Chapter 196: The Birth of Ascension

Date: January 3, 2018 | Time: 09:15 AM

Location: Requiem Guild Headquarters – Sylvaris

Perspective: Lucas

The leather chair in Sylvia’s office was way too comfortable.

I leaned back, trying to look like a guy who hadn’t just almost died.

“So, that’s the gist,” I said, my voice steady despite the mental static.

“Cursed Sky, Bodies, and a ’Mother’ who thinks the distance between life and death is a her choice, not a rule. She caught my light beam, Sylvia. Literally caught it and crushed it like a dry leaf.”

「 Correction: She crushed it like your pride, Lucas. Also, you’re slouching. Look more ’mysterious’ and less ’I need help.’ 」

Shut up, System. I’m doing my best here.

Sylvia sat across from us, her silver hair catching the morning light. She didn’t look panicked—that was the noble training, I guess—but her silver eyes were sharp, calculating.

She tapped a quill against the desk.

“That’s odd,” Sylvia murmured.

“And a ’Skeletal Sanctuary’ that covers miles? Lucas, what you’re describing isn’t just an S-rank monster. It’s a localized catastrophe. If that ’Mother’ decides to leave that crater, Sylvaris doesn’t have enough barriers to keep the atmosphere from turning into a graveyard.”

Perspective: Celia

I hated that I had to ask others for assistance.

My disguise felt itchy. The black hair, the black eyes—it wasn’t me.

“The story is simple,” I said, my voice cold, devoid of the warmth I saved only for him.

“We go back. We kill it. We don’t need a committee, and we certainly don’t need a lecture on ’mana density.’ It has a heartbeat. If it has a heartbeat, I can stop it.”

“Celia, I understand the drive. Truly. But look at the data Lucas just provided. She reacts to the ’presence’ of mana. You’d be dead before your first incantation reached the second syllable.”

“I’ve survived worse,” I hissed.

I needed that S+ ranked bitch dead. I needed that growth.

Perspective: Lucas

Celia was vibrating with that ’I’m-about-to-murder-everyone-in-this-room’ energy. I had to step in before Sylvia called security.

“Look, Sylvia,” I interjected, holding up a hand.

“I get where she’s coming from. We’re growing fast—faster than your records probably account for. But I’m not suicidal.”

“What’s the Guild’s move? We can’t just let a mana sink that size sit under the basement of the world.”

Sylvia sighed, leaning forward.

“Avalon is Priority Zero, Lucas. We have three months until the gates open, and every major guild is funneling resources there. However…” She paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked at a map of the Scarred Crater.

“An S+ threat this close to a populated hub cannot be ignored. It will take a few days to coordinate. We need a joint operation. I’ll have to petition the other guilds and mobilize our own S-ranks.”

「 Oh boy, here come the bureaucrats. Maybe they can bore the Mother to death with spreadsheets. 」

Not helping, bro.

“Three months is plenty of time for Avalon,” I said, trying to bridge the gap. “But we can’t wait weeks for a ’joint operation.’ If that thing evolves again, we’re cooked.”

“I’m not asking for weeks,” Sylvia corrected, her noble authority flaring.

“I’m asking for three days. Three days to gather the right personnel so this isn’t a massacre. In the meantime, you two focus on your… ’solo ascension,’ as you call it. Clear the outskirts. Thin the herd. If you’re as fast as you claim, show me the results by Thursday.”

Celia scoffed, crossing her arms. “Fine. Three days of playing in the dirt. But the bitch belongs to us.”

The door to the office creaked open. I didn’t even hear footsteps—just a shift in the air, a sudden pressure that made the hair on my neck stand up.

Perspective: Celia

I felt it before I saw it. A gaze that felt like a needle pressing against the back of my skull.

A woman walked in. She was striking, but there was something… off.

I recognize her…

Her eyes were a deep, dark obsidian shot through with swirls of purple, like a bruised galaxy.

Alina.

She was looking into me, not at me.

“Welcome back, Alina!” Sylvia said, her voice brightening instantly.

Alina’s gaze didn’t waver. She stood there, silent, her purple-eyes tracking the flow of my mana like she could see the cursed thorns waiting just beneath my skin.

“Sylvia,” Alina said. Then, she tilted her head at me.

“I didn’t know we had guests over.”

I stiffened. My hand went to the red ribbon in my hair. If she touched it—if she even breathed on it—I’d show her exactly what was behind the disguise.

Perspective: Lucas

Sylvia pretty much caught Alina up to the present. About the crater and plan.

But uhh no… She is too flat.

“So, that’s the gist of it, Alie,” Sylvia said, leaning back in her chair with her boots kicked up on a mahogany desk.

“The Scarred Crater is turning into a localized hellscape. We’re talking an S-rank anomaly, mana sinks, and that ’Mother’ thing Lucas and Cel—I mean she ran into. It’s not just an insect infestation anymore; it’s a sovereign territory for the dead.”

Alina didn’t blink. “And your solution is a joint operation between Requiem and the independent contractors.” Her voice was like crystal—clear, cold, and sharp.

“It’s inefficient, Sylvia.”

“Ouch. Direct as always,” Sylvia laughed, waving a hand.

“Think about the profits,” Alina continued, her gaze shifting to a map on the desk.

“A joint op means divided rewards. We’d spend more time arguing over who gets the mana crystals than actually killing the Mother of Despair. Plus, the political favors… if Requiem asks for outside help, we owe the capital a report. It creates unnecessary debt.”

“It’s not debt, it’s networking!” Sylvia countered, leaning forward.

“Look, Alie, think about the pros. Safety in numbers isn’t just a cliché; it’s success. If Lucas’s team handles the vanguard and we provide the elemental artillery, our casualty rate drops to near zero. We save resources on healing and logistics because the ’Lone Wolf’ over there,” she shot me a wink, “is basically a one-man army.”

I just stood there, leaning against the wall, trying to look like a mysterious badass while internally I was just thinking about how much my feet ached.

Alina shook her head slightly. “He looks weird.”

Ouch I almost slipped.

“In high-pressure S-rank zones, unfamiliarity leads to friendly fire. A divided command structure is a death sentence.”

They went back and forth for ten minutes. Celia was standing next to me, her arms crossed, looking bored out of her mind. She kept fiddling with the red ribbon in her hair, her eyes occasionally darting to Alina with a weirdly suspicious glint.

Man, this is going nowhere. They’re arguing like sisters, but it’s the most boring argument in history.

「 I agree. Your brain is currently vibrating at a frequency of ’extreme boredom’. Would you like me to do the heavy lifting so we can go get lunch? 」

Yes, please. System, give me something that shuts them both up.

A plan that hits all their points.

「 Searching database… Analyzing Scarred Crater topology… Factoring in Sylvia’s greed and Alina’s obsession with efficiency… Strategy.txt generated. 」

「 LMAO, I literally can’t believe you’re making me do this. You’re lucky I’m a literal god-tier AI. 」

Just give it to me, bro.

「 Generating physical manifest. Look sharp, Honored One. 」

Suddenly, I felt a slight weight in my hand. From the outside, it looked like I just reached into my coat and pulled out a stack of neatly folded, high-quality papers. I cleared my throat, stepping into the light of the window.

“Ladies, please,” I said, my voice dropping into that deep, ’main character’ register.

“I’ve found a plan that fits both of you. It’s got the charts, the distribution tiers, and a synchronized command structure that minimizes the ’trust’ problem.”

I tossed the papers onto the desk between them.

Sylvia and Alina both paused, looking at the documents. They began flipping through them. I saw Sylvia’s eyes widen.

“The reward distribution is based on mana output and kill-contribution percentages?” Sylvia whispered.

“This… this is brilliant. It bypasses the favor system entirely by treating it as a corporate merger.”

Alina’s eyes were darting across the pages at a terrifying speed.

“The tactical formation… it uses a revolving door vanguard system to prevent exhaustion. The logistics are… perfect. It’s not just a plan; it’s a perfect victory.”

She looked up at me, her purple eyes actually showing a flicker of something—was that respect?

“You’re a visionary,” Alina said, her voice still formal but breathless.

“A strategist of this caliber… I didn’t realize you were a pro.”

“He’s a regular little tactical genius, isn’t he?” Sylvia teased, grinning at me.

“Even for a lone wolf.”

Alina turned to Sylvia, then back to me.

“I apologize. I haven’t been properly introduced. Who exactly are you?”

I struck a pose, leaning one hand on my hip. “Me? I’m the Honored One.”

There was a silence.

Alina blinked. “The… Honored One? I’m sorry, that doesn’t ring any bells. Is that a title from the Southern Kingdom?”

Celia burst out laughing next to me, a sharp, genuine giggle.

“Pfft—! ’The Honored One’? Lucas, you’re such a dork.”

I felt my face heat up.

System, you said this would be cool!

「 I said look sharp, I didn’t tell you to use a line from a 21st-century manga. That’s on you, bro. LMAO. 」

Alina cleared her throat, standing up and performing a perfect, stiff bow. “I am Alina. S-Rank, Sword Saint of Technique.”

Celia’s laughter died down. She stared at Alina, her eyes narrowing.

The Sword Saint of Technique? – Celia Thought

Wait… she’s the one. She’s the girl who took me to the forest back in Rinascita for questioning. She just grilled me for an hour and then left the second I told her I didn’t know her master. Weird girl. – Celia Thought

“It’s a pleasure,” Celia said out loud, though her tone was as dry as a desert.

“Alie’s a bit of a prodigy,” Sylvia said, walking over and wrapping an arm around Alina’s shoulders, pulling the girl into a side-hug. Alina looked like she wanted to evaporate.

“Can you believe she’s only 15? She’s the youngest Sword Saint in history, and she’s my cute little sister!”

“I am not your sister, Sylvia. And let go. This is unprofessional,” Alina muttered, her face turning a very faint shade of pink.

“Aww, look at her! She’s blushing!” Sylvia laughed, looking at me. “Lucas is actually a year older than you, Alie. Maybe you could learn a thing or two about being ’honored’ from him.”

“Shut up, Sylvia,” Alina snapped, finally breaking her stoic mask to huff and fix her ponytail. She turned to me, coughing into her hand to regain her composure.

“Regardless… thank you, Lucas. I will study these papers. They are… incredibly detailed. I believe we have a path forward.”

She looked back at the maps. “You may go now. I have much to calculate.”

“Well, you heard the boss,” Sylvia said, giving us a playful salute. “We’ll be in touch about the start date.”

Celia and I turned to leave. Once we were out in the hallway, away from the intense S-rank energy of that room, I let out a long breath.

“That was intense,” I muttered.

“She’s annoying,” Celia said, though she didn’t sound as angry as usual. She held up a hand. “But your plan was good. I guess you’re not totally useless.”

I grinned and met her hand with a solid fist pump.

“Time to get back to the quests, then,” I said. “Those S-ranks aren’t going to power-level themselves.”

Time: 04:12 AMLocation: The Whispering Ravine – Outer Rim

Perspective: Lucas

The sun hadn’t even thought about showing up yet. The ravine was a jagged throat of purple fog and damp moss that smelled like a basement that hadn’t been opened since the Stone Age.

My breath hitched in the cold air as I watched a Gloom-Stalker—basically a panther made of too many teeth—stalk toward us.

「 Warning: Target is approaching from the 4 o’clock position. Also, you have a smudge of dirt on your nose. It’s really distracting. 」

Prepare.

I didn’t pull my daggers. Not yet. I wanted to test the refraction. I held out my hand, palm open, and felt the Celestial mana hum. I didn’t just blast a beam; I visualized the mirrors. Three floating shards of solidified light manifested in a triangle around the Stalker.

“Lightstep,” I whispered.

I didn’t run; I flickered. As the Stalker lunged, I moved through the triangle, my reflection bouncing between the mirrors so fast the beast didn’t know which ’me’ to bite. I appeared above it, daggers coated in frost.

Squelch.

The blade went through the skull like a hot knife through butter.

「 Level Up! Current Level: 30. Your hair still looks like a bird’s nest, though. 」

“Shut up. It’s ’distressed,’ bro.”

Celia was already finishing her half of the pack. She stood in the center of a literal hurricane of thorned vines, her hair-chains whipping through the air with the sound of a guillotine.

She grabbed the last Stalker by the throat with a chain, lifting it until its paws dangled. Her red eyes weren’t just glowing; they were devouring.

“Ascend.”

The creature didn’t just die. Its mana was sucked out, turning its flesh into a grey, brittle husk before its soul was folded into the dark aura swirling around her feet.

She looked at me, her expression indifferent, but there was a new sharpness to her stance.

“You’re slow, Bro,” she said, flicking a drop of blood off her red ribbon.

“I’m ’cool’, Sis. There’s a difference.”

Date: January 4, 2018 | Time: 09:45 PM

Location: The Ashen Grove (Campsite)Perspective: Celia

The fire crackled, but it provided no warmth against the vacuum of the Crater. I sat across from Lucas, my fingers tracing the Ring of Empty Chaos.

I wonder what Kai is up to..

Lucas was currently trying to cook a “crater-rabbit” over the fire. It smelled like burnt tires.

“You’re burning it,” I said, my voice flat.

