Gabriel's attention then shifted to the random box in his left hand.
He fell silent for quite a while.
This reward came from completing the Secret Mission Lord of the Mist Dragon, and his mind drifted back to a previous experience—when a Random Box had unexpectedly led him to Morgan.
Because of that, deep down, he quietly hoped this result would have something to do with Sith.
Even if it wasn't a Clash Card, that was fine. Even if what appeared turned out to be useless, as long as it could become a catalyst connected to Sith, he would accept it without complaint.
The thought made him chuckle softly.
"Even if it's trash," he murmured, "it'll still be high-quality trash, considering the contents of this box are bound to be silver-rank equipment or items."
Without further delay, Gabriel opened the box with a bit of focus.
In an instant, the box dissolved into a streak of light. As the glow dimmed, a sphere of white light floated quietly before him, as if awaiting acknowledgment.
The orb slowly descended and landed on his palm. The radiance faded, revealing its true form.
________________
Hōgyoku
Rank: Silver
Type: Accessory
Description:
Capable of absorbing the deepest desires in its surroundings and rewriting its owner so they may attain them. The Hōgyoku is not a granter of miracles, but a guiding force that only opens paths for those who possess the potential to step beyond their limits.
Price: 350,000 System Points.
________________
At that very instant, Gabriel's eyes widened.
A small sphere, blue with a faint violet hue. No larger than a marble—yet from within it shimmered a dim glow that felt alive, pulsing as though it possessed a will of its own.
He recognized it.
Not merely recognized—but remembered it on the level of existence itself.
The Hōgyoku.
Gabriel's fingers closed tightly around it. His head lowered, shoulders trembling faintly, while the corner of his lips slowly curled upward—far too wide to be called an ordinary smile.
"Hah… hahaha… haha…"
His laughter slipped out in a low, hoarse murmur, brimming with barely restrained satisfaction.
"As it should be," he muttered under his breath, as if addressing the world itself, "this thing has returned to the hands of the pale mist."
He lifted his head.
The laughter broke fully, echoing without restraint, filled with claims, conviction, and madness that somehow suited him.
"AHAHAHAHA…!!!"
As if fate itself, in the end, chose to submit.
While that laughter still resonated, the air around Gabriel's shoulders rippled gently.
From that ripple, Morgan emerged from her astral form. Her small body took a perfect shape, then she sat casually on Gabriel's shoulder with her legs crossed, as if that place had always been her throne.
She glanced slightly, meeting Gabriel's face still flushed with excessive laughter.
"…You're laughing too much," Morgan said flatly. "What has made you this happy?"
Her gaze then shifted to Gabriel's right hand.
To the small blue-purple orb that still emitted a faint glow.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"That thing…" she continued softly. "It feels strange. Not entirely magic, not entirely concept. But… similar."
She squinted, analyzing.
"…Similar to the Holy Grail."
Gabriel's laughter stopped.
As if a switch had been flipped off, the sound vanished instantly. He raised the Hōgyoku between two fingers, slowly turning it before his eyes, still staring at it without blinking.
"No wonder you feel that way," Gabriel replied calmly. "Its function is similar."
He rotated his wrist slightly, and the Hōgyoku's light pulsed faintly.
"The Holy Grail grants wishes by forcing the world to adjust itself. It borrows energy, contracts, and sacrifices."
Gabriel smiled faintly—a smile far more dangerous than his earlier laughter.
"The Hōgyoku is different. It doesn't grant wishes."
Morgan turned toward him, more serious now.
"It reads the deepest desire," Gabriel continued, his voice low. "Then rewrites its owner so they become worthy of achieving it. Their soul, their existence, even the limits of what they are."
He slowly curled his fingers into a fist.
"Not a tool for prayer," he said quietly. "But a mirror of will."
Gabriel lowered his hand slightly.
"And that," he said, "is why this thing never chooses just anyone."
He glanced at Morgan from beneath his bangs.
"The Grail chooses heroes," he said. His lips curved faintly.
"The Hōgyoku…"
"…chooses monsters."
Gabriel looked again at the Hōgyoku between his fingers, the blue-violet light pulsing in rhythm with his breathing.
"…There's one more thing," he said quietly.
He turned the small sphere slightly, as if weighing an invisible burden.
"The reason you sense its similarity to the Holy Grail isn't just because of its function," Gabriel continued. "It's also because of the material used to create it."
Morgan fell silent.
Gabriel gave a faint smile—calmer now, yet far colder.
