ONLINE: Blades of Eternity

The deeper they ventured into the thicket of the Deadroot Jungle, the more the air changed. It became heavier, charged with an ancient pulse that made even the trees seem to lean inward as if watching them pass. Moss-covered stones hummed beneath their boots. Faint whispers of unseen creatures rustled through the foliage. And still, they pressed on, Kaelen and Kelvin walking with firm strides, and Eirana gliding behind them with the silent grace of a shadow.

Finally, they arrived.

The clearing was small, veiled in soft light that filtered down through twisted trees whose roots curled around the edges of a natural spring. At its heart, the water glowed with a brilliant sapphire hue, shifting constantly like liquid crystal—pure mana, unfiltered, undiluted, untouched by corruption. The Primary Mana Vein, revealed by Kaelen's system, pulsed in a rhythm that echoed through the forest like a heartbeat.

"By the Stars… How did you find such a place Eirana?" Kelvin whispered, unable to hide the awe in his voice.

"Just by chance, I was in pursuit of something which led me to this place" Eirana replied with a bland tone.

Meanwhile, Kaelen's system interface suddenly lit up again:

[Primary Mana Vein Detected]

[→ Activate for Baptismal Enhancement?]

[Warning: Only one-time full-body

reconstruction is possible through this node. Prolonged exposure may cause mutation or internal collapse.]

[Estimated Duration: 30 minutes]

[Recommended: Meditative Focus | No Mana Interference | Qi Conduction Pathways Will Be Stimulated]

[Proceed? Yes/No]

Kaelen looked at Kelvin. "You ready?"

Kelvin nodded, fire in his eyes. "Let's rewrite what we are."

Eirana took a step back and sat cross-legged on a smooth stone near the edge of the glowing pool. "I'll monitor your condition," she said. Her voice was neutral, but her gaze held curiosity—and the faintest glimmer of unease. "Do not lose yourselves in the flow."

Kaelen and Kelvin moved to opposite sides of the spring and each withdrew a glowing, jagged mana crystal from their inventory—the system reward earned through blood, grit, and survival.

They planted the crystals into the ground beside the pool. The moment they did, the air crackled. A torrent of raw essence surged out from the nodes like serpents of light. The water responded instantly, flaring in brightness and rising slightly as though the entire pool were breathing.

They sat at the pool's edge and slid into meditative positions, their blades laid beside them.

The moment Kaelen shut his eyes, the world fell away.

The mana surged into him like a river bursting through a broken dam. It wasn't like channeling elemental energy—it was pure force, latching onto every cell, every nerve, every dormant potential in his body and igniting it with painful clarity. His meridians trembled, expanded, and snapped back into new shapes.

"Argh!!"

Kelvin screamed as the same force surged through him—his veins lit up with deep violet streaks as the mana melted his internal limits like wax before a flame. The system wasn't just enhancing them—it was rebuilding them from within.

Eirana's eyes widened.

She couldn't see mana like mages did, but even with her limited spiritual senses, she felt the sudden shift in the air around them. It was like the jungle had stopped breathing. The forest seemed to kneel in silence.

And Kaelen and Kelvin—they were changing.

Their skin shimmered briefly with unnatural radiance. Kaelen's back arched as golden marks began appearing across his arms—symbols unfamiliar, ancient, pulsing softly with Qi. His hair fluttered even without wind, and the Blade of Eternity beside him glowed faintly in resonance.

Kelvin's transformation was more feral. The shadow of the Abyss crept across his chest, thin lines like black lightning tracing his muscles. A primal aura pulsed from his core—void, yet alive. And in his aura, the scythe howled quietly.

The water around them shifted colors, now gold and purple—reflecting the dual natures of their awakened power.

Then came the internal change.

Kaelen's bones were compressing, reforging, adapting. His cells began channeling not just mana, but something denser—raw Qi, the essence of life itself. His mind expanded. He could feel the world—its warmth, its danger, its rhythm—like never before.

Kelvin was the same. His breath slowed, his senses sharpening beyond measure. He could hear the pulse of the earth. He could feel existence itself pressing against him, daring him to collapse—and he refused.

Eirana's hands trembled slightly. She could barely comprehend what she was sensing.

"They're… stabilizing Qi pathways while absorbing this much mana?!"

She had watched elite Nullcarvers train in hidden sanctums for months before even beginning Qi circulation. These two… in less than half an hour… were mastering it.

"Unbelievable....."

The power radiating off them wasn't wild—it was precise, controlled, and hungry.

More sparks flickered around them—small bursts of pure energy, darting like fireflies. The jungle began to respond. Trees leaned closer. Vines trembled. And the animals in the distance? Silent. As if nature itself was watching the rise of something new.

And then—

[SYSTEM ALERT]

[→ Baptismal Process 87% Complete]

[→ New Qi Channel Pathways Formed]

[→ Physical Body Reinforcement: Stage 2 Achieved]

[→ Mana Capacity Increased by 310%]

[→ Unique Ability Resonance: Pending Unlock]

Kaelen's body relaxed, his chest rising and falling slowly. The golden glow began to fade—but the marks remained. Beneath his skin now lived a symphony of Qi and mana in harmony.

Kelvin's aura quieted. The violet-black pulses ebbed like a tide.

Slowly, both boys opened their eyes.

And for the first time… they saw. Not with magic. Not with mana. But with awakened perception.

Kaelen turned to Eirana. His eyes were glowing faintly—gold over light blue.

"We're ready," he said, his voice like distant thunder.

Kelvin stood and flexed his fists. "Now let's make that mist regret ever chasing us."

Eirana didn't speak for a long time.

But her heart whispered what her lips could not.

"They're no longer students… they're becoming legends."

But not long after, Eirana blinked.

For a moment, she had lost herself in the sight of Kaelen and Kelvin. The air still carried the scent of charged ether, the very soil beneath them subtly shifted as the aura of their transformation lingered. But her warrior instincts—the ones ingrained into her since birth—snapped her back to her feet with rigid discipline.

She stepped forward, her composure locked back in place like steel armor, even as her heart pounded in the cage of her chest.

"You two," she began, her voice calm but edged with restrained energy, "get ready. We're starting immediately."

Kaelen, still basking in the subtle current of power dancing under his skin, tilted his head. "Immediately?"

Kelvin blinked, then grinned. "Damn, let a guy catch his breath first—"

"No time." Eirana's gaze sharpened. "There's a war going on. Every moment you waste resting, another tribesman could die. So if you truly meant what you said about proving yourselves—then follow me."

Her words were like cold water. Kaelen and Kelvin exchanged a glance, nodