes.
[Warning: Energy Overload Detected]
[System Sync In Progress…]
[Link Source: Primary Vein Core]
Lucas tried to step back, but his feet wouldn't obey. The air around him had thickened, viscous and alive. The gold glow folded inward, tendrils of light weaving around his limbs, spiraling up like ribbons of liquid fire.
He gasped — and the light gasped with him.
For an instant, he wasn't standing in a cavern. He was inside something vast — an ocean of pure current, alive with motion. Veins of gold stretched infinitely in all directions, pulsing with rhythm and memory. He saw faces again — the same from before, but now moving, breathing, part of the flow. Every heartbeat sent waves of their light washing over him, carrying whispers he couldn't quite make out.
You carry what was lost… you are the bridge.
His pulse matched the light. He raised a trembling hand — and the Heart pulsed brighter in answer. The flow didn't just touch him now; it poured into him.
A rush of power exploded through his chest, and he screamed as the bracer's runes flared, sinking into his skin.
[System Integration: 48%]
[Vein Channel Synchronization Initiated]
[Warning: Structural Overload Imminent]
It hurt.
Every nerve in his body burned, every muscle locking under invisible pressure. The veins beneath his skin glowed violently — threads of light mapping themselves through him, carving their way up his arms, his throat, his temples.
"Stop—stop—!" he choked, but the light didn't stop.
The floor beneath him cracked open, spilling lines of molten energy outward like spiderwebs. The entire chamber trembled, the hum of the veins rising into a low, melodic roar. His body was no longer resisting it — it was resonating.
He fell to one knee, clutching his chest. The pain was unbearable… but beneath it, he could feel something else. A rhythm. A heartbeat that wasn't his — joining his, syncing perfectly.
You will not break. You will become.
His vision blurred with gold. The world around him fragmented into data and light.
[System Override Accepted]
[Vein Compatibility: 100%]
[Warning: Energy Output Exceeds Tolerance Limit]
[Redirecting Flow to Core Channels]
His instincts screamed that he should stop — that this was how people died in the mines, burned out from over-channeling — but the flow didn't care about instinct. It knew him. Every moment of pain was matched by a pulse of calm, every flare of heat answered by cool, quiet stillness.
He collapsed forward, hands slamming into the glowing floor.
Golden light rushed up through his palms — not into his bracer, but into him.
His Vein Channeling ignited.
The veins of his forearms flared with brilliant light, tracing his muscles in golden patterns. The power inside him surged like liquid sunlight, every beat of his heart pumping more of it through his body.
Then — silence.
The chamber stopped trembling. The light dimmed to a steady, living glow.
Lucas hung there, gasping, half-conscious, his body steaming from the heat. Slowly, he pushed himself upright.
The pain was gone.
Every trace of the burns, the strain — gone. His skin was smooth again, his breathing steady. His bracer now looked different — its bands were thinner, fused directly with his wrist, the runes pulsing like veins of their own.
[System Integration: Complete]
[Internal Vein Generation: Active]
[Energy Source: Self-Sustaining]
Lucas stared at the message until it faded, replaced by a faint, rhythmic glow beneath his skin. His veins weren't blue anymore — they shimmered faint gold, pulsing softly in time with the Heart still beating behind him.
He whispered, "I… generate it now. Don't I?"
His voice echoed quietly, as if the mountain itself were listening.
The flow is mended… for now.
The Heart's voice wasn't just sound anymore. It reverberated through every cell in his body, deeper and clearer than ever before.
You are bound to the current. The pain you bear is its echo… the life you hold, its gift.
Lucas swallowed hard, glancing down at his glowing hands. "You call this a gift? That almost killed me."
All menders bleed. Only some remember how to heal.
He laughed weakly. "You've got a real talent for ominous metaphors, you know that?"
The Heart pulsed once — a soft, approving hum.
Around the cavern, the veins brightened again — steadier this time, their wild flickering finally calm. The Holdfast was stabilizing.
He took one last look at the massive crystalline core. The cracks had faded, replaced by faint golden filigree — scars, but peaceful ones.
The voice spoke one final time, fainter now, like a fading echo:
The mountain breathes again… because you do.
Lucas stood there, bathed in the golden light, feeling the pulse of the Heart resonate within his chest. For the first time since arriving in Spheria, the System felt quiet — not like a machine, but like part of him.
He whispered to himself, "Guess that makes two of us who got patched up."
His reflection flickered faintly in the Heart's surface — golden eyes staring back at him.
He blinked, startled, but when he looked again, his eyes were normal.
Mostly.
A single faint line of light still glowed across his pupils before fading.
He took a shaky breath, adjusted his mask, and turned toward the exit. The veins along the walls lit up softly, illuminating the way out.
"Alright," he murmured, voice steadier now. "If I'm the bridge, then let's see where this road goes."
The Heart pulsed one last time behind him — a single, deep beat that echoed through stone.
Then silence.
Then chimes and blue screens erupted catching Lucas off guard. After regaining control he looked at the screens one by one.
New Ability
Internal Vein Generation – Passive
Your body has fused with the Heart of the Holdfast.
You no longer rely on conventional mana reserves. Instead, you generate and circulate pure vein energy — a denser, living form of power once considered lethal to channel.
Regenerates continuously from your core.
Cannot suffer permanent vein damage or burnout.
Acts as your sole energy source for skills, healing, and channeling.
Warning: Overuse may cause temporary exhaustion but no lasting harm.
Skill Upgrade: Vein Channeling – Lv. 3
Ability, Internal Vein Generation has changed this skill.
New description.
Directly channels and shapes vein energy through physical or magical conduits.
You are now immune to its corrosive backlash and have refined control over its flow.
Infuse weapons, tools, or armor to amplify strength, speed, or durability.
Prolonged channeling no longer burns tissue or scars the user.
Compatible with all offensive and defensive skills.
[Unlocked Effect] Perfect Resonance: Channeling synchronizes automatically with ambient veins, doubling efficiency in vein-rich zones.
Skill Upgrade: Vein Sense – Lv. 3
Ability, Internal Vein Generation has changed this skill.
New description.
Perceive the presence and movement of vein energy within living and non-living matter.
Range and sensitivity have increased dramatically post-fusion.
Detect fluctuations, corruption, or instability in veinlines.
Sense the "pulse" of nearby entities using vein energy.
Can distinguish between artificial, natural, and corrupted flows.
[Unlocked Passive — Harmonic Field]: Your presence stabilizes nearby vein disturbances, calming minor anomalies automatically.
Skill Evolved: Skill: Sacrificial Aid evolved to Sacrificial Flow – Lv. 2
Ability, Internal Vein Generation has changed this skill.
New description.
The gift once fueled by pain now flows through harmony.
You no longer sacrifice health to heal — you convert your internal vein energy into restorative current.
Consumes vein output instead of HP.
Healing intensity scales with duration and proximity to active veins.
Purifies minor corruption and stabilizes vein flow around the target.
Safe from burnout; only temporary exhaustion possible.
Visual cue: golden threads weave from your hands, stitching light into wounds before dissolving.
New Trait - Unique
Trait: Vein-Forged
The fusion with the Heart permanently reshaped your physiology.
Your body now emits a faint golden glow and radiates a stabilizing aura that harmonizes nearby vein currents.
The energy surrounding you instinctively reaches out, resonating with others.
Effect:
Allies within a short radius temporarily attune to your vein frequency, gaining a small portion of your effective Vein Channeling power.
The effect scales slightly with your current Vein Channeling level and fades when line-of-sight or focus is broken.