“I’m ’char-searing’ it, bro. It’s a culinary technique. You wouldn’t get it.”

「 Analysis: It is 84% carbon. You are essentially feeding her a pencil, Lucas. 」

I watched him argue with the air… He was a fool, but his movements were becoming less erratic. He was learning to stop wasting mana.

I looked at the shadow at my feet. Three new shapes stirred within it—the Stalkers from earlier. They were no longer beasts; they were extensions of my will. My demonic army was small, but it was growing.

“Celia,” Lucas said, tossing a piece of the (burnt) meat toward me.

“Try it. If you die, I get your share.”

I caught it mid-air with a thorned vine. “If I die, I’ll ensure your soul is the first thing I harvest.”

He grinned, that annoying, casual smirk he always wore. “That’s the spirit.”

Date: January 5, 2018 | Time: 02:20 PM

Location: The Iron PlateauQuest 4: Hunt the “Hollowed Tyrant” (B-Rank)

Perspective: Lucas

This thing was a nightmare. The Hollowed Tyrant looked like a giant stag made of rusted armor and blue fire, standing fifteen feet tall. Every time it stomped, the ground turned to glass.

“Celia, distract the left! I’m going for the core!” I yelled.

“Don’t order me around!”

She moved anyway. She launched herself into the air using her chains as grappling hooks, spinning upside-down.

“Vinea tenebrarum!”

Thorned whips erupted from her palms, lashing against the Tyrant’s armored chest. It roared, a sound like grinding metal, and swung a massive, flaming antler at her.

“Celestial Mirror: Aegis!” I snapped.

A massive, ornate mirror of pure white light materialized in front of her. The antler slammed into it, and instead of breaking, the mirror absorbed the kinetic energy and reflected it back in a concussive blast of holy light.

The Tyrant stumbled.

「 Critical opening detected. If you miss this, I’m deleting your search history, bro. 」

I’m locked in!

I activated Lightstep II. My vision blurred as the 175% speed boost kicked in. I wasn’t just running; I was a streak of green and white. I hit the air-borne mirror, bounced, reflected off a second one I’d placed mid-air, and drove both daggers into the blue fire at the Tyrant’s throat.

“Freeze!”

Ice erupted from the blades, flash-freezing the Tyrant’s core from the inside out. The beast shattered into a thousand shards of rusted iron.

I landed in a three-point stance, panting.

「 Level Up! Current Level: 33. That was… acceptable. Barely. 」

Celia landed beside me, her hair settling back into place. She walked over to the largest shard of the Tyrant’s core. She placed her hand on it, the cursed mana in her veins pulsing.

“Ascend,” she commanded.

Why does she always say that weird command?It does nothing.

Date: January 6, 2018 | Time: 11:50 AM

Location: The Sunken CathedralQuest 7: Eliminate the “Stitched Amalgam” (B+ Rank)Perspective: Lucas

The final boss of our little marathon was a literal pile of bodies stitched together by purple energy. It had too many arms and eyes that didn’t blink.

But we weren’t the same people who entered the crater three days ago.

We moved in perfect sync. No words, just instinct. I provided the reflections, the speed, and the defense. Celia provided the relentless, decaying offense.

I created a corridor of mirrors. Celia used them to propel her chains, zig-zagging through the air like a lethal spider. As the Amalgam tried to grab her, I’d swap places with her using a light-burst, slashing through its limbs before it could register my presence.

It was a massacre.

When the final limb fell, Celia stood over the pulsing heart of the beast. She looked like a goddess of ruin, her white hair stained with ichor.

“Ascend,” she whispered for the seventh time.

Date: January 6, 2018 | Time: 06:00 PMLocation: Crater Exit

Perspective: Lucas / Celia (Unified Focus)

We stood at the edge of the crater, looking out toward the horizon where the sun was dipping low.

I felt… different.

Level 35… That’s it… I’m getting stronger. Much stronger. – Lucas

The demonic army continues to grow… It’ll be fun once I leash all of them at once. – Celia

We stood there for a moment in silence. We were tired, covered in grime and blood, and our muscles screamed in protest. But the fear that used to prickle at the back of our minds when we thought of him… it was gone.

I looked at Celia. She looked at me.

We didn’t need to say it out loud. The thought was a shared spark of pure, unadulterated ego.

Watch your back, Kaiser.The gap you left behind? We didn’t just fill it.

We’re outgrowing it.

We don’t need your babysitting. You’re history.

We learned how to walk past you.

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