Elian held the Primordial Summoning Core up to the bruising light of the three moons. It was warm, pulsing with an erratic, thrumming beat that felt like a trapped heart. His knowledge of the Realm's items was still mostly theoretical—school had focused on Star Ranks and history, not the high-tier drops of the Deep Wilds. All he knew was that cores were superior to scrolls, capable of anchoring a soul to the world permanently.
"Too dangerous to keep out," he muttered, his voice still trembling. He tucked the orb deep into his Void Storage, the silver light of his soul swallowing the violet glow.
He turned then to the two patches of shimmering dust where his warriors had fallen. The air there felt colder, thin and empty. Elian walked over and stood over the remains, a heavy, sinking feeling in his gut.
I didn't even learn their names, he realized, a bitter scowl twisting his face.
In his daydreams back in the classroom, he had seen followers as numbers—stats to be managed, a vanguard to protect the 'Main Character.' But seeing the way they had fought, the way they had looked at him before being buried under a tide of claws just to buy him a few more seconds... it changed something. They weren't just mana-constructs. They were loyal spirits who had given everything for a Lord they had known for less than a day.
"I won't let you be just objects anymore," Elian vowed quietly to the wind. "Next time, I'll know who you are. We'll be a team, not just a master and his tools."
The memory of the struggle flashed through his mind—the bone-crushing weight of the Beast Lord, the terrifying speed of the Hounds, and his own pathetic gasping for air. He was a 13-Star soul in a 0-Star body, and today had almost proven fatal. He was lucky to be alive.
He knelt by the dust of the fallen. Extraction, he thought, hesitant. He didn't want to desecrate them, but he couldn't let their essence go to waste in the Wilds.
[Universal Extraction: Friendly Soul Remnants]
[Gained: 10 Summoning Fragments]
[Gained: 10 Summoning Fragments]
He blinked. Fragments weren't a full scroll, but they were the "DNA" of the summoning system. With enough of these, he could eventually revive his fallen companions or strengthen new ones. He tucked them away with a somber nod.
As he finished the final extraction, a pulse of energy from the Beast Lord's hoard triggered a response in his Void. A set of light, articulated plates appeared in his hands—the Shadow-Stalker's Embrace. It was a high-tier armor set crafted from the bone and hide he had just harvested. As he donned the chest piece and bracers, he felt a sudden lightness. His agility didn't just feel higher; it felt as if the wind itself was pushing him forward.
But as he looked down at his silver-sleeved arm to check the fit, his breath hitched.
Beneath the swirling fractals of his current Sigil, a faint, ghost-like outline of a new pattern was beginning to manifest near his collarbone. It was dim, barely a whisper of light, but the Soul-HUD flickered with a cryptic notification.
[Condition Met: Path of the Multi-Soul]
[New Trait Slot: Manifesting (0.1%)]
Elian stood frozen. A new trait? He already had three—the triple-trait status that made him a myth. If he could grow more traits as he increased his Star Rank, his potential wasn't just high; it was infinite.
The hollow ache in his chest from the loss of his warriors was replaced by a sudden, fierce spark of hope. He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was evolving.
He turned and began the long trek back toward his territory, his new armor making the climb feel effortless. He looked toward the shimmering dome of his protection barrier in the distance, ready to see his medical facility and plan his next move.