— The Uninvited Guests —
The tang of disinfectant lingered in the air—sharp, oppressive.
A grating creak cut through the silence as the heavy iron door swung open.
Aveline stepped through, flanked by two men.
The first man wore a warden's uniform, his presence commanding;
the second was shrouded in deep black, exuding a calm, dangerous aura.
Eren's chest tightened. Every nerve in his body screamed caution, yet his gaze refused to waver.
Facing imminent death, the weight of the moment pressed down on him, but something about these newcomers—especially the one in black—felt different.
"Eren," Aveline began, her tone uncharacteristically cautious. "This is Warden Kane Mercer. And this..."
She hesitated—the silence stretched, heavy, as she weighed her words.
The cloaked figure stepped forward, a faint, composed smile on his lips. His voice—a low, steady baritone—cut cleanly through the still air.
"I am Ethan Cross, of the Global Vigil Wyrm Alliance. We've come to request Mr. Kai's... assistance."
His tone was calm, yet the weight behind it pressed down on the room like an invisible blade.
Eren's heart sank.
The Global Vigil-Wyrm Alliance. The GVA.
A legendary order of those born with innate abilities—bound by a single purpose: to protect the world.
"Me?" he muttered dryly. "A dead man walking?"
"Precisely, Mr. Kai," Ethan replied evenly. His gaze was calm, yet sharp enough to strip away every pretense.
"We require your assistance."
Eren drew a slow breath. "Go on. If it's within my power, I'll help."
Ethan gave a curt nod, his tone clinical, detached.
"An anomalous black mist has appeared across the eastern Tibetan Plateau. It stretches for hundreds of miles—swallowing villages, tens of thousands of lives. The GVA has classified it as an S-Rank incident."
He paused, letting the words settle like lead.
"We've sent over ten investigation teams. None have returned."
Their eyes met—his calm, Eren's wary—each testing the other in silence.
"We depart soon," Ethan continued. "According to Officer Ward, you possess... a unique ability. On behalf of the GVA, I formally invite you to join this mission."
The air grew still.
"What is your answer?"
---
— The Choice of Fate —
The air grew still and heavy.
Eren's fingertips brushed the cold steel of his shackles, his mind a quiet storm.
"The Tibetan Plateau..." he repeated softly, the name stirring a long-buried ache.
That place.
A familiar name tore through the calm in his mind—
Pan Long
His classmate. His internship partner.
A month before Eren's arrest, Pan Long had taken leave to return home.
After that... all contact vanished.
Eren's gaze hardened. "Forgive my bluntness—but with the GVA's resources, why me? Why a convict?"
Aveline's tone was steady, her expression sincere.
"Eren, I've seen it myself—you can absorb certain corrosive energies. The black mist on the plateau shows similar properties. If you come with us, you might truly make a difference."
Eren fell silent.
Three thoughts flashed through his mind like sparks:
— A meritorious service could delay his execution.
— He might find clues about Pan Xu's disappearance.
— The black mist... could become fuel for his cultivation.
Ethan's gaze turned urgent. "Mr. Kay, would you join us?"
Eren lifted his head, a faint glint flickering in his eyes.
"I've always respected the GVA. I'll go. However..." His gaze dropped to the cuffs on his wrists.
Warden Mercer stepped forward, his tone deep and resolute.
"This will be treated as a special case. The GVA has secured full authorization. Officer Ward will accompany you—responsible for coordination and security."
Aveline's unease finally cracked into a smile. She reached out and clasped Eren's arm.
"Excellent! Eren—on behalf of the GVA, welcome aboard!"
Eren arched a brow, amusement ghosting across his lips.
"You represent the GVA now?"
Mercer and Ethan exchanged a brief, knowing smile, offering no answer.
"Then it's settled," Ethan said, extending his hand.
"We depart for the Tibetan Plateau at dawn. Special transport will be ready."
---
— The Night of Breaking Through —
Dawn.
A faint light filtered through the narrow window, falling in pale stripes across the cold floor.
Eren opened his eyes and released a long, turbid breath.
He hadn't slept.
Instead, he had cultivated through the night.
His body trembled—caught between being torn apart and remade.
His progress in the first stage of Meta Dipper was less than one-third complete,
yet the power within him had already transformed.
If before he could fell a bull with one punch,
now, with his body alone, he could crush an elephant.
And if he channeled the energy within him—
a single palm strike could shatter stone.
As for the manacles?
A gentle squeeze—
Crack.
Iron dust trickled through his fingers.
But brute strength wasn't his greatest gain.
It was the flow—the way the energy of heaven and earth surged into him effortlessly.
It felt as if a new "breathing pore" had opened somewhere deep within his body.
"Meta Dipper... truly profound," he murmured.
Yet he knew this was only the beginning—and that was just one of seven stages.
Only when his energy filled all the Energy Core—through skin, flesh, blood, sinews, bones, and organs—could he forge a Vajra body, indestructible and unyielding.
He needed more nourishment.
More battles.
More danger.
---
Deep within his mind, that blurred pattern remained—
an abyss of unknown depth, whispering secrets he could not yet grasp.
Eren steadied his breath and slowly closed his eyes,
trying once more to visualize the pattern that haunted his consciousness.
It flickered faintly within the void—
and then—
Agony.
A searing pain exploded in his skull,
like a million needles stabbing into his brain at once.
He nearly cried out, his body seizing, vision fragmenting into shards of light.
When the torment finally faded, he was drenched in sweat, gasping for breath.
But—he had seen something.
For an instant, he caught a glimpse within the chaos—
a tome, ancient and weighty, glowing faintly with golden light,
as if slumbering at the bottom of time itself.
A tremor rippled through his soul.
"Just seeing it almost shattered my spirit... This is no ordinary artifact."
He wiped the sweat from his brow.
He understood—his strength was still insufficient.
When his cultivation advanced further, he would one day see that book clearly.
He steadied his breathing once more, letting calm settle over him.
Then—something stirred.
Aveline walking toward his cell, humming softly, a small package in hand, a bright smile on her face.
He froze.
"I'm seeing her... but my eyes are shut."
Realization struck like lightning.
— Psionic Awareness.
A faint smile touched his lips.
After all this time, that familiar spark of discovery flickered to life.
Psionic Awareness meant he could move objects with will alone, perceive beyond sight, even glimpse into souls.
It was the key to higher realms.
But according to Meta Dipper, Psionic Awareness wasn't supposed to emerge until the third stage—
and yet, he had awakened it already.
Remembering last night's agony, he understood.
That ordeal had forced his spirit to evolve.
The pattern in his mind wasn't just a vision—
it was a catalyst. A test.
---
— The Journey of Fate Begins —
Footsteps echoed beyond the cell.
Click.
The door unlocked and swung open.
Aveline peeked in, eyes bright.
"Eren, ready? Change into these—we're heading out."
She smiled, deftly removing his shackles and handing him a set of plain, travel-ready clothes.
Eren dressed quietly and gave a faint smile. "Let's go."
What preparation did a dead man really need?
Still, he slipped a single thread from his prison uniform into his pocket—infused with his energy.
A simple, seemingly insignificant weapon.
"Let's move out!" Aveline said cheerfully, looping her arm through his.
Her steps were light, her presence bright as morning sun—too bright for the road ahead.
Eren's gaze softened—but deep within, something stirred,
a pulse older than fear, older than choice.
This wasn't just a mission.
It was the restart of fate.