SWNOVELXO Chapter 26: Chapter 26 - The Realm!
Taking a deep breath, Sam focused on the faint grey-silver mist coiled within him. Slowly and deliberately, he sent a tendril of Grandmist toward the Identify skill, allowing the energy to flow into it.
The moment the Grandmist touched the skill, he felt a sharp pull, as if the skill were drinking deeply from the boundless energy. A pulse of light flickered in his mind, radiating outward.
Suddenly, he felt a resonance within him—his trait, The Eye of Heaven, began to stir. The trait seemed to intertwine with the skill, guiding its transformation. His eyes glowed with a blinding, ethereal light, and before he could react, the skill activated on its own.
Sam's vision shifted, the familiar world around him dissolving into a tapestry of waves and threads. It was as if the true nature of reality had been unveiled, every fiber of existence laid bare before his eyes.
The overwhelming clarity was breathtaking—but it didn't last.
A sharp pain lanced through his mind, growing more intense with each passing second. Gritting his teeth, Sam forced himself to halt the skill, the world snapping back to normal as he stumbled slightly.
And then, the system notification appeared.
Ding!
[Identify
[The Heavenly Eye
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have earned a new title: The Seer of Truth]
[The Seer of Truth]: You see through the Fabric of Reality while being below tier 8 - Increases the Comprehension of all Laws by 100%.
Sam grabbed his head, wincing as the lingering pain from activating the skill pulsed through him. As he skimmed through the system notifications, he couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle.
"This... is ridiculous," he muttered, shaking his head, though he wasn't entirely surprised. The Identify skill merging with his Eye of Heaven trait had produced something far beyond its original purpose. Still, the result exceeded even his lofty expectations.
The title, however, was entirely unexpected. While he'd glimpsed fragments of the Fabric of Reality before, this time had been different. It was clearer, more detailed—an intricate tapestry of Laws binding the universe together.
Perhaps... because I understood it more fully this time, the system rewarded me with this title?
Intrigued, Sam decided to test his new skill further. As he focused, his vision shifted, the glowing threads of reality returning to his sight. This time, however, the overwhelming flood of information was refined and organized.
The new unique skill worked seamlessly with his Eye of Heaven, filtering the raw data into system prompts that were concise and easy to understand.
"This... this is perfect," Sam said, a small smile forming as he experimented further. His ability to control and interpret the information was vastly improved, transforming what was once a disorienting experience into a powerful tool.
For the first time, Sam felt like he was beginning to grasp the true potential of his trait abilities. The chaotic threads of reality no longer felt like an incomprehensible mess—they were a language he could now begin to read.
Sam took a deep breath, calming his mind after the overwhelming experience with the Identify skill. He couldn't shake the feeling that something similar might happen with Inventory. Determined, he focused inward, summoning the flow of Grandmist once more.
The grey-silver mist swirled within him, responding to his intent as he directed it toward the Inventory skill embedded in his Soul Record. The moment the energy touched the skill, he felt a resonance—a faint, rhythmic pulse, like the sound of a heartbeat echoing in his chest.
The skill began to melt away, dissolving into the Grandmist as if being consumed.
It's merging... just like before.
Then, he felt it—a deeper connection, a resonance unlike anything he had experienced. The essence of the Inventory skill wasn't destroyed but transformed, carried by the flowing Grandmist back into his energy core.
Inside his energy core, something extraordinary occurred. The Grandmist that had always drifted like scattered clouds began to coalesce, drawn into a single point. The swirling mist compressed tighter and tighter, forming a dense, radiant sphere.
At the center of this formation, a core began to take shape. It glowed with a brilliant grey-silver light, pulsing with a quiet yet immense power. Sam could feel its essence—it was the integration of his Grandmist and the skill's utility, reshaped into something entirely new.
The sphere absorbed the remaining Grandmist, pulling it inward until nothing was left but the core. For a brief moment, there was silence within his inner world.
Then the core began to expand.
It grew, not chaotically, but with purpose. Its energy merged with the fabric of his being, spreading outward from his energy core to envelop his entire body.
Sam didn't feel pain. Instead, he felt an overwhelming sense of comfort, as if every part of his existence was resonating in harmony with the core. His body, mind, and soul seemed to become one with the energy, unified in a way he had never thought possible.
And then it stopped.
The expansion halted, contained entirely within him. The core pulsed with blinding brilliance, its energy reaching a peak before—
BOOM!
A radiant explosion erupted within his inner world, a burst of grey-silver light so powerful it resembled the birth of a star. The force spread out like a cosmic wave, illuminating the depths of his inner self. It was as if a big bang had occurred, creating a universe within him.
Sam's consciousness was momentarily overwhelmed, but as the light settled, he could feel it—the presence of something vast, infinite, and entirely his.
He opened his eyes slowly, his breath steady, as the realization dawned upon him. He hadn't just integrated the Inventory skill. He had created something far greater.
Ding!
[Iventory
[Grandmist Dimension
Ding!
[Grandmist +100]
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have earned a new title: The Realm Creator]
[The Realm Creator]: You are the Creator of The Realm - Increase all stats by 100%.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have earned a new title: The Realm Lord]
[The Realm Lord]: You are an Owner of The Realm - Increase all stats by 25%.
A surge of power coursed through Sam, overwhelming him. His strength was beyond anything a Tier 1 could possess—perhaps even Tier 2 or 3 would pale in comparison.
He took a moment to observe the changes within himself. Outwardly, he was still human; his status confirmed it. But internally, everything had transformed. Where inside his body there had once been flesh and blood, there was now pure grey-silver energy coursing through his form.
"This... is incredible," Sam murmured. The shift had its benefits—his body would be much harder to injure now. However, there was a downside. He could feel the increased consumption of Grandmist required to maintain his existence.
Fortunately, the +100 boost to his Grandmist made the cost manageable. Not only that, but his regeneration rate had also improved significantly. Overall, he felt at least ten times stronger than before.
"Fuuu..." he exhaled, steadying himself as he adjusted to his new reality.
Turning his attention back to his skills, Sam activated his storage ability to test it. It functioned just like Inventory, seamlessly storing objects with a thought. However, a new possibility intrigued him—could he store living beings?
Focusing inward, he explored his inner realm using the ability. The skill allowed him to understand its structure instinctively.
The realm was vast, like an infinite empty universe—or rather, a blank space devoid of even a vacuum. Sam pondered its nature, recalling the skill's description. Absolute control over it... Can I create something in here?
He decided to experiment, willing a rock into existence. Light particles scattered across the inner realm began to converge, slowly taking the shape of a solid rock. But as soon as it formed, the rock crumbled into particles of light, dissipating almost instantly.
Watching the phenomenon closely, Sam deduced the cause It was fragile. It wasn't the rock that was fragile—it was the realm itself.
Undeterred, he attempted to create other objects, but the results were the same. Each creation disintegrated moments after completion.
The realm is too unstable right now, he thought. I'll figure it out later. For now, I have other priorities.
Allowing his senses to return to the external world, Sam opened his eyes to see Michael waiting for him.
"You ready?" Michael asked, his weapon already in hand.
Sam gave a small smirk. "Let's go smash some scumbags."
Victor POV
Victor leaned back against a makeshift throne cobbled together from salvaged wood and scrap metal, the faint flicker of torchlight casting jagged shadows on his scarred face. The camp around him was alive with the sounds of his gang—laughing, shouting, and the occasional scream from one of their captives. It was music to his ears.
The portal shimmered faintly in the distance, the gateway to the tutorial town just beyond his reach but entirely under his control. He smirked, savoring the power he held over it.
That damn portal... a ticket out of this hellhole. But why should I let them have it?
His eyes scanned the captives huddled nearby, trembling under the watchful eyes of his men. Most of them were from the neighborhood he despised—a collection of polished, privileged faces from Sam's community. Middle to upper class, smug in their superiority, flaunting their cushy lives while people like him clawed through the dirt just to survive.
He spat on the ground, the bitterness rising in his throat. They think they're better than me. Always have. Always will. But not here. Not now.
Victor's life before the tutorial had been nothing but a series of humiliations. Born into a broken home, he'd been forced into crime just to make ends meet. Every time he'd tried to pull himself out, someone from a "better life" had stepped on him—landlords, lawyers, cops, and teachers who looked at him like he was trash.
It's their fault, he thought bitterly. Their whole damn system was built to keep people like me down.
And now, fate had thrown them all into the same pit. No wealth, no lawyers, no societal safety nets. Just survival.
Victor grinned, a cruel, twisted smile. "I'll show them," he muttered to himself. "I'll show them what it's like to have nothing. To be nothing."
His gang, emboldened by their newfound power, shared his hatred. Together, they had claimed the portal, blocking anyone from passing through unless they met Victor's demands.
And even then, it was never enough.
"Boss!" One of his lackeys jogged over, dragging a trembling man by the arm. "We caught another one trying to sneak by."
Victor rose from his throne, towering over the captive. The man, thin and pale, stammered incoherent pleas.
Victor tilted his head, pretending to consider the man's words before leaning in close. "Sneaking past me, huh?" His voice was low and cold, a blade in the dark. "You think I don't see? Don't hear?"
"I-I didn't mean to—"
Victor slammed his fist into the man's face, sending him sprawling to the ground. He didn't stop, kicking the man repeatedly as the others watched in silence.
Finally, he stepped back, breathing heavily. "Tie him up," he barked. "Let the others see what happens when you try to cross me."
The lackey obeyed, dragging the barely conscious man toward the central post where several captives were already tied.
Victor turned back to the portal, his hatred simmering. None of you are getting through. You'll rot here, just like I was left to rot my whole life.
He clenched his fists, his voice a venomous whisper. "This is my world now. And you're all gonna pay."