Chapter 5: Interlude Chamber - Temporary Safe Zone
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[Post-Battle: Dungeon Floor 10 - Collapsing boss chamber]
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The heat still lingered in the chamber, rising in steam curls from the twitching carcass of the Gorehowl Centipede. Its gears occasionally whined. Like the last dying echoes of a broken machine. The walls trembled softly, as if the dungeon had acknowledged his conquest... or resented it.
Ashborn remained seated, arms on his knees, head tilted back against a fractured slab of obsidian. His body ached down to the marrow. A fractured rib stabbed with every breath. Charred skin. Burned nerves. His cosmic energy was fluctuating like a storm barely held in a bottle.
The silence was broken by the familiar system pulse. A soft chime echoed directly in his neural threads.
[System notification: Challenger Level-Up Sequence engaged]
A glowing interface fanned open in the air like a mechanical lotus.
"Level-Up status"
Name: Ashborn Lionheart
Race: Cosmic Spirit (Mythforged Variant)
System sync: 78.2%
Cosmif Stigmata Gained "Dragon of True Transcendence"
Skill acquired: [Sonic Spiral fang]
Artifact acquired: Gorehowl core fragment (Soulbound)
Ascension Path Resonance: +4% Awakened tier compression
New ability unlocked [Gravity Pulse dive - Beta State]
Ashborn blinked slowly, watching his interface adjust and relign.
"You're kidding, right?" He muttered, his voice half a rasp, half a laugh.
"E-Rank Challenger?"
He barked a tired laugh, coughing halfway through.
"Even a thousand E-Ranks would've been mulch. That thing... that wasn't a beast. That was a walking trauma engine." He looked down at his cracked gauntlet, the dried red-black sludge coating his arm, and shook his head. "That's an SSS-Rank Dungeon for you."
The laughter faded.
He glanced at the remnants of the boss chamber. The burning corpse, the molten floor veins, the remnants of destruction he'd unleashed alone.
Then a thought cut through the haze of adrenaline.
He stood slowly, breathing heavily, and stepped to the center of the boss room where a shifting blue portal gate had appeared, suspended in a Pentagonal spin. A flicker of light scanned him before stabilizing.
His thoughts lingered.
'If this is only the tenth floor... and that thing was considered an E-rank kill, then either this dungeon has a twisted sense of humor, or it's designed to make people die feeling weak.
He walked toward the portal, letting the system interface linger beside him like a floating HUD.
"Solo path, huh...? There's no system log about others. No cross-synchronization of multiple user pathways. But..."
He narrowed his eyes, voice low.
"...What if I'm just the only one that survived this far?"
He stepped through.
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Ashborn emerged into a dim chamber filled with warm, breathing air a low humming sound radiated from the walls like heartbeat echoes.
The room itself was circular, its edges inscribed with runes written in hundreds of tongues: ancient celestial, primordial bloodscript, forbidden codes from dead worlds. A translucent pedestal hovered in the center, topped with a flickering ember of light.
[Welcome to Interlude Chamber - Temporary safe zone]
Healing protocols initiated. Stamina recovery: 15%/minute. Mana sync: accelerated.
You may rest, train, or access internal class development here.
Ashborn sighed, dropped to a knee, then leaned into the curved wall.
For the first time, the pain dulled.
The system flared gently beside him, offering two flickering icons:
• View Skill Tome: [Sonic Spiral Fang]
• Access Artifact: Gorehowl Core Fragment
He let them hover there.
Instead, he looked up at the void ceiling, lips barely moving.
"...if I'm not alone in this Dungeon. Then someone out there either died worse... or is stronger."
He didn't know which answer he'd prefer.
His eyes slowly closed, and he faded into a half-asleep state beneath the protective hum of the interlude chamber.
"Floor 10... survived."
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The healing hum of the chamber faded into the background as ashborn exhaled and reached out toward the floating icons. They shimmered like twin stardust flames. One crimson-red, the other a deep violet edged in green circuits.
His fingers tapped the first l.
> Viewing Skill Tome: [Sonic Spiral Fang]
Classification: Close-Combat / Piercing / High-Speed Execution.
Origin: Legacy of the Spiral Fang Sect - Extinct Era.
Tier: C-Rank Combat Technique.
System Sync: Adapted to cosmic core signature.
Description:
A single-target assassination technique developed by Spiral Fang Martial assassins during the Eternal War cycle. By condensing kinetic energy into a rotating drill motion around a limb, weapon, or tooth, the user launches forward in a compressed
Sonic burst, striking with armor-breaking penetration and auditory speed.
• Addictive Effect: High-frequency vibration destabilizes enemy armor and internal structures.
