Just then, Brian burst into the room, panting heavily, his heartbeat thundering like a storm against his ribs. Damian stood in the center of the room, unsteady but upright, his breath harsh and uneven. His once-pale face now carried a faint glow of life, though confusion clouded his eyes. The overturned chair lay beside him like a fallen witness to something unnatural.
Brian froze, horror gripping him as realization struck like lightning. His maid… she had given the wrong pills. Instead of the Soul Anchor Pills meant to stabilize Damian's fragile body, she had delivered the Divine Core Elixir—a celestial concoction designed only for those whose meridians were already fortified.
His throat tightened. No… impossible!
"By the All Father's name," he muttered, his voice trembling with disbelief, "what have I done?"
He staggered forward, nearly tripping over the fallen chair. The Divine Core Elixir's energy was not something a mortal body could withstand. Its power was meant to enhance divine essence in bodies already awaken. For one as broken and unawakened as Damian, it should have meant certain death.
Brian's gaze locked on Damian, who now stood breathing heavily, his eyes flickering with strange light
A faint hum filled the room—soft at first, like the whisper of a distant storm, then rising, pulsing through the air like the beat of unseen wings. Damian clutched his chest, gasping as a strange warmth spread through his veins. It was as though molten light was coursing through his very soul.
Brian's eyes widened in horror. "No… the Divine Core Elixir is fusing with his essence."
The air around Damian shimmered faintly, bending and twisting under an unseen force. His skin glowed with traces of azure energy that crawled along his arms like living lightning. The soft blue hue gathered around his pupils, swirling into something ancient and regal—the Kraven Eyes, a symbol distinct and belonging only to the All Father's lineage the Kravens.
Damian staggered but did not fall. His breathing deepened, steadied, as if some invisible hand had taken hold of him and anchored his soul.
Brian took a hesitant step closer, torn between fear and awe. He could feel it—the faint echo of divine resonance that only the All Father's bloodline could awaken.
"How… how is this possible?" he whispered. "His mortal body should have been destroyed. Yet he stands…"
Damian raised his gaze, his expression caught between disbelief and wonder. "I feel… light," he said softly, his voice trembling. "And strong. As if something deep inside me has awakened."
Brian approached slowly, each step deliberate, his heart torn between reverence and dread. The room pulsed faintly with Damian's energy; threads of azure light shimmered like mist around him, drawn to his every breath.
"Stay still," Brian commanded, his tone both urgent and cautious. He extended his right hand and placed two fingers upon Damian's chest. Instantly, a surge of energy pushed back, wild and untamed, vibrating through the air. The power struck Brian's palm with such force that a spark of blue light crackled at the point of contact.
Brian's eyes widened. This resonance… it cannot be wrong.
He traced several quick symbols upon Damian's chest, each glowing faintly before dissolving into the skin. "The Meridian Lines are open," he murmured, half to himself. "The Divine Core Elixir didn't destroy him… it reforged him."
Damian blinked, bewildered. "What are you saying?"
Brian exhaled slowly. "You've stepped onto the Martial Path. And not merely as a beginner…" He drew his hand back, bowing his head in disbelief. "You stand at Level Three—a feat impossible without years of cultivation."
"Level three?" Damian echoed, stunned. "What does that even mean?"
Brian's lips curved into a faint, incredulous smile. "There are ten sub-levels to the Mortal Stage. Most struggle for decades to ascend even once. Yet you… you did it in moments."
Brian's voice softened, filled with a mixture of wonder and solemn duty. "Within every cultivator lies the Soul of Powers, the very essence that determines strength, destiny, and will. It slumbers in most men, a spark hidden beneath the dust of mortality. But when awakened… it becomes a blazing sun."
Damian looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers as threads of faint blue light danced across his skin. "You mean… this feeling inside me?"
Brian nodded slowly. "Yes. That is your Soul of Powers. Once ignited, it can never fade, only grow. But remember, Damian—like fire, it requires fuel. Starve it, and it flickers out. Feed it, and it devours everything in its path."
Damian frowned. "Fuel? You mean… training?"
"Training, discipline, and comprehension," Brian replied. "Every strike you make, every breath you take, will either temper your soul or shatter it. Cultivation is not mere strength—it is enlightenment through struggle."
He paced the room, his eyes sharp with calculation, his mind deep in thought. "Few in this era possess a Soul of such purity," Brian muttered to himself. "The All Father's blood runs in you, untainted. That elixir did not kill you because it recognized you—it chose you."
"But how do I train?" Damian asked. " I'll teach you," a more composed Brian answered. "This will mark a new era so get ready".