For one to ascend their core to the next level, they must absorb the mana around them and store it in their core.
But that process is capped, limited by how durable their body is. And that's where shards come into play. They enhance the body, pushing it beyond one's limit.
But for Shiro, the process was different. Unlike most, his body grows stronger through taking critical hits. So to grow stronger, he stopped using mana.
But he never stopped absorbing mana. To his annoyance, the process was extremely slow and required complete patience—a calm mind, which he could never have because of Kuro, the name he picked for his inner voice.
That fool could never stay quiet.
But it all changed when he bit into those fruits. He felt the mana flowing through him.
So he sent out both the Ebony Knight and the Ogre to consume as many of those strange fruits as they could find.
Because both the Ebony Knight and the Ogre resided inside his core, they were, in a way, part of him. Well—only the Ebony Knight was.
And he had learned that the hard way when the Ebony Knight was injured by that massive tentacled bastard.
The feeling had been unbearable, something close to having his own heart stretched to the point of tearing apart.
But once he called him back, the pain vanished like smoke, but not without leaving his body completely drained.
When they returned to him, the mana from the fruits remained inside them, soaked into their bodies like a sponge.
All he had to do was draw it out while they rested inside his mana zone.
His voice came from behind the creature, each word carrying weight like a command.
"We're not done yet… round two, you damn insect."
The Ant King turned his head toward him. Its antennae rubbed together as if detecting danger. It didn't wait to see what was coming; it threw the man aside and shot toward him.
He took out the ring the gentle woman had given him and wore it on his thumb since that was the only place it would fit.
[Item Acquired: Ring of Dominion]
[State: Active]
[Effect: Increases total mana by 15%]
[Origin: One of the Thirty Mythic Rings forged from the essence of the Mother of Creation]
[Condition: bonded by Blood—once it tastes the mana of its bearer, it cannot change masters unless the bearer dies]
"Let it loose," their voices echoed.
Waves of energy erupted outward, crashing into the creature like a tidal storm, driving the beast back before it could even make it halfway.
His body exploded with mana. It was so dense it shot upward like a pillar of light.
The force was so intense that waves of energy erupted outward again. Each surge of his mana sent ripples of disaster around the world—not as a show of power, but as a sign of awakening.
The lighthouse in the distance glowed brighter and larger.
The couple created a dome out of the ground just to avoid being blown away.
The Ant King struggled to move forward, unable to stand its ground.
Gritting his teeth, Shiro pushed his core further, forcing more mana out.
[You have awakened your core.]
[Current Core Status: 2nd Stage Awakened]
"More."
His pupils vanished, swallowed by a crimson glow. The air shuddered.
Behind him, his shadows stirred and expanded outward. Within them, figures began to rise.
They looked just like the statues he'd seen in the castle when he fought the Black Knight, as if the statues themselves had come back to life.
One after another, a hundred figures emerged. Each bore a different shape, a different weapon, but their voices were one.
[You have awakened your core.]
[Current Core Status: Third Stage Awakened]
Their voices synchronized, echoing as one—a single command spoken through Shiro.
"More."
The sound tore through the air, heavy and absolute, shaking the very ground beneath them as their weapons came crashing together.
[You have awakened your core.]
[Current Core Status: Ascended]
And a breath later, the energy dispersed like nothing had happened.
His pupils returned, and a wide grin tugged at his lips.
The couple stepped out from their dome and met Shiro's gaze. Their eyes were wide, but it wasn't fear—it was something else. Maybe worry.
He threw his head back, staring at the moon, and screamed at the top of his lungs, "I feel amazing!"
Then his gaze met the Ant King. Shiro smiled as wide as his face could stretch, then vanished.
He was too fast. His foot slammed into the creature's armored head, cracking its red shell. He twisted his body mid-motion, using the momentum to hurl the monster across the field.
In the distance, where the beast was sent flying, a shape began to rise—still and silent—mirroring Shiro's reflection.
Shiro shot forward, and in a blink, he and the shadow switched places.
His foot met the incoming beast midair, the impact detonating like thunder.
A knee to the gut. A fist to the ribs.
Another shadow rose, and with a blink, they switched places for another brutal blow.
The pattern kept repeating, giving the ant creature no time to recover, every impact hard enough to crack armor and send shockwaves rippling through the ground.
Once it was down, the beast struggled to stand. Green liquid oozed from the cracks in its armor, hissing as it hit the dirt. Its antennae rubbed together, emitting a harsh clicking sound that vibrated through the air like a low, broken hum.