• Chain Effect (Unlocked at mastery 50%)
Can chain into secondary spirals or ricochet strikes within 3 seconds.
• Drawback: Requires fine control of momentum and high spatial awareness; severe limb backlash if overused.
Ashborn tilted his head. "High-Speed impalement wrapped in sound... nasty. Could've made the Centipede scream louder."
The icon pulsed.
[Would you like to assimilate "Sonic Spiral Fang" into your combat arsenal?
Warning: Recommend muscle fiber strain check.]
Ashborn clicked confirm.
The moment he did, the tome folded open in mid-air like a holographic scroll. Silver rings of data spun around his arms and spine. A low howl pierced the chamber, not audible by ear, but by nerve. His muscles convulsed. Spirals burned into his forearms in a faint glow.
[Skill assimilated. Combat muscle Threads Recalibrated. "Sonic Spiral Fang" added to Technique Tree.]
He flexed his fingers, watching faint tremors ripple through the air as micro-vibrations activated instinctively.
"...Alright. Let's test that later."
He tapped the second icon.
> [Accessing Artifact: Gorehowl Core Fragment (Soulbound)
Type: Adaptive Artifact - Organic/Mechanical Hybrid Core.
Rarity: Unique
State: Semi-Integrated (Requires forge or resonance Engine to evolve)
Origin: Internal Heart Core of Gorehowl Centipede, modified through eldritch fusion.
Description:
A pulsating Fragment harvested from the main power organ of the Gorehowl Centipede. Contains unstable bio-mechanical energy capable of fusing with compatible cosmic signatures. Still faintly alive. Whispers are occasionally recorded.
• Passive Ability: [Sonic Reverb Mantle]
Surrounds the user in a thin barrier of vibrating air particles that distort enemy perception and disrupt projectile trajectory.
• Active Pulse: Gorehowl Roar (Cooldown: 2 minutes)
Emits a destabilizing roar that fractures equilibrium in a 15-meter radius. Disorients foes, weakens magic precision, and temporarily boosts the user's vibration-based Techniques.
• [Awakenable State]
Requires Dungeon Forge or Spirit-Brand ritual to unlock higher stages. Can evolve into either
° [Howling engine core]
° [Centipede Fang Array]
Ashborn raised an eyebrow,
"Still whispering huh?" He placed a hand over the floating core. The temperature dropped instantly. Metallic cold and wet meat heat, both at once.
It throbbed.
He didn't flinch.
[Artifact integration complete. Equipped to Chest Slot: Internal Relic Node.]
With a pulse of light, the fragment faded into his chest, fusing invisibly beneath the skin. Though he could feel the bass hum settle into his ribcage.
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Ashborn stood, stretching slightly.
A faint shoom-shoom-shoom echoed as the Sonif Spiral Fang briefly activated and deactivated at his feet, the very air spinning in cone-like spirals.
He clenched his fist.
"...Better. much better."
As he turned toward the Interlude Gate leading to floor 11, his HUD shifted again:
[Next floor entry confirmed]
Random Environment Modifier: 'Low gravity riftfield'
Known conditions: Oxygen Thin / Enhanced Jump / Limited Surface Stability
Mid-boss presence: Confirmed
Reward tier: Silver+
Ashborn smirked.
"Let's see how you like Spiral death... in low gravity."
He stepped through the gate
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[Horrorborn Abyss Dungeon - Floor 10 cleared]
Boss Defeated: Gorehowl Centipede
Reward Claimed: [Skill Tome: Sonic Spiral Fang] + [Artifact: Gorehowl Core Fragment]
Ashborn emerged from the Gore-slicked chamber, his skin still humming with residual echoes of the Centipede's final screech. He didn't stop to breathe. The dungeon didn't let you celebrate.
The next floor swallowed him whole...
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[Floor 11-19 Dungeon Drift Phase]
These weren't boss floors yet they didn't lack danger.
Floor 12: A forest of serrated glass trees that bleed cursed mercury.
Floor 15: a blindfolded colossus patrolling a hollow ocean, reacting only to heartbeats.
Floor 18: an inverted mountain where gravity changed every ten seconds, filled with creatures that spoke only in death threats to themselves.
Ashborn adapted fast.
'Sonic Spiral Fang' became his opener. Thrusting through weak spots at impossible angles.
He learned to weaponize the 'Gorehowl roar' in tight corridors, stunning enemies long enough to be erased by concentrated spirals or foot-mounted shockwave strikes.
By floor 19, his system gave a prompt:
[You're adapting too fast.
The scaling curve increases.
Next floor: Boss challenge - suppressed echo class
He cracked his neck and walked forward.
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[Floor 20 - Omen Choir]
Type: Floating suspended sky-void, stained-glass bridges, invisible chasms.
Weakness: sound disruption/silence fields.
Reward: [Relic: bell of Unheard sound]
The sky wasn't sky. It was sound.
Cathedrals floated in clouds of tremor and chant. Inside, rows of masked beings levitated in ritual, their songs a lattice of manipulation. Every note twisted thought, emotion, and identity.
Ashborn landed on the floor-
And nearly slit his own throat before realizing his mind had been flooded with fabricated despair.
He tore his ears open with vibrating fingers to disrupt the song's grasp. Blood dripped. Focus returned.
"Sound-based mass hypnosis... through collective harmony. A choir of mental parasites," he muttered, then grinned. "Fine. Let's see how they like a little static."
He flung the Gorehowl Core Fragment into overdrive.
The 'Gorehowl roar' shattered the closest psionic bridge. Dozens of choir singers screamed in fractured harmony. He launched into them with Spiral Fang embedded in his knees. Sonic blades crashing into sonic minds.
But they adapted.
Their pitch shifted to lower frequencies.
So Ashborn stopped fighting with his ears.
He used vibration sense. Sensing the world like a bat through touch. And began counter-humming beneath his breath. Minor counterharmonics. A child's lullaby is out of sync with their cries.
Silence fields began forming around him naturally. The Choir screeched in glitching agony.
Field Created: Null-Tone Aura - Rank F (Temporary)
Casting matrix disrupted. Mass banishing triggered.
Within seconds, their floating sanctum ruptured.
The final sound was a bell being struck.
Then...
[Relic Acquired: Bell of Unheard Songs]
Type: Passive Relic - Anti-Sound field emitter
Effect: Can suppress all sound within 20 meters for 10 seconds. Cooldown 3 minutes.
Hidden trait: Ghost echo immunity tier 1
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[Floor 21-29: The Fracture Run]
Each floor began mutating. Time dilation, mirror reality splits, and ambient insanity.
Ashborn barely slept. He meditated, kneeling inside moving gravity storms, and learned to manipulate silence. He honed his reflexive resistance to manipulation, and he shaped attacks out of negative space. The dungeon was forcing his growth.
[Floor 30 - Pale Widow of Erosion]
Type: Trans-dimensional spider matron
Environment: webbed infinity, fractured realms
Weakness: Reflected Damage via Ethereal Strands.
Reward: [System Upgrade: Matter Weaving Lv. 2]
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This wasn't a fight.
It was an ambush through dimensions.
The pale widow didn't exist in full. Only her pieces, eyes, jaws, and legs. Appeared between holes in space. Her webs weren't silk. They were made of time strands, breath moments, choices undone.
Ashborn first hit missed. Because she erased the moment he swung.
He laughed. "Okay. You eat time."
Then he baited her.
He purposely let her hook into his arms with a strand and channeled Sonic Spiral Fang through the anchor.
The time strand reflected the attack into her fragment across reality. She shrieked in eleven voices.
Reflection Principle.
He pulsed all his damage outward, not at her body but at her presence within her strands.
Eventually, he wove Gorehowl roar into the strands themselves using a rudimentary form of Matter Weaving, reverberating echoes through the webbed Continuum.
When she died, it was slow.
She unexisted.
[System Upgrade acquired: Matter Weaving Lv 2]
You may now form constructs from non-traditional materials, such as vibration, silence, echoes, and reality fractures. Additional functions are unlocked in the system.
Ashborn rolled his shoulder. "That... hurt."
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[Floor 31-39 - Echo spiral]
Everything here was sound.
Screaming walls. Shifting frequencies that whispered his worst memories. Enemies born of noise. Sound made flesh.
But Ashborn had silence.
He had the bell.
He had the Spiral Fang laced with non-sound. And now he could weave matter from nothing but discord.
He leveled up not by brute force but by resisting resonance and learning to speak the dungeon's language.
The system pulsed again:
[Dungeon Recognition Tier - B+ Challenger
Status: Dangerous anomaly. Monitor closely.]
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[Floor 40 - The Hollow Choir king]
Type: Failed God of sound
Environment: Cracked cathedral of echoes
Weakness: Pulse disruption / Harmonic collapse.
Reward: [Cosmic Core Subroutine: Echo Forge]
Ashborn entered a sunken cathedral, suspended on a dead world of ash.
Above him, a gigantic humanoid being hung in place. Its throat was stitched shut, but the sound came from inside its hollow chest. Each rib a pipe organ, each movement a new cry.
The Hollow Choir King was not singing. He was the song.
And he had waited.
Ashborn stepped forward, blood still dried at the corner of his ear from recent battles.
He whispered:
"System Status"
[Ashborn Lionheart]
Designation: Cosmic Spirit (Mythforged Variant)
Race: Cosmic spirit— Former Nephilim Dragon (Lineage Sealed)
Class: Cosmic Knight
Level: 25
Title: Wielder of Genesis Thread | Tower Challenger – Solo Path | First of the 40 | Spiral Echo Vanguard.
Genesis Thread: Active - Pulse Weaving Mode.
Ascension Tier: Sealed Core – High Grade
Core Sync: increased from 82 to 88.6%
His core now reacts even during instinctual motion or passive emotion shifts.
Main Affinity: [Cosmic]
Elemental Affinities: [Space, Light, and Entropy - Partially Unsealed]
Health (HP): 8,650/8,650
Ashborn's health regenerates rapidly, making it difficult to keep him down for too long.
Stamina (SP): 5,420/5,420
Ashborn possesses incredible stamina, allowing him to endure physical exertion for extended durations without fatigue. He can run for miles without breaking a sweat and fight for days without needing rest.
MP (Mana Points): 6,880/6,880
Ashborn's mana pool is vast, capable of fueling even powerful spells without quickly running dry. His mana pool is not exhausted easily, and it continues to regenerate over time.
Strength: (460)
Ashborn's strength is incredibly high level. His superhuman strength would allow him to lift massive amounts of weight, break through almost any barrier, and overpower nearly any being in physical combat. His strength would also allow him to use various weapons with terrifying force, easily breaking through the strongest armor and shields, and even crushing powerful opponents within his grip. Even other superhumans and magical creatures would have to think twice about challenging Ashborn's brute strength, as it would take an immense amount of power to match him in brute strength. In terms of sheer power, Ashborn can go toe to toe with the strongest of enemies.
Speed: (480
Ashborn Possesses. Speed is likely to be in the range of 150-210, making him incredibly agile and fast, even compared to other high-level adventurers and warriors. This would enable him to move quickly and swiftly across the battlefield, evading attacks and closing distances in a split second.
Durability: 410
Ashborn's durability is legendary. He possesses an incredibly high level of durability because he was born to be King and was also bathed in the power of primal energy at birth. This, combined with his years of training and battle, has imbued his very flesh and bones with a durability that few can match, if not break. Ashborn is impervious to normal gunfire and other man-made weapons, and even energy weapons are difficult to penetrate his skin. Ashborn's durability is close to that of a tank, making him the tank of his group.』
Dexterity: 400
Ashborn has a very high Dexterity stat, which allows him to move quickly and agilely in combat and react instantly to any attack. His high Dexterity allows him to weave in and out of danger, dodging attacks and counterattacking with speed and accuracy. Ashborn's Dexterity is so great that it can be difficult for his opponents to keep up with him, and he can dodge attacks from multiple directions with seemingly little effort. This high Dexterity, combined with his fighting skills and magical abilities, makes Ashborn a truly formidable and dangerous opponent.
Agility: 480
Ashborn has an extremely high agility stat, allowing him to move and react incredibly fast. His speed and agility are second to none, so quick in fact that it is difficult to see him move at times. He is almost always able to dodge any attack thrown his way and can move his body effortlessly from one place to the next. Ashborn's agility is a great asset in combat and in everyday life. His agility is so great that he appears to almost teleport, popping up in one place, only to disappear somewhere else moments later. This incredible agility allows him to dodge attacks, outmaneuver opponents, and move with a grace and quickness that is almost impossible to outpace and counter.
Intellect: 200
Ashborn's intellect is exceptional, allowing him to quickly grasp complex concepts and strategize in battle. Ashborn's intelligence is very high. This is due to his ability to quickly understand and analyze information, as well as his vast knowledge and understanding of various subjects. Ashborn is also able to come up with unique and creative ideas, making him a highly intelligent and quick learner. Some of how Ashborn's intelligence helps him is that he can learn new skills and information easily, as well as quickly analyze battles and opponents to know their strengths and weaknesses. He is also extremely good at reading people and seeing through their intentions.
Spirit: (Maxed)
His spirit now pulses with a stellar heartbeat. This grants passive resistance to all forms of spiritual disruption, fear effects, eldritch corruption, and soul fragmentation.
Cosmic Potential: S (New)
Compatibility with divine/cosmic forces – raw alignment with universal flow, capable of awakening sealed godlike traits.』
Magic: S (New)
Spell potential and energy output – baseline arcane projection exceeds royal court standards by 150%. Ashborn's mana output allows for fourth-level Concept Spells. Can collapse enemy shields through direct override or unweave spells mid-casting. Spell damage has quintupled since Level 17
Luck: (B)
Ashborn is exceptionally lucky,
Often finds himself in favorable positions and gets out of difficult situations unscathed. Dramatically increased due to broken Fate Chains from the Floor 30 boss.
Charisma: (D+)
Ashborn's charisma is very high, as he can easily win over new allies and has a natural charm that draws people to him.』
『Cosmic Core evolving...』
A crystallized nucleus of Cosmic Magic formed directly from Ashborn's being. It is a glowing orb of pure white light, surrounded by orbiting colors that represent various primordial energies—light, shadow, time, space, entropy, and genesis. The core is housed within a lattice of crystalline runes, each bearing inscriptions that react to intent and emotion. Wrapped in a golden aura, the Cosmic Core hums with power potent enough to bend the laws of physics and metaphysics.
[Cosmic Core Evolution > Stage I – Genesis Spiral Node]
The Cosmic Core has undergone partial evolution due to tower resonance and Sync progression.
(New appearance)
The once-stable crystalline orb now pulsates with layered dimensional threads, its orbiting rings of primal energy are now braided, rotating with chaotic harmony. Central light flares between white, silver, and violet. A halo of mythic script spirals slowly, unreadable except during Astral Sync.
Capabilities:
[Absorb Cosmic Radiation:]
Can continuously gather ambient cosmic or stellar energy, converting it into stabilized usable energy without external catalysts.
[Shape and Create Matter]
Through the four-step method (Gather → Shape → Energize → Imbue), craft raw materials, weapons, armor, tools, and constructs out of cosmic particles.
[Core Infusion]
Can store created matter into the core and resummon at will, acting as a spatial inventory.
[Cosmic Pulse Scan]
Allows limited scanning of the surrounding environment using pulse echoes; capable of detecting nearby entities, energy signatures, and spatial distortions.
[Genesis Thread Link]
Direct connection to Ashborn's origin potential; acts as a limiter and catalyst depending on emotional stability and resonance level.
[Core Amplification]
Enhances Ashborn's base powers, granting multiplicative returns when casting, fighting, or evolving abilities.
[Cosmic Spellcasting]
Enables unique spell formations derived from raw intent, emotion, and conceptual logic rather than traditional incantations.
[Reality-Weaving]
Ashborn can now create or rewrite localized physics within short radii (e.g., increasing gravity, reversing inertia, rewriting momentum flow).
[Overdrive Mode]
Under extreme duress, the core can enter an Overdrive state, drastically enhancing all stats, but at a high strain cost.
[Soul Sync]
The core evolves as Ashborn does—it is not static, and will gain new functions as he grows.
[SECOND COSMIC CORE EVOLUTION COMPLETED]
[Cosmic Core: Evolution Stage II - Harmonic Prism Nexus]
Visual Description:
The Cosmic Core has split into twin orbs spiraling around a lattice of floating rings, each symbol of Death, Rebirth, Genesis, Truth, and Freedom. It vibrates with harmonic frequencies that cause nearby ambient mana to shimmer.
New Capabilities added:
[Harmonic Duality Engine]
Core now passively harmonizes conflicting energy types, allowing Ashborn to wield paradoxical magic (e.g., Light + Entropy).
[Resonant Matter Expansion]
Can now generate macro-scale constructs like floating fortresses or shifting weapon arrays.
[Genesis Resonance Upgrade]
Now functions as both limiter and amplifier. Can delay death, slow time in Ashborn's favor, and invoke temporary stasis bursts.
[Memory Sigil Upgrade]
Stores not only movements, but moments. Emotional spikes, trauma reactions, and pure killing intent can now be replayed and imbued into attacks.
[Core Amplification Level 2]
Buffed multiplicative returns. Passive amplification of stats, particularly MP and SP by 2.5x when fully focused.
Active Powers:
『Genesis Thread』
Classification: Living cosmic construct.
Bound To: Ashborn Lionheart (Soul-sync confirmed)
Nature: Mythforged - Cosmic-Weave Variant.
Origin: woven from pre-creation echoes during the first mythic bloom.
Core concept: The Genesis Thread weaves together fate, memory, matter, myth, and potential. It is a living script that reshapes reality based on Ashborn's will, resolve, and inner state.
"Genesis Thread Evolution"
[Genesis Thread: Phase Two - Living Loom]
Ashborn can now thread his life energy into weapons, allies, or environments, creating temporary sentient constructs or enhancing them.
[Cosmic Power - Enhanced]
A vast ability allowing manipulation of the fundamental forces of reality—energy, matter, and time. Grants supreme perception, near-unbreakable barriers, and devastating combat capability. Ashborn's very presence is a beacon—and a threat—to cosmic beings. Now includes Mythic Binding Protocols — forcibly seals lesser cosmic-tier opponents into fragment states.
