Chapter 64: Level Ascension (2)

Name: Ethan Heart

Class: Classless

Level: 5

Current Souls: 60,000

Souls Required for Next Level: 780

Vigor: 10 (Increases HP)

MP: 10 (Increases Mana)

Endurance: 10 (Increases Stamina)

Strength: 10 (Increases heavy weapon damage)

Dexterity: 10 (Increases speed-based weapon damage)

Intelligence: 10 (Enhances sorcery power)

Faith: 10 (Enhances Incantation power)

Arcane: 15 (Increases luck and bleed buildup)

[Legendary Weapons Master]

– Executioner’s Blade

Ash of War: Telekinesis

– Frayed Blade

Ash of War: Blackfyre Ascension

Weapon Requirements:

Dexterity: 40

Strength: 20

…

Ethan read the weapon’s stats, then glanced at the number of souls he had obtained from killing Mathius.

“Sixty thousand is a massive amount at my current level. I can make a significant leap with that… but…”

He frowned slightly.

“It won’t be enough to wield this sword. The requirements are far too high.”

With a quiet sigh, he stored the dark katana within the dimensional space of his ability.

“I’ll find a proper use for it later. I have another weapon I intend to use on the battlefield.”

A wide smile formed across his face as he drew out the other sword he had obtained after defeating the Ember Hunter.

The Executioner’s Blade.

With a simple motion of his hand, the massive greatsword materialized—its imposing blade heavy and brutal, red thorns coiling tightly around the upper section of its hilt like veins pulsing with restrained violence.

From the very beginning, this had been the weapon Ethan intended to use. That was precisely why he had chosen the path of the Knight.

…

Executioner’s Blade

Weapon Requirements:

Strength: 24

Arcane: 23

…

“I can reach that.”

He had already increased Arcane five times, and with the number of souls now in his possession, Ethan calculated that it would be more than enough.

Drawing a deep breath, he planted the sword into the ground before him and began strengthening himself, distributing points between Strength and Arcane.

Each level granted a single stat point—so every decision mattered.

With every upgrade, the cost of the next level rose sharply, and the sixty thousand souls were consumed rapidly.

But the outcome was satisfying. A game-obsessed mind like his did not miscalculate when it came to optimization.

“I think this will suffice,” Ethan said with a faint smile, studying his significantly elevated stats.

…

Name: Ethan Heart

Class: Classless

Level: 28

Current Souls: 1,065

Souls Required for Next Level: 4,900

Vigor: 11

MP: 10

Endurance: 10

Strength: 24

Dexterity: 10

Intelligence: 10

Faith: 10

Arcane: 23

…

He had barely reached the minimum requirements to wield the Executioner’s Blade. So barely, in fact, that he had only a single spare point left—which he placed into Vigor.

As soon as the enhancement concluded, Ethan closed his eyes.

A searing heat surged through his body.

His muscles tightened, condensing with newfound power. His frame felt lighter .. almost weightless, as though gravity itself had loosened its grip on him.

His senses sharpened dramatically. He could hear the faintest echoes within the vast hall. He could see minute details previously invisible to him.

He flexed his fingers slowly.

Outwardly, he looked unchanged.

But he knew better.

“This is the peak of what ordinary humans can reach…”

Level 28.

The apex of the Skilled rank, which spanned from level 20 to 29.

In the end, he had not reached level 30—the Advanced rank, where one could transcend human limits and manifest the Aura Shield.

And yet ..

The smile never left his face.

“This will be enough to decide the duel.”

He extended his hand.

Focusing entirely on the Executioner’s Blade before him, Ethan narrowed his eyes and summoned the power now under his command.

“Come.”

At his command, his body glowed faintly, and a crimson-red aura coiled around his human arm.

The same aura extended outward, wrapping around the Executioner’s Blade.

The sword lifted from the ground on its own and flew into Ethan’s grasp, responding to his will.

His smile widened.

Then he released it.

The Executioner’s Blade hovered and moved around him, tracing the exact trajectory Ethan envisioned.

“Telekinesis… this truly is a remarkable weapon.”

He recalled the blade to his hand.

“But what I really want to test… is something else entirely.”

He inhaled deeply and focused.

Adopting a combat stance identical to that of the Ember Hunter, Ethan steadied himself.

Within seconds, half his mana was drained.

The Executioner’s Blade began spinning in midair.

It rotated faster and faster, wrapped in that same crimson aura, becoming a raging scarlet vortex.

Without warning, Ethan launched it toward one of the massive pillars within the royal hall.

The Executioner’s Blade shot forward at terrifying speed—

Not like a bullet.

Like a colossal missile.

It tore through the air with catastrophic force, and before Ethan’s burning gaze, the pillar was obliterated completely, reduced to fragments beneath the sheer destructive impact.

“Incredible… I truly inherited the Ember Hunter’s power.”

He glanced at his mana.

Half depleted.

“In other words, I can only fire that attack twice before I run dry.”

The limitation stemmed from Eventual Greatness, which suppressed all his stats.

But Ethan did not seem troubled.

“Twice is more than enough.”

He rested the Executioner’s Blade over his shoulder with ease now that his Strength had increased.

Then he shifted his focus to the Legion Arm.

“Fortunately, I still have 1,065 souls left… more than enough to upgrade the Legion Arm.”

Eager to see what new feature it would unlock, Ethan immediately enhanced the Legion Arm to level two.

Moments later, a crimson-red radiance surged through the dark mechanical arm, reshaping it as the metal shifted and reassembled with a sharp, grinding hum. When the light faded, the Legion Arm had taken on a slightly altered form…

Subtly refined, yet far more menacing than before. It exuded a heavier presence, as though something within it had awakened.

…

– Legion Arm: Level 2 –

Souls Required for Next Level: 10,000

Current Progress: (65 / 10,000)

Grappling Hook: An unbreakable reinforced cable that can be launched from the arm and pulled in either direction.

Onslaught Stake: A powerful single strike that fires an iron stake, triggering a massive explosion upon impact.

…

Ethan read through the description of his newly acquired ability alongside the Grappling Hook.

“A stake… that causes an explosion?”

He examined the mechanical arm closely and noticed a new switch had appeared beside the grappling trigger.

Walking toward one of the towering pillars in the royal hall, he raised the Legion Arm and pressed the second switch.

The transformation was immediate.

Metal plates slid apart from both sides of the arm, unfolding like the limbs of a crossbow preparing to launch a bolt.

The internal mechanisms ignited with a fierce, fiery glow, humming as though on the brink of detonation. Then, from the muzzle of the arm, a charred iron stake emerged .. blackened, heavy, and ominous.

Without hesitation, Ethan drove his arm forward and struck the pillar.

The impact unleashed a deafening explosion.

BOOOOOOM!!!

Flames erupted violently. Shrapnel blasted outward in every direction. The pillar was obliterated instantly, swallowed by fire and shockwaves.

Ethan himself was thrown backward by the force of the blast—he had not braced properly.

He rolled across the floor several times before crashing hard into a distant wall.

In that instant, a sharp pain shot through his left shoulder where the Legion Arm was attached.

But Ethan did not care.

He burst into loud laughter, a wild grin stretching across his face.

Staring at the roaring flames and the devastation he had just caused, he felt exhilaration flood his veins.

“This destructive force… these abilities… now the game truly begins!!”

He rose to his feet, energized and deeply satisfied.

For a while, Ethan continued testing his abilities properly, refining his control as the first light of dawn approached outside.

Sensing the coming morning, he gradually calmed himself.

“The Heart will discover this place soon,” he murmured, glancing toward the massive hole through which he had entered.

Then his gaze shifted to the throne.

With heavy steps, he approached it and stood before it.

Mathius’ final memories resurfaced in his mind—the moment the mysterious golden knight had revealed a hidden passage beneath the throne.

“I need to uncover what lies beneath it before anyone else arrives.”

Gathering his strength, Ethan pressed both hands against the throne and pushed.

It was immensely heavy.

Yet with his newly enhanced Strength, he managed to move it slowly, straining … but steadily.

Within seconds, a secret long hidden from him was revealed.

A secret he had never discovered, even after clearing this Legacy Dungeon countless times as a player.

Beneath the throne lay a descending staircase … long and shadowed leading somewhere entirely unknown.

A place Ethan had never seen.

Drawing a deep breath, he stepped forward.

And descended into the unknown.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep