Zane blinked as the swirling portal spat him out into darkness.
"This cave looks promising," Link said. "Secure, isolated. Perfect for the ritual."
Nyx hovered beside him, voice sharp. "You will be vulnerable the entire time. No distractions, no interruptions. Guard your mind."
Zane rolled his eyes. "Vulnerable? You two sound like my overprotective parents."
He stepped forward, his boots crunching on loose stone. The cave smelled of damp earth and old secrets.
At first, Zane thought he had the place to himself. Then he noticed the faint glow of firelight from deeper inside.
"Great," Zane muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Looks like I've got company."
Unseen figures stirred — shadows flickering at the edges of vision. Signs of human presence were everywhere — abandoned tools, faint footprints.
Without hesitation, Zane summoned a wall of solid shadow, blocking the cave's entrance like a fortress.
"Try and get through that," he said with a smirk.
Following Link's precise instructions, Zane reluctantly began the ritual preparation.
First — shed everything.
The chill of the cave made him shiver, but he didn't care.
No distractions. No excuses.
He stripped down, standing bare-skinned and exposed.
"Not exactly how I imagined leveling up, but hey, you gotta suffer for greatness," he muttered.
With swift, deliberate strokes, Zane wove runes of shadow onto the cave floor.
The runes shimmered faintly, etched with patterns of power and balance — a carefully constructed web designed to channel the energy of his artifacts.
One by one, he placed each artifact at its designated rune:
The Dagger of End settled on a rune shaped like a breaking chain.
Ring of Umbrabind slid onto a rune swirling with dark tendrils.
Phantom Chain clinked against a rune echoing with whispers.
Ring of Auric Dominion shimmered atop a time-warped spiral.
Abyssal Glove rested on a rune resembling an open palm.
Crown of Void was set on a rune radiating calm resilience.
Tattoo of Echoed Strikes glowed faintly on a rune shaped like a twin blade.
Mask of the Final Thought hovered last, encircled by runes of mental fortitude and precognition.
As each artifact touched its rune, a ripple of glowing energy pulsed outward — the cave itself humming with raw power.
Zane stepped back, breath shallow, heart pounding.
Link's voice was quiet but firm. "Now the final step. Focus. Channel your Void."
Zane closed his eyes, feeling the familiar burn of Void energy surge through him.
The runes blazed bright, the artifacts resonating in harmony.
SYSTEM INTERFACE ACTIVE
LEVEL: 78 (Ascendant)
VOID ENERGY: 100% (Max)
ARTIFACTS ACQUIRED: 8/8
Endblade Mastery (Dagger of End): Bypass all physical & magical defenses
Umbrabind Control (Ring of Umbrabind): Control shadows of ranks ≤ self
Phantom Swap (Phantom Chain): Create & swap with phantom copies
Auric Time Control (Ring of Auric Dominion): Manipulate time within 10m radius (self immune)
Abyssal Mimicry (Abyssal Glove): Copy last seen/heard spell
Void Crown Resilience (Crown of Void): Amplify Void powers & mental resistance
Echo Strike (Tattoo of Echoed Strikes): Duplicate attacks with 1-second delay
Final Thought Precognition (Mask of the Final Thought): Predict & counter enemy moves, tactical overdrive, memory sync
TOTAL POWER LEVEL: 997,432 CP (Combat Power)
WARNING: Prolonged use of Final Thought Precognition may impact emotional stability.
Zane opened his eyes, feeling the heavy weight of power settle comfortably inside him.
He grinned wide, flexing his fingers as shadows danced around his arms.
"Alright," he said with unmistakable swagger, "Let's see what this bad boy can really do."
Nyx chuckled softly. "Finally. The true Ascendant awakens."
Link gave a rare smile. "This world won't know what hit it."