[Cosmic Energy Absorption - Upgraded] Absorbs ambient cosmic energy and converts it into personal power. Strength is theoretically limitless, depending on environmental density and Ashborn's willpower. Automatically converts lethal energy attacks into usable SP or MP during combat. Now functions while unconscious.
[Cosmic Energy Manipulation – Upgraded] Channels cosmic forces to enhance physical stats, unleash high-scale energy blasts, generate barriers, and fly unaided through space or atmospheric pressure. Cosmic Flight improved. Can now warp spatial vectors and redirect force.
[Cosmic Fusion – Upgraded]
Fuses abilities and elemental sources into hybrid techniques of immense potency. Capable of creating unheard-of combinations (e.g., supernova-black hole fusion strikes or divine-spirit healing constructs). Now includes "Mythoscape Threads" for fusing lore-based logic and metaphysical rules into weapon attacks or spellcraft.
[Cosmic Regenerative Factor – Tier II]
Heals moderate wounds nearly instantly. Can regrow organs or limbs in under a minute. Now immune to poison, corrosion, and entropy decay.
Item: "Genesis Fragment – Fully Synced"
Rank: ★★★★★ (Mythic Legendary)
Core Stability: Absolute
Features: Now capable of autonomous combat and interface with the dungeon system. Can function as a remote Core extension.
Origin Type: Hand-Forged Cosmic Matter
Bound Creator: Ashborn Lionheart
Class: Proto-Creation Core
Description:
A primordial shard of artificial matter created from condensed cosmic radiation, shaped by pure will and stabilized through Ashborn Lionheart's cosmic energy. A Genesis Fragment is a seed of creation, a raw, untamed spark of the universe's foundation.
Each Genesis Fragment contains quantum-crystalline threads and proto-elements that predate time itself. Its creation is considered a paradoxical feat, achievable only by a being with direct access to the universe's source code.
Abilities & Properties:
[Genesis Pulse]
Emits a reality-bending pulse capable of causing minor spatial distortions. Can destabilize weak dimensional fields or reconstruct them with guidance.
Cooldown: 60 seconds
[Proto-Matter Bloom]
On command, the fragment blooms into any single object Ashborn imagines (non-living, inorganic, and no larger than a small house). The object lasts 1 hour before dissolving into stardust.
Limit: 3 uses per day
[Quantum Resurgence]
When consumed or fused, it grants temporary cosmic regeneration and energy amplification (x2 boost to all stats for 10 minutes).
Cooldown: 48 hours
[Cosmic Memory Threading]
Can store a single memory, skill, or cosmic pattern. When implanted in another, it transfers the encoded data.
Currently Empty
Weaknesses:
Incredibly unstable if exposed to void corruption, chaotic ether, or anti-cosmic particles.
Each Genesis Fragment is unique. Duplicating one will collapse both versions.
Creation overload: Using all four abilities at once causes system fatigue and stat penalties for 24 hours.
[Core Passive Signature Update - "Echo-Surge Interface" installed]
The Echo Core has integrated fully, enhancing form memory, spatial awareness, and reactive strike harmonics.
[Relic Status] – Aetherion (Lv 4: growth type)
Next Form Unlocks at Lv.5
XP: 34%
Forms: Blade | Spear | Staff | Bow
Current Memory Sigil Stored Attack: Radiant Sever (Charged)
Class: Proto-Conceptual Blade (Legendary Relic)
Material Composition:
• Crystallized Genesis Matter
• Fused Starsteel Threads
• Embedded Void-Inertial Core
• New: Singularity Filament Inlay (enhances gravitic cohesion at point of impact)
Length: 5'9
Weight: Variable (linked to user's Cosmic Pulse)
Bound Wielder: Ashborn Lionheart
Description:
Aetherion is the first weapon forged from a Genesis Fragment. It is not merely a sword—it is a statement of existence. Each swing carries the potential to destabilize or affirm the structure of reality it touches. Aetherion doesn't cut materials—it cleaves through the intended state of things.
Abilities:
[Harmonic Feedback Layer] (New)
Every third strike releases a low-frequency pulse that disrupts enemy mana flow and reduces cooldowns on Ashborn's skills by 2 seconds.
[Reality Shear – Surge State]
Now ignores planar shielding and incorporeal states. If used during a Genesis Surge, the cut may erase the target's recent temporal progression (reverses the last 5 seconds of their combat actions).
