Inheritance of Asura, just the name sounded badass.

But alas, Alden and his beef with expectations never let him have a breather.

Every time he dared to breathe expectation, disappointment slapped him with reality, saying. "Another time, motherfucker."

Tsk.

Alden couldn't help but click his tongue as he scanned the status window showing the details of the skill—or the stored technique, to be precise.

—

Skill Name: Inheritance of Asura

Rank: ???

Condition: Sealed

Effect: A stored technique from one who once stood at the pinnacle of the ??? Expanse.

Feared by all, named in whispers as "Asura," this skill carries his final echo. The technique can only be unleashed once, and the user will have to pay the cost for using the power beyond the world's capability.

—

A lot of people would kill for something like this.

A final echo from probably a god? That was straight-up cheat code territory.

And yet…

Somewhere in the greedy corners of his heart, Alden had hoped for more. A hidden upgrade. A secret second stage. Maybe some anime-style twist where touching the skill would unlock a whole transformation arc.

But life wasn't an anime. And if it was, he was clearly not the protagonist.

Well, he was indeed an extra character who dies in the early part of the story.

Still, the skill description gave him a lot of other information.

Like the name of his failed possibility.

Asura.

That explains his cringey way of speaking.

Mind you, the name was okay, but maybe he immersed himself too deeply in that role.

Still, he once stood at the pinnacle of not just one world but a whole expanse and still lost.

He failed.

Alden could only imagine what he would have to face in the future.

All the jokes aside, Alden could feel the gravity of it.

This wasn't just a borrowed move. It was a tombstone. A sealed inheritance left by the self that couldn't win.

He looked away from the window with his jaw tight.

He couldn't afford to gamble everything on a final technique, especially one that came with a price tag he didn't even know if he would be able to cover.

No. He needed his own path.

A goal solidified in his mind:

I need to awaken my bloodline as soon as possible.

With those thoughts, he closed his status window.

Just then, his ManaSync buzzed with notifications.

He pulled it out and checked to see. Buried within thousands of notifications was the message from Amyra.

—

Where are you? Others are already here… We will be late.

—

Oh shit.

Alden looked at the time and cursed.

Without wasting any more time, he walked towards the table by the bedside and picked up Kyun softly.

She stirred for a moment before she went to sleep again.

He gently put her down in his backpack—the one he was carrying for the sole reason of carrying her.

He couldn't exactly leave her here… especially since he would be gone for at least a few weeks.

After making sure she was comfortable, he placed a camouflage artifact he had bought a while ago.

Perfect.

From outside it looked like he was carrying a bunch of clothes.

With everything done and all his luggage packed in his storage ring, he exited the apartment.

The door clicked shut behind him as he approached the lift.

With a soft ding, it opened.

But someone else was already there.

"Hey, Nyx." Alden waved his hand. "How are you doing?"

She didn't reply.

For some reason she looked quite different than before.

The ever cheerful girl Alden knew was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she had just turned into a completely different person.

Did something happen while I was away?

Before he could say anything more, the door to the lift closed.

Alden stood there for a moment.

What the actual hell happened while I was gone just for a few days?

Kyun started talking.

Preliminaries were done.

And now Nyx was acting all weird.

Did I really enter some parallel universe or something?

—

Meanwhile, within the lift, Nyx's already down expression sank even further.

She didn't know why she hadn't spoken.

Or maybe—deep down—she did.

The nightmares about her past had been haunting her more and more recently.

It was as if they were warning her to

Don't get close.

Don't trust this feeling.

Don't believe in the light.

Alden and Amyra.

Her friends…

…they were far too bright for someone who grew in darkness like her.

She tried to blend in. Smile when they smiled. Laugh when they laugh.

But the dreams reminded her again and again:

This isn't your world. You are only passing through.

When it ends—and it always ends—she would return to the dark.

Worse still…

She might drag them in with her.

And that, she couldn't bear.

The way they looked at her.

The way they saw her.

As if she were more than just the echo of something broken.

She didn't deserve that.

Didn't deserve them.

And somehow, knowing that…

… made it hurt even more.

The lift opened in the lobby. Her friends were gathered there.

Amyra was still calm as ever, acting cold, but she could feel her gaze pass over her slightly in unhidden concern.

Aziel smiled as brightly as always, waving at her to join them.

Cecilia was giggling beside him and waving softly as well.

But as Nyx looked at their faces… Her resolve grew even stronger.

I am just an anomaly in this world.

She didn't respond to any of their greetings and just walked away without a single expression on her face.

—

Amyra looked at Nyx quietly.

What is happening with her?

A thought echoed in her mind. This was definitely not the Nyx she knew.

The one who always came between her and Alden,

The one who challenged her straightforwardly to win Alden over.

No, this girl looked broken, as if she had lost something important.

Hope.

At least she won't interfere between me and my dear anymore.

But even as she thought this, Amyra couldn't stop a small ember of concern from burning in her heart for the only girl who truly wanted to be her friend.

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