"The Hōgyoku wasn't forged from metal, crystal, or divine artifacts," he said. "It was born from hundreds of souls."
The Hōgyoku's light trembled softly.
"Souls that were broken, souls that despaired, souls that held powerful wishes that were never fulfilled," he went on. "All of them were melted down, fused together, then compressed into a single core."
He tapped the surface of the Hōgyoku gently with his finger.
"Not symbolic sacrifice," Gabriel said. "But the destruction of existence. True to the meaning of its name: The Crumbling Orb."
Morgan stared at the object longer than before.
"That's why," Gabriel said, his voice almost a whisper, "it can understand desire. It's made from desire."
He let out a slow breath.
"The Holy Grail sacrifices souls to move miracles," he said. "The Hōgyoku is a miracle made of souls themselves."
Gabriel closed his fingers around it again, firm.
"And now," he said calmly, "it's in my hand."
Morgan finally broke the silence.
"…Then," she asked quietly, "are you going to use it?"
Gabriel didn't answer right away.
He simply raised the Hōgyoku to eye level, letting the blue-violet light reflect beneath his bangs.
The small sphere pulsed softly, as if responding to his gaze.
Silence.
No rejection.
No acceptance.
Only a stare..
Morgan watched Gabriel's face from his shoulder, and for some reason, her chest felt a little heavy. From that gaze—calm, focused, almost filled with curiosity—she caught something far too familiar.
Not doubt.
Not fear.
But pure interest.
As if the Hōgyoku were not a dangerous artifact, not a vessel of hundreds of souls, but merely a new toy—something fascinating to take apart, test, and use however he pleased.
Gabriel rolled the Hōgyoku between his fingers once more. His smile was faint, subtle, and hard to read.
Without turning his head, he spoke quietly.
"…That's a strange question."
His tone was light.
Morgan let out a small breath, her eyes returning to the object.
Deep down, she already knew the answer—
when the time came, Gabriel would not hesitate in the slightest to use that power, in his own way.
***
Infinity Tower, Floor 1.
Some time had passed since Gabriel obtained the Hōgyoku.
Now, he stood within Infinity, undergoing the First Floor Trial—an opening stage in completing his Ascension Missions.
This time, he had come alone.
Morgan did not accompany him.
After requesting a portion of Slime Weapon Dark Matter from Gabriel, Morgan had urgent matters she could not leave unattended.
The consequence was obvious: Gabriel could not use a single spell stored in his Grimoire.
Yet that did not bother him in the slightest.
Without the Grimoire, he instead saw this as the perfect opportunity. A stage to test something new—the power of the Hōgyoku now resting in his grasp.
Even so, Gabriel understood one thing clearly: with the difference in level and the limits of his current existence, it was impossible for him to draw out the artifact's full potential.
At least a fragment of its power would be enough.
Gabriel currently stood upon an alien landscape, as if he were standing above Earth's atmosphere.
Beneath his feet was neither soil nor stone, but the pale-white wood of a colossal tree—ancient, solid, and disturbingly alive.
Not far ahead stood a figure in a blue coat. His white hair was slicked neatly back. In his hand rested a drawn katana, its blade reflecting a cold glint of light.
Gabriel recognized him instantly.
Vergil — the son of Sparda.
And this place… was the summit of the Qliphoth Tree.
At the same time, directly before his vision, a system notification appeared, displaying the Trial Mission required to proceed to the next floor.
_______________
Infinity Tower – Floor 1 Trial
Trial Details: Kill one enemy with Authority Level 5 in under one hour. If the enemy remains alive after one hour, the trial is considered a failure.
Notes: The enemy to be killed possesses total attributes equal to yours.
If you die during this trial, your death will be permanent and you cannot be revived, regardless of any special abilities.
_______________
Gabriel exhaled softly, the corners of his lips curling into a faint smile.
"Interesting," he murmured quietly. "So the first opponent is Vergil, huh?"
Pale-white Slime Weapon oozed from beneath the sleeve of Gabriel's shirt, flowing like living liquid.
Slowly, it solidified and stretched, forming a shovel with a clean blade and a simple handle.
Without hesitation, Gabriel lifted it and pointed it straight ahead.
At Vergil.
"Alright," Gabriel said calmly, his voice almost swallowed by the high-altitude wind. "Let's begin."
___
Author's note:
Sorry everyone.
There were some translation errors earlier.
Since Gabriel already possesses the Hogyoku, I might include a Morgan scene later on.
Oh my loyal readers, where are you 🤣
Why has the percentage decreased 🤣