Cooldown: 60 seconds
[Cosmic Trace – Refined]
Now bypasses defensive enchantments with each stack. Three stacks cause a magical backfire (brief explosion of their spell energy).
Stacks up to 3 times on a single target.
[Transcendental Shift]
Aetherion can shift forms mid-combat: blade, bow, staff, or spear. The transition consumes a portion of Ashborn's cosmic energy.
Switch delay: 3 seconds
[Memory Sigil]
Stores one powerful strike in the blade's memory. It can be recharged at full power after 30 seconds of charging.
Limit: Once per combat scene.
Aetherion Forms:
[Bow Mode - "Astral Piercer" (Echo Core Variant):]
Fires homing arrows of refracted Genesis energy. Each hit splits into twin echoes.
Effect: +30% hit rate vs high-speed enemies. Each impact causes a brief reality lag.
[Spear Mode - "Lance of Collapse"]
Thrusts bend localized gravity toward a pinpoint. Can create micro singularities on impact that collapse barriers.
Bonus: Deals bonus damage vs shielded or phased foes.
[Staff Mode - "Codex Scepter"]
Amplifies spellcasting and allows casting dual-channel magic (two spells at once). Also enables manipulation of nearby Genesis radiation for custom effects.
[Blade Mode - "Core Resonator"]
Optimized for melee. Gains increased damage based on enemy tier. Slashes emit echo bursts that deal 5% max HP as true damage every 5 strikes.
[Bloodline Abilities - New]
Nephilim Dragon: Partial Unseal]
grants latent hybrid divine-draconic regeneration and flight for limited durations.
[Genesis Flame - Awakened Ember form]
Type: Bloodline Technique
Uses partial Nephilim Breath Core.
Emits a spiraling blue-white fire that burns through time fragments and delays the regeneration of foes.
Flames ignore 60% magic resistance.
Active Combat Skills:
[Sonar Compression Field]
Pulse dome that slows projectiles and obscures echolocation. 40 MP. 45s CD.
[Void Thread Lunge (Enhanced)]
Now leaves behind a temporal echo of Ashborn that performs a delayed mimic attack.
Cost: 25 SP | CD: 20s
[Radiant Sever]
Aetherion erupts with condensed light after a 2-strike combo, burning a clean line forward. And when used with Echo Core active, the charged line cleave creates a fracture zone that distorts time inside it.
55 MP. 30s CD | temporarily nullifies passive regeneration in targets.
[Echo Vein Spiral - Mastered]
Now deals triple-hit combo with spatial tears and time-lagging damage. No longer causes recoil if activated at Sync 85% or above.
[Spiral-Entropic Genesis Collapse]
Type: Finisher
Effect: Combines Echo Vein Spiral with entropy burst and radiant matter bloom. Unleashes a chained explosion that collapses physical and magical defenses.
[Vibrational Pulse (Echo Core Upgrade)] Passive sonar effect reveals stealth enemies and weak points. Slightly disrupts regeneration.
[Astral Spiral – Echo Unleashed (New)]
Ashborn spirals forward, dragging the surrounding space with him. Deals massive AOE damage and causes spatial implosion at the endpoint.
Cost: 65 MP, 40 SP | CD: 60s
TRAITS UPGRADE
Stellar Rebirth (Passive) (new)
Death is not the end. Upon fatal damage, the body enters a 72-hour stasis cocoon and rebuilds. Permanent death is only possible by the Eternal-Level annihilation
[Damage Delay (Advanced)]
Up to 3 staggered damage instances can be ignored completely if a counteraction is made within the delay window.
[Unstable Genesis Surge (Refined)]
Now grants a temporary Echoform Clone upon triggering—an illusion that mimics Ashborn's last 3 actions for 5 seconds.
[Madness Pulse Resistance (Boosted)]
35% sanity loss reduction from auditory/eldritch stimuli.
Additional Effect: Passive nullification of whispers, shrieks, and illusion-based misdirection.
[Genesis Resonance (NEW)]
When fighting in areas with high ambient Genesis Radiation (like boss arenas), Aetherion gains a 10% all-stats boost and increased skill amplification.
[Cosmic Stigmata – "Dragon of True Transcendence" Expanded Effect]
A sigil of authority among high multiversal entities.
Immunity: Low-tier reality-bending attacks have no effect.
Presence Effect: Divine beings respond with awe or fear.
Mythic Resonance (New): Divine or Cosmic-class weapons lower their edge around Ashborn unless wielded by higher beings (Elder Primordials or higher).
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Ashborn blinked, his eyes scanning the near-holographic glow suspended in the air before him, the glowing glyphs rippling with a dimensional pulse, casting strange shadows against the wall of the obsidian cave chamber he'd taken refuge in.
"Well... goddam," he muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing.
A full minute passed. Nothing but the ambient hum of his newly-evolved Harmonic Prism Nexus core vibrating against his ribcage like a second heartbeat.
"This looks... complicated."
His gaze swept the layered breakdown stats, abilities, passive triggers, and unfamiliar technique names 'Echo vein Spiral'? Each one more arcane and system-rich than the last. His last clear status update had been back on floor 10, level 17, when he was just getting used to shaping raw matter. Now?
Level 25. Aetherion fully evolved. New Techniques. Reality-Weaving, multiversal feedback. Astral Spiral what-the-hell-is-that even.
He scratched his head, blinking at the swirling text updating in real-time like a divine audit from the cosmos itself. Half the abilities sounded like either divine blessings or cursed side effects from ancient forgotten grimoires.
"Echoform Clone? Astral Spiral? Singularity Filament Inlay?" He mumbled. "Did I sleep through a damn celestial Upgrade or something..."
He tapped one of the system lines out of pure reflex and the display rippled with a synthetic voice, calm and ancient:
[Notice: Due to Sync Acceleration caused by Genesis Thread interference and Floor 10 guardian Core integration. Multiple subsystem upgrades have been forcibly applied to the user profile.]
"Of course it was that Centipede freak"
Ashborn sighed, recalling the dungeon Gorehowl Centipede, that fight had shattered three ribs and melted part of his shoulder, but also gave him a fully sentient weapon.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Alright, let's piece this together..." he pulled up specific lines, muttering aloud as the system scrolled smoothly.
"Genesis Thread: Phase Two - Living Loom"
Can thread life energy into objects and allies? Temporary sentient constructs?
"...So I can knit life into rocks now? Hell, I could make a sword that screams. Or a door that glares at people."
"Echo Vein Spiral - Experimental Technique"
"Stacks... bleed effects... spatial tears... recoil damage unless mastered. Why is everything always trying to kill me and help me at the same time?"
He moved on to the core display. The twin orbiting Cosmic Cores, now resemble miniature star systems with runes dancing along their axes.
"Okay, that's new. Looks like an angry solar system having a panic attack..."
He read:
"Core Evolution: Harmonic Prism Nexus - activated"
Duality Engine online. Resonance enabled. Matter Expansion enabled. Conceptual compatibility extended to paradox-tier casting.
"...What the hell is paradox-tier casting Am I going to accidentally rewrite gravity again?" He tapped the air. The system flared a warning:
[Warning! Do not attempt Reality-Weaving inside confined living quarters.
He immediately stepped back. "Right. Last time I turned the floor into jelly..."
His eyes fell to the newest listed active combat skill:
[Astral Spiral - Echo Unleashed]
Unlocked: Floor 10 Guardian core sync bonus
"Drag space with me as I spiral forward? Implosion on impact?"
He blinked. "...So I'm a Beyblade now."
Finally, his eyes scanned over the Aetherion status.
The upgraded Singularity Filament Inlay, the Mythoscape Threads Fusions, and the memory sigil now store actual moments and trauma imprints. Each piece screamed, "Be careful or explode."
And then, like a slap in the face:
[Spiral-Entropic Genesis Collapse:
Finisher Consumes 25% MP and 15$ HP.
Combines Echo Vein Spiral, entropy burst, and radiant matter bloom.]
"Wait. That's a thing now?!" He read it again.
"How the hell am I supposed to survive a move that literally nukes time-space around me and drains me dry?!"
Then he saw:
[Stellar Rebirth (Passive]
If fatal damage is taken, enter a 72-hour stasis cocoon and rebuild.
"Okay, never mind. Suicide button with respawn mode. Fantastic."
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Ashborn leaned back against the cave wall, muttering to himself as the glow dimmed and the system status folded into a condensed glyph floating like a branded halo above his left wrist.
He exhaled. The Dungeon's silence returned, broken only by a faint distant echo. Either dripping water or some invisible creature was waiting to ambush him.
"...I've either become a god in training or a walking paradox with anger issues."
His hand twitched. Aetherion responded instantly, humming as its blade form flickered into his grasp. The weight was familiar. Comforting.
"I don't understand half of you," he murmured to the sword. "But you better carry me through Floor 40. I'm gonna need it."
The blade pulsed once. Acknowledging.
Ashborn pushed off the wall and began walking again each step guided not just by instinct but now, a dangerously upgraded system.
And possibly the fainting terrifying awareness....
That he was only halfway to understanding what he'd become.
Ashborn raised his hand.
The Bell pulsed once.
And in the silence that followed, the Hollow Choir King turned his head-
-and screamed.
To be continued....