Ashen mist leaked from its wounds.
The Dread Dragon King roared—and from its mouth came Draconic Oblivion, a breath not of flame but of absence, a beam of pure unbeing. It consumed the Corrupted Dragonborn utterly—leaving only its twitching core behind.
Asher looked the final Guardian in the eye—still twisted, still clinging to half-life.
"No mercy," he whispered.
And he closed his fist.
The last one imploded from within. With all three defeated, another path opened—but this time, it wasn't to the next chamber. It was the exit.
Asher and Valeris picked up the scattered crystals. It was a full set—ten Law crystals each.
Asher's Corruption Law comprehension rose to 25%, while Valeris's Blood Law comprehension reached 20%.
Asher tucked the last crystal away, his hand briefly glowing as the Corruption Law etched deeper into his soul. A faint green-black gleam flickered in his eyes before fading.
Valeris exhaled slowly, brushing a hand along her jaw as the Blood Law surged within her veins—pulsing like a second heartbeat. She looked at Asher, something unreadable in her expression.
"That was a haul," she said.
He nodded, adjusting the sheath of his sword. "More than we expected. But not more than we can handle."
They turned to the new path.
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The exit was unlike the previous Womb doors—this one was a towering archway of stone and bone, framed by jagged ribs fused with ancient chains.
"I guess time's up," Asher said as he stepped through the gate.
A flash of pressure rippled through his body—and just like that, he was back. Outside. The Red Womb of Order now sealed behind him, the pulsating crimson light gone.
Valeris appeared beside him a second later, her expression guarded, her hand still resting on her weapon as if the fight hadn't left her bones yet.
They stood once again in the very place where they had first entered—the hidden doorway to the Red Womb, nestled deep within the Varnis family estate.
And waiting for them, cloaked in quiet authority, was the Lord himself.
"I see you've returned," Lord Varnis said in his deep, composed voice. His golden robes shimmered faintly with runes of Law. "Now that I have repaid my debt, you are free to leave."
But Asher didn't move. He simply looked at the man, gaze calm, yet unreadable.
"You must have Law Crystals stored as well," he said. "I wish to buy them."
Lord Varnis raised an eyebrow. He didn't dismiss the request outright. "We do have a collection of Law Crystals," he admitted. "But they are not for sale to just anyone."
Unlike Asher and Valeris, most cultivators who entered the Red Wombs did not survive, much less return with intact Law Crystals. The guardians inside were feral and ancient, and only the young could enter, making it a costly ordeal to retrieve these treasures. No one was allowed to absorb Law Crystals inside the wombs—by rule and for their own safety. Instead, all crystals were extracted post-exit and divided by contribution. Half of the entire haul always went to the Varnis family—to be stored and used only during emergencies.
"Hmm…" Asher stepped forward, his eyes glowing faintly with soul light. "I can increase the talent of one of your chosen. A true prodigy will be born among them. If I do this for you, will you give me a full set?"
He regarded Asher for several long seconds, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded slowly.
"...If what you claim is true," he said, "then I will grant you one complete set. One capable of bringing someone to 100% comprehension in three laws—Darkness, Blood, and Corruption."
Asher nodded. "Good. Then bring the one whose talent you wish to raise. And in return, instead of one complete set of a single law, I'll take a half-set each of Corruption and Blood Law Crystals."
Lord Varnis's gaze sharpened at that. But he did not refuse.
"Very well," he said at last. "Follow me. Let us see if you truly possess the power to create a prodigy."
Lord Varnis turned with a rustle of his robes and began walking. Asher and Valeris followed in silence, the familiar corridors of the estate stretching before them—wrought from marbled stone and etched with faintly glowing sigils. The air was quieter now, more solemn. A stillness hung in the halls, as though the estate itself waited to see what would happen next.
They passed through a high archway guarded by twin statues of faceless knights and entered the same guest chamber where they had once been received. Varnis gestured toward the low seats beside the jade-inlaid table.
"Wait here," he said, his tone unreadable. "I must speak with the others."