Its eyes darted wildly across the field, only to find itself surrounded by dozens of shadowy clones of Shiro standing in the dust, silent and still.
Its gaze stopped the moment it found Shiro, still wearing that faint, mocking smirk.
Then it roared.
And began tearing the shattered shell from its body. Its limbs clawed and scraped, ripping away the broken armor until nothing but its white flesh remained.
Its mandibles split apart, releasing a shriek that tore through the air—a sound born of rage and pain.
In that moment, its bare skin began to harden, forming a new shell similar to the previous one but darker in color, almost maroon.
Its flares opened, lifting it slightly off the ground—then it vanished.
A blur cut through the air as its clawed arm drove straight through Shiro's chest, only for his body to dissolve into shadow. He had already switched places with one of his clones.
But the creature was just as fast. It turned mid-motion, locking onto his direction.
In response, Shiro met it head-on. His blades clashed against its armored body—but nothing. He swapped with another shadow, same result. So he moved faster, coming from its opposite side. It never flinched, taking the blows head-on while its antennae started to move wildly.
Then, in the blink of an eye, it appeared in front of him the moment he switched and drove its armored claw into Shiro's gut, lifting him off the ground. He blocked it with his daggers, legs catching its arm. In the same motion, he dismissed the daggers, wrapped his body around its arm, and twisted until it tore free—hitting the ground hard while still clutching its arm.
When he looked up, the beast looked calm despite losing its arm. Instead, it raised its foot and brought it down with crushing force, but it passed through his body before he dissolved into smoke, scattering into the shadows below.
After putting distance between himself and the beast, his eyes met its gaze. He remained still. Then, suddenly, an arm tore out, replacing the one it had lost. It began punching and slashing at the air—movements sharp, eerily similar to his own style of fighting.
Then it hit him.
It was adapting—learning. Because it had just been born not too long ago, it was still a child. But the monster was growing rapidly, getting stronger with each clash.
He cursed under his breath. "We can't let it reach adulthood."
"We have to end this now."
He stepped forward.
More clones rose from the ground, circling the monstrous ant like silent specters. Their eyes glowed crimson red.
He shot forward, the ground exploding behind him, then switched places with a shadow rising behind the beast. His shoulder slammed into its armored back with brutal force, dislocating his left arm but tearing a whole chunk of armor clean off its body.
He grabbed his arm, never taking his eyes off the beast, and snapped his shoulder back into place with a dull crack.
Instantly, the beast lurched, but he switched places with a different shadow and drove his fist into the same cracked spot before it could regenerate.
His strikes landed against its sides and stomach, each blow cracking the ant's armor and his own bones alike.
With every hit, pain shot up his arm, but he didn't stop. The creature's shell began to split and creak all over its body, and his left arm now hung limp at his side.
Across from him, the beast looked almost calm. It didn't slow down—it was keeping up with him perfectly, its gaze never leaving his.
The one dagger he could move materialized in his hand. The dagger's edge flared with a deep purple glow.
With a single breath, he stepped forward—and vanished.
In the next instant, he reappeared behind the creature, his blades carving through its back, metal shrieking against armor.
Before it could react, he tossed his dagger into the air and switched places with another clone. Another strike followed instantly while materializing his second dagger.
He threw the second dagger, caught the first as it fell, and slashed again before vanishing into the shadows.
The cycle continued—one strike after another, a relentless loop of motion and steel.
The creature's movements grew wild. Its claws swung through empty air, cutting only shadows. Each time it tried to predict his next attack, he appeared somewhere else.
He moved faster, muscles tearing apart with every motion. Each strike hit harder than the last.
The field erupted in a storm of movement. He darted from one shadow to another, in and out of existence, slashing from every direction. Each swing landed with precision—one blade cutting, the other injecting venom deep beneath its shell.
Thousands of strikes, all within a single breath.
As he was about to land the final blow, his blades stopped a millimeter from its head. The creature went still. The poison had already spread through its body, yet it stood tall—defiant even in death.
A moment later, its body collapsed with a heavy thud, green ichor dissolving into the ground. And just like every monster he had slain before—but this time—it was four shards that dispersed beside the fallen king.
They hovered for a moment, faintly pulsing with light, before sinking slowly toward the ground.
He staggered toward the shard, his legs barely moving, his left arm bloody and drenched, hanging uselessly at his side. Ari leapt from his shadow onto his shoulder and sank her fangs into his arm. Instantly, feeling returned, but the pain remained.