The dark void stretched endlessly. Stars flickered like cold diamonds scattered across a velvet ocean. Within that vast silence, Rowan sat cross-legged on a fragment of shattered meteorite, eyes closed, his breath merging with the rhythm of the universe itself.
For seven days and nights, he had not moved. His mind wandered between the realms of consciousness and enlightenment, feeling every pulse of energy that rippled through space. The power of the Immortal Technique the ancient secret art he had risked everything to obtain was finally beginning to awaken inside him.
Around him, threads of light wove in spirals, forming mysterious runes that shimmered faintly before dissolving into his body. His aura grew denser, colder, yet strangely serene. Every second, his cells seemed to hum with celestial energy, drawing strength from the infinite void.
When he finally opened his eyes, two streaks of golden brilliance shot out like lightning.
"The King-Sealing Immortal Technique…" Rowan whispered, his voice calm yet trembling with suppressed awe. "So this is the power that transcends the divine."
He clenched his fist slowly. Space itself quivered around his hand. Just a gentle motion and a ripple of distorted gravity spread outward, crushing the meteorite beneath him into dust.
He had succeeded.
The technique was unlike any form of power he had cultivated before. It didn't simply enhance strength or speed it redefined existence itself. Within his consciousness, he could feel a new kind of energy flowing: an energy that resonated with the laws of creation, the pulse of the cosmos.
But it came with a warning.
In his mind echoed the solemn voice of Babata, the ancient AI spirit who had guided him since the beginning.
"Rowan, the King-Sealing Immortal Technique is not merely a weapon. It binds the wielder to the fabric of the universe. Every time you use it, it will test your will. Fail the test… and your soul will scatter into the stars."
Rowan smiled faintly. "A little risk makes life interesting."
Babata sighed, exasperated but amused. "You're as reckless as your master once was."
"I learned from the best," Rowan replied, standing up.
He gazed toward the distant blue planet that hung like a jewel in the cosmic dark Earth. His home. His proving ground.
On that small world, chaos was brewing. Reports had reached him through the Alliance: powerful monsters had begun appearing across the continents, their strength beyond comprehension. Some claimed they were creatures from the deep void, drawn to Earth by a mysterious resonance the same resonance now throbbing in Rowan's veins.
"Coincidence?" he murmured. "Or something calling out to me?"
He activated his flight armor, and golden light erupted from his feet. The vast silence of space shattered as he shot forward, cutting through the darkness at near-light speed.
Meanwhile, deep within the Eastern Federation Base, Vanessa stood before a holographic display. The map of Earth glowed crimson each red dot a signal of monstrous activity.
"Thirty-two new sightings in the last twenty-four hours," she said grimly. "And their energy readings are increasing exponentially."
At her side, Ryan crossed his arms, expression unreadable. "The world's evolving faster than we can adapt. If this continues, even the planetary defense systems won't be enough."
Vanessa turned to him. "Rowan's been gone too long. If he doesn't return soon, humanity might not survive this wave."
Ryan's lips twitched in a faint, knowing smile. "He'll come back. He always does."
Far above the planet, Rowan descended through the atmosphere like a falling star. Clouds burned around him, streaks of fire marking his return. The air howled as he slowed, finally touching down atop a mountain ridge overlooking the shattered ruins of what was once the Eastern Capital.
Below, he saw devastation entire city blocks reduced to rubble, massive craters smoking with residual heat. Among the ruins, something stirred.
A colossal creature emerged from the shadows, its body resembling molten rock fused with steel, eyes burning like twin suns. Its roar split the air, shaking the ground for miles.
Rowan felt his pulse quicken.
"A planet-level beast… it's already begun."
The creature charged. With every step, mountains trembled. Rowan stood his ground, calm as still water. When the beast's claws slashed toward him, he moved not with haste, but with perfect grace.
His hand rose, and golden runes flared around him.
The King-Sealing Immortal Technique ignited.
Time itself seemed to slow. Every movement, every breath, became deliberate, absolute. Energy exploded outward from Rowan's core, coalescing into a brilliant sphere that expanded faster than the eye could follow.
The creature's claws struck the golden barrier and instantly disintegrated. A scream of pure agony echoed through the heavens as the beast's body began to collapse its molecular structure unraveling under the pressure of cosmic law.
When silence finally returned, only a faint breeze remained. The mountain, the city, the very air seemed to bow to Rowan's presence.
He exhaled softly, sweat glistening on his brow. The technique's power was intoxicating but it was also terrifying. For an instant, he had glimpsed the edge of something greater than himself… and it stared back.
Babata's voice rang in his mind again.
"You've barely scratched the surface. That was the first layer of the King-Sealing Immortal Technique. Beyond it lies power that even the gods feared to wield."
Rowan smirked. "Then I suppose I'll just have to learn to wield it better than the gods."
He turned his gaze toward the horizon, where the clouds glowed with the light of a new dawn. Somewhere beyond that light, new challenges awaited monsters, warriors, perhaps even gods.
But for now, he was ready.
Because Rowan, the man who had crossed worlds and defied fate itself, had taken the first true step toward becoming something more than human.