Without another word, he turned and left, the door closing behind him with a whisper of displaced air.
Valeris exhaled and sank into one of the seats. "So… now we wait."
Asher nodded, already closing his eyes, his senses slowly unfurling outward in quiet observation of the surrounding estate.
Meanwhile, across the estate, Lord Varnis moved through the long corridor into the restricted wing—a place only the ruling members of the Varnis bloodline could enter.
There, inside the inner chamber of council, three elders were already waiting. Golden robes shimmered with varying hues of law energy, and their expressions were a mix of suspicion, concern, and cautious curiosity.
Varnis stepped into the center, his voice calm but clear.
"The Evolver Asher has returned from the Red Womb. Not only did he survive, he cleared it."
Just like how in Asher world the one who awakedn their core were called Awakners in this World people like them are called Evolvers.
Gasps whispered through the chamber.
"Impossible," murmured Elder Rhass, the eldest among them. "That Womb housed three Small-Class World Rank beasts in its deepest layers…"
"He did not only survive," Varnis interrupted, "he emerged with no visble injury, and a level of comprehension , one can get perfectly in one cycle. His companion—Valeris—is of similar caliber."
There was a beat of silence.
Then Elder Lurein, sharp-eyed and stern, leaned forward. "And what does he want?"
Varnis folded his hands behind his back. "He claims he can raise the talent of one person. Truly raise it. Not with elixirs, not with arrays—but with some form of direct augmentation. He offers this in exchange for a full Law Crystal set."
The other elders exchanged wary glances.
"And you believe him?" Rhass asked.
"I saw what he did inside the Womb," Varnis said. "I saw the aftermath. Even the chamber guardians bent before him. That alone would be enough to call him extraordinary—but this? This could alter the future of our line."
"Or it could be a ploy," Lurein snapped. "What if it's a trick? A temporary boost that fades once he's gone? What if he drains our chosen instead? Leaves them broken and useless?"
"Or worse," Rhass muttered, "he binds their potential to himself in some cursed pact."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Then Varnis spoke again, quiet but firm.
"Then I will send my youngest child, Veyra. She is already a mutated case. We discovered that her power, rather than expanding, has only weakened—and her affinity has deviated from the Laws we comprehend."
"Even if she ends up crippled, it won't affect our family much," he added coldly.
One of the elders glanced at him with a raised brow. "You're still as ruthless as ever."
The others nodded in quiet agreement.
"Very well," said another. "Proceed. But inform this 'Evolver' that after raising her potential, they must remain in the estate for another month. If everything proves stable with young Veyra, we will grant them five percent worth of Law Crystals of their choosing."
"And if not," the eldest elder finished, voice hard as iron, "then they either die… or pay us for the damage they've caused."
Lord Varnis nodded as he left and beagn to return to guest room where Asher and Valeris is.
The heavy wooden doors opened once again, and Lord Varnis stepped inside the guest room with his hands clasped behind his back. His expression was composed, but there was an unmistakable edge in his eyes—like a man who had just gambled something precious and wasn't sure if he'd win or lose.
Asher and Valeris looked up from where they sat.
"We have come to a decision," Varnis said, voice calm but laced with steel. "You will be allowed to attempt your so-called evolution… on my youngest daughter, Veyra."
Valeris raised an eyebrow, surprised. Asher said nothing, eyes narrowing slightly.
"the same lady you saved" He added as Asher nodded.
" But why her?" Asher asked as Lord Varnis looked at him.
Varnis spoke in neutral tone, "She is… an anomaly. Her talent is fractured, mutated. Her affinity deviated from what we expected. Frankly, her path is already unstable, and even if she were to become crippled, our family would suffer no significant loss."
"So," Asher said quietly, eyes narrowing as he studied Varnis. "You're ready to sacrifice your daughter… the same one you once promised a wish to, should anyone be able to heal her?"
Valeris glanced at him, surprised by the tone in his voice. Asher wasn't angry—but there was something colder beneath his words. Curiosity mixed with judgment.