The rhythmic hum of the city faded under the tension that gripped the realm. The Council of Universes held their breath, their scrying eyes locked on the flickering data streams from Nexus-09. Meanwhile, deep within the crimson fog of the Forsaken Verge, Eon stood still as time bent around him.
The screen of his Smart Interface System (SIS) displayed a red notification:
[Quantum Gene Core Resonance Detected. Initiating Transmutation Protocol…]
[WARNING: Energy Flux Reaching Unprecedented Levels]
His body glowed, veins pulsing like threads of starlight. The once-hidden mutation known as the Infinite Core was finally awakening—something no one in any universe had ever achieved. Not even the ancient Progenitor himself.
From the rocky cliff edge of the Verge, Eon clenched his fists. Wind howled, kicking up swirling red dust.
"I won't be controlled… not by the Council, not by destiny, not even by this power," he muttered, staring into the horizon where flickers of collapsing dimensions bled into each other.
Suddenly, he felt her presence—Alira. Or rather, the version of her that now existed in this multiversal fracture. Her essence, her echo, called out to him from a nearby Rift Portal.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the ripple.
---
In the Arcanic Citadel of the Ninth Nexus…
The Council members gathered around the central holosphere. Dozens of universes floated within it, many dimmed or shattered due to recent anomalies.
"He's not supposed to survive this phase," Elder Ceyn growled.
"He's evolving faster than the system can analyze," murmured Maestra Lin, brushing strands of her luminous silver hair back. "The SIS is no longer a tool—it's adapting to him."
A holographic profile of Eon expanded.
Alias: Unknown Status: Multiversal Anomaly System Tier: Unclassified Risk Level: Omega++
"He's transcending identity…" one whispered.
"Then perhaps we need to bring in the Enforcers," Ceyn replied grimly.
---
Back in the portal flux, Eon materialized within an eerie plane—a decaying version of his home world. Buildings floated, detached from gravity. Lightning flashed across a violet sky.
A distorted version of Alira stood there, eyes blank.
"Eon… you're too late…"
He reached out instinctively, but she dissolved into fractal mist. Pain surged through him—not just emotional, but genetic.
The SIS lit up again:
[Emotional Spike Detected. Unlocking: Prime Directive - Guardian's Path] New Ability Gained: Dimensional Phase Shift
His eyes widened. So even grief could become strength...
With a pulse of will, he activated the new ability. Time slowed. Shadows froze mid-step. He saw behind layers of reality—a shimmering thread connecting all versions of Alira.
Eon followed it.
Through broken worlds, dying stars, and infinite echoes of himself—each one different, some monstrous, others regal, but all shaped by one truth: the desire to protect.
---
Meanwhile, far beyond in a realm untouched by time…
A lone observer stirred. Clad in ancient armor inscribed with forgotten runes, he watched Eon's journey.
"So, the Infinite Core has finally chosen… interesting."
He turned to his side, where another figure sat—a doll-faced man in a pristine black suit, silver eyes gleaming.
"Shall we intervene, Doller?"
The man smiled faintly. "No… not yet. Let the boy reach the Genesis Bridge first. Then we'll know if he's a threat… or salvation."
---
In the final moments of this chapter…
Eon burst through a portal, landing in an expanse of glowing trees and whispering winds. He gasped—there stood a girl, real this time. Alira, her real form.
She turned slowly.
"Eon… I've been waiting for you."
But before they could touch, the sky split open. A colossal figure with a crown of galaxies descended, eyes like twin black holes.
The SIS blared:
[WARNING: Entity Classification - Multiversal Sovereign Detected] Power Level: Undefined Combat Likelihood: 0.0000001%]
Eon stared up, heart pounding.
"Is this… the true enemy?"
The hall of the Immortal Labyrinth trembled as Kai's figure stepped through the Gate of Echoes. The moment his foot landed, countless fragmented memories flowed through his consciousness — battles across shattered realms, promises etched in blood, and names lost to time. His [Aeon Circuit] hummed, absorbing each trace of data like a living chronicle.
