The Extra's Rise

With both Seraphina and Ren having achieved their Radiant-rank breakthroughs, I found myself drawn back to my own training. Not to learn from Liam's inheritance, but to push my own sword mastery toward something I could feel approaching at the edge of my understanding.

I drew my sword and began moving through forms that had become second nature after years of practice. Each strike carried perfect Sword Unity—the complete integration between blade and wielder that I'd achieved some time ago. But as I moved through the sequences, I could sense something more waiting just beyond my current reach.

'There's another level,' I murmured, completing a complex pattern that left traces of energy in the air. 'Something beyond Unity itself.'

The realization brought back a memory I'd tried not to dwell on—my master's final moments before the corruption consumed him completely. Even as the miasma ate away at Magnus Draykar's body, he had managed one last sword strike that transcended everything he'd ever taught me.

'The blade moved through space,' I remembered, seeing it again in perfect clarity. 'But not just physical space. Magnus's final strike tore the sky itself apart—not through magic or external power, but through pure sword technique that touched something fundamental about reality.'

I'd been amazed at the time. Now, I was able to achieve similar if not better effects by channeling Grey energy through my blade. But Magnus had done it with nothing but perfectly refined sword technique and mana, his blade cutting through the very fabric of existence to rip apart the sky.

"What are you thinking about?" Seraphina asked, watching my practice from her own training area.

"My master's final technique," I replied, attempting to recreate the motion I'd witnessed. "He achieved something with pure swordwork that I can only match using Grey energy. There's a level of sword mastery beyond Unity that I'm starting to sense."

"Can you reach it?" Ren inquired, his newly enhanced perception tracking the subtle energy patterns around my movements.

"Not yet," I admitted, feeling the boundary remain frustratingly out of reach. "I can sense it exists, but actually achieving it... that's still far beyond me."

I sheathed my sword, accepting that some discoveries couldn't be rushed. Just knowing that level existed was valuable preparation for future growth.

"Let's explore more of this place," I suggested. "If Liam preserved his knowledge and training methods, there might be other resources we haven't found yet."

We began systematically investigating the facility's impossible architecture, discovering chambers that served various specialized purposes. Some contained research materials, others held strange devices whose functions weren't immediately clear.

It was Ren who found the artifact vault.

"Arthur, Seraphina," he called from a corridor branching off the main training area. "You need to see this."

We followed his voice to a circular chamber lined with alcoves containing various legendary-grade items. Weapons, armor pieces, and magical implements all radiated tremendous power, but one set immediately drew our attention.

A pair of gauntlets rested in the central alcove, their adamantine surface covered with intricate patterns that shifted between depicting spatial tears and gravitational fields. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, enhanced with materials I didn't recognize.

"Those belonged to him," Ren said with certainty, his God's Eyes analyzing the artifacts. "Liam Kagu's personal gauntlets. I can see the attunement patterns—they're designed for space-time magic and fist fighting integration."

The moment Ren approached, the gauntlets began glowing with purple light that matched his bloodline signature. When he reached out, they practically leaped to his hands, conforming perfectly to his grip.

"Perfect fit," he said with wonder, flexing his fingers as the gauntlets adjusted automatically. "They recognize the family bloodline."

I watched purple energy flow through the intricate patterns, enhancing Ren's already improved capabilities. When he threw a practice punch, space folded around his fist in ways that would multiply the impact tremendously.

"Legendary-grade artifacts that enhance space-time manipulation," Seraphina observed. "Your ancestor left you quite an inheritance."

"They're not just weapons," Ren said, studying the complex magical matrices. "I can feel knowledge flowing through them—techniques Liam developed that integrate perfectly with martial arts and spatial magic."

Watching Ren receive such a significant enhancement got me thinking about my own undead companions and opportunities I'd been too cautious to pursue.

"This place is making me reconsider some development choices I've been putting off," I said, my mind racing through possibilities. "Especially regarding Erebus and Valeria."

"Your undead?" Seraphina asked with curiosity.

"Erebus has been at Arch Lich level for a while, but I've been hesitant to push his evolution further. And I've never properly explored what might be possible with Valeria," I explained, reaching into my spatial storage. "But seeing what's achievable here..."

I pulled out two items—Bahamut's Dragon Heart, pulsing with tremendous concentrated power, and the remaining pieces of the Basilisk's Heart that I'd cut away during Erebus's previous enhancement. Both my companions stared at the Dragon Heart with shock.

"Arthur," Seraphina said, "is that what I think it is?"

"Bahamut's Heart," I confirmed.

"Why didn't you use it yourself?" she asked with concern. "That kind of power source could help push you toward mid Radiant-rank."

I considered the question carefully. "My limitation isn't really about mana capacity. It's about understanding and technique development. This power would be better utilized helping Erebus achieve a proper evolution."

I summoned my Arch Lich, and Erebus materialized with his usual dignified bearing. His glowing eye sockets immediately fixed on both hearts in my hands.

"Master," he said in his resonant voice, "you propose a complete advancement."

"Lich King level," I confirmed. "Using the Dragon Heart's mana to refine your three core components—your nine-star skeleton, nine-star skull, and the incomplete Basilisk Heart. I'm going to restore the heart to full power first."

Erebus studied both items analytically. "The approach is sound. My skeletal frame and skull require further refinement to properly support Lich King status, while the heart needs completion."

I carefully began reattaching the cut portions of the Basilisk's Heart to Erebus's chest cavity, using precise mana manipulation to restore the organ to its original configuration. The process was delicate, requiring perfect alignment of the heart's natural energy flows.

"There," I said as the restoration completed. "Full Basilisk's Heart restored. Now we can use the Dragon Heart's power for proper refinement."

I handed Erebus roughly half of Bahamut's crystallized heart. "Use this to elevate each component systematically. Don't rush the process."

"Understood, Master."

As Erebus began the complex refinement process, I found my thoughts turning to my other undead companion. Valeria represented an entirely different kind of challenge.

"What about the symbiote?" Seraphina asked.

"Valeria is unique," I said, feeling the bone creature stir in response to my attention. "She's not like other Ancient Undead—she's something completely new that I created. Her evolution possibilities don't follow any established patterns."

I had created Valeria through a process that had never been attempted before, combining various elements in ways that produced something unprecedented. Unlike Erebus, who followed known undead advancement paths despite being Ancient Undead himself, Valeria was genuinely one-of-a-kind with no precedent to guide her development.

"How do you evolve something that has no precedent?" Ren asked practically.

"That's what I need to figure out," I replied, watching energy begin to flow through Erebus as he started refining his skeletal structure. "Traditional methods won't work because she doesn't fit traditional categories."

Valeria emerged from my shadow, taking her humanoid bone form as she responded to my focused attention. Her hollow eye sockets regarded me with intelligence that had grown considerably since her creation.

"She's not just bonded to me—she's evolved alongside me," I observed, studying her elegant structure. "Her growth has been organic, responding to our shared experiences. But since I reached Radiant-rank, her growth stopped."

"So her evolution would need to be equally organic?" Seraphina suggested.

"Possibly," I said, feeling pieces of understanding beginning to align. "But there's something specific about her nature, about how she was created, that suggests a particular direction."

A surge of power from Erebus drew our attention as his skeleton began glowing with refined energy. The Ancient Undead was systematically elevating each component, using the Dragon Heart's power to push his physical form beyond its current limitations.

"The refinement is proceeding well," Erebus reported, his voice carrying new harmonics as his skull underwent enhancement. "Each component is approaching the threshold for Lich King status."

I nodded with satisfaction, then returned my attention to Valeria. As I contemplated her unique nature and the circumstances of her creation, a sudden flash of insight struck me.

"I know what needs to be done," I said quietly, understanding crystallizing in my mind. "Not just how to evolve her, but what kind of evolution would be most appropriate for what she is."

"What do you mean?" Seraphina asked with curiosity.

I looked at Valeria with new appreciation, seeing not just what she was now, but what she could become through the right approach. The solution wasn't about following established patterns or forcing artificial advancement—it was about understanding the fundamental nature of what I had created and helping it reach its true potential.

"I'll explain once Erebus completes his evolution," I said, watching as the Lich King transformation entered its final phase. "But I finally understand what Valeria really is, and what she's capable of becoming."