Zekaa was a world dominated by three massive powers, each bearing the title of an "Empire," though the comparison ended there. The Templar Empire was the leviathan, its territory spanning the Northern, Southern, Central, and Eastern Continents.
The Blackstone and Heartpierce Empires clung to the Western Continent, their existence carved out through decades of bloody, joint resistance and sheer, stubborn luck.
On his system panel, Neo studied the map the system had reconstructed from the scanned texts—a crisp, mental projection highlighting borders and treacherous geography.
He appreciated the system's efficiency more with each passing moment; it distilled centuries of political maneuvering and war into clear, actionable insights, stripping away the fluff of courtly chronicles.
The map revealed the Western Continent's greatest defense: the Abyssal Sea. This vast, monstrous stretch of water, which even Lord-ranked Ascendants crossed with extreme caution, made large-scale invasion a total nightmare. Yet, as the texts clarified, even this natural fortification wasn't enough. To survive, the Western empires had to remain in perpetual alliance, constantly making concessions to the Templar empire to maintain their fragile sovereignty.
The sheer, overwhelming scale of what he was up against made Neo suck in a cold breath. Richard's grim warning—"We would be handed over without a second thought"—now carried the weight of geography and imperial history. The reality of this world, vast and ruthless, settled onto his shoulders like a physical cloak.
Shifting his focus, he turned to the system's summary on cultivation. One concept was the unshakeable foundation of everything: "Relics".
That word had been thrown at him since he arrived. The Temple ascendants had called Curtis a God Rank Relic bearer. He possessed three relics himself. Richard had one. It seemed popular; he needed to understand its fundamental nature.
The texts pointed to relics as the source of all ascendant power. They were objects, or even fragments of history, bonded to a soul within a personal 'soul domain'. Only those who possessed a relic could become 'Ascendants'.
'Interesting', he mused, a faint smirk touching his lips. 'Ascendants.'
Standing up, he ignored the lingering, curious glances from other readers
With the system's summaries neatly filed in his consciousness, Neo strolled back toward his room, already planning his next move.
Stepping into his room, Neo paused and looked around, thinking about all he had been through since arriving in this world.
"Zekaa, is it?" A smirk touched his lips as he walked toward the mirror, finally getting a good look at himself.
He had incredibly dark hair, pale white skin, and a thin build—he looked no older than fourteen. Neo's smile lingered as he pulled off his shirt, revealing the intricate tattoos covering his entire right arm.
Unreadable symbols traced from his index finger all the way up to his chest, where just above his heart sat the image of a cube.
Only Neo knew it wasn't just any cube. It was Pandora's Forge.
"Nineteen years old in the body of a fourteen-year-old," he muttered. "Not much of an advantage." At least most transmigrators were a lot older in their previous world, and unlike what you would think, it still felt like yesterday, being 14.
With a quiet exhale, he turned away from the mirror. "Better rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Then he lay down and let sleep take him, deciding not to think about anything else.
____________
The next morning came quickly. Neo sat cross-legged in the large, quiet room, with Richard as his only companion. The master began to explain the Ranks of an Ascendant, his voice measured and clear.
"Currently, you are between being awakened and mortal," Richard stated, "but that's only because you can summon your relics from your soul space."
"To be truly Awakened means two things: first, you must be able to sense your soul space, and second, you must have formed your spirit core."
Neo listened intently, sitting quietly as instructed.
"I'll pass you the necessary information on how to form yours," Richard said.
He stepped forward and placed a finger on Neo's forehead. A complex stream of knowledge—images, concepts, and sensations detailing the process of forming a perfect spirit core—flowed directly into Neo's mind.
It was an advanced manipulation of spiritual energy, similar to the method used by the library to distribute its functions. Neo found it vastly more efficient than words alone.
Richard's voice brought him back. "Take a few moments to really understand the spirit core formation method."
Neo nodded, his composure almost cracking as a notification from the System appeared before his inner vision:
[The System informs the creator that the System can assist with this process.]
Confidence surged within him. Richard, observing his focused calm, expected no less. He had seen the staggering amount of spiritual energy Neo absorbed to awaken his relics without losing stamina. Creating his spirit core would take a few tries, but it should be an easy task.
Only that he would have spat blood if he knew the truth: that Neo hadn't lifted a single finger during his awakening. The System had funneled all the energy for Pandora's awakening, shielding Neo entirely from the burden.
Richard moved behind Neo, sitting cross-legged and placing both palms against his back.
"I'll use spiritual energy to open your spirit veins. This will allow you to map their existence within yourself. After that, it will be up to you to follow the method, absorb energy, and form your spirit core. Do you understand?"
Neo nodded with resolve. "Yes, I understand."
"Oh," Richard added, a reminder laced with dark amusement. "You can handle a little pain, right?"
Neo flinched, the memory of merging with Pandora—the worst pain he had ever felt—flashing through him. Seeing it, Richard grinned evilly and began.
Neo felt it immediately: spiritual energy, guided with impeccable precision, began to open his spirit veins. They awakened slowly, burning to life and searing their pathways into his awareness. The pain he braced for arrived, but compared to the soul-deep agony of Pandora's merger, it was almost a joke. He winced, but that was all.
Richard was shocked. He had helped many students awaken, and none had ever weathered the pain without losing themselves to screams or tremors. He smiled at this development, but a thread of fear wove through his thoughts at Neo's pain tolerance.
The mapping process was not complicated for a master of Richard's caliber.
His spirit sense enveloped Neo completely, and his manipulation of the energy was so advanced, so precise, it bordered on perfection.
He guided the flow through every major and minor pathway, painting the complete internal map for Neo to recognize. It was a technique far beyond the reach of any ordinary Ascendant.
As the final vein was illuminated and Richard withdrew his energy, a palpable silence settled. Neo was now acutely aware of the vibrant network within him, thrumming with potential.