"Welcome, Master Kai," the smart system, now named Eidolon, spoke softly inside his mind. Its tone was less mechanical now, laced with a distinct personality it had developed since binding completely with his genetic code. *"This realm is not just a battlefield; it is a crucible of legacies."
Kai's eyes narrowed. He could sense it too. The whispers of long-dead champions filled the air, carried by the wind like echoes of a forgotten song.
He summoned his profile window.
---
[EIDOLON INTERFACE: ACTIVE]
Core Identity: Kai Lorian / Alias: Ghost Vector
Path Unlocked: Stormcaller (S-Class)
Virtue Limit: 102,700 (Ascended Tier)
Artifact Equipped: Phantom Tether (Bound)
Status: Bloodline Seal - 12% lifted
Dissonance Fields Detected: 3
Multiversal Alert: Observation from Dimension Theta-9
---
He grinned. "So they're watching me now, huh?"
A sudden quake shook the ground. From the shifting mist, a massive beast emerged — a hybrid between a wyvern and a spectral dragon. Its translucent wings tore the air apart, releasing bursts of spatial rifts.
Eidolon's warning flashed.
*"Threat level: Omega-Class Entity. Name: Netherdrake Tyranex. Known kills: 71 Multiverse-level combatants. Risk factor: Unmeasurable."
Kai tilted his head. "Perfect."
Rather than step back, he ran forward.
The moment his foot hit the floor again, his aura exploded. He activated Storm Conduction, a forbidden skill buried within his Stormcaller lineage. Lightning crackled around him, black and purple currents twisting into spears of solid plasma.
ZzzzzZTTT!
Kai hurled three bolts in a flash. They didn't hit the beast directly — instead, they pierced rifts in the air, which destabilized the space around the beast's wings. It roared, plummeting mid-flight.
He leapt.
In midair, time seemed to slow. Kai's eyes shimmered with two different colors — gold and violet. His body blurred, executing the Phantom Tether Chain Combo, dragging himself directly above the beast's skull.
"For my family… For my friends… For everyone who believed I couldn't do this…"
He clenched his fist.
"Break."
With a devastating impact, his punch shattered the drake's skull, sending spiritual shockwaves in all directions. The arena cracked, and the beast wailed before disintegrating into pure data.
A portal opened above, like an eye.
From it dropped a tiny, floating cube.
Eidolon reacted immediately. "That is… a Multiversal Seed. Origin: Primeverse. Only entities marked by Fate Lineage may obtain this."
Kai caught it.
"So I really am marked," he whispered.
Suddenly, he heard a voice.
Not from Eidolon. Not from an enemy.
From within.
"Do you wish to awaken the next path?"
Kai froze. This voice… was his own. Or rather, from a future version of himself — one that had climbed beyond these realms.
"Choose: Sovereign of Echoes, or Monarch of Collapse."
---
He was being forced to choose.
Eidolon projected brief descriptions:
Sovereign of Echoes: Master of spatial and sound-based manipulation. Can trap enemies in recursive time loops. Ideal for manipulation and strategy.
Monarch of Collapse: Annihilation specialist. Turns matter, energy, and even laws of reality into weapons. Suited for overwhelming offense.
Kai's breath slowed.
He remembered what he told himself: Never rely on brute strength alone. Outsmart the strong. Outthink the impossible.
He closed his eyes.
"Sovereign of Echoes."
The moment the choice was made, the cube exploded into a burst of harmonic light. Sigils danced across his skin. He felt reality bend slightly, as if his very presence was rewriting nearby physics.
Eidolon began to laugh.
Not in code. In joy.
"Master Kai… you just became the most unpredictable force across the infinite layers of the multiverse."
A notification blinked.
---
[NEW IDENTITY UNLOCKED]
Alias: The Echo King
Status: Shadowed by the Time Assembly
Power Integration: 42% complete
---
But before he could even admire the upgrade, a series of black daggers pierced the air beside him. He barely dodged. A hooded figure stepped out, cloaked in spiraling darkness.
"You shouldn't have chosen that path, Kai," the figu
re growled. "The Sovereigns are watching. And they'll come to erase you."
Kai smiled.
"Then let them come."
The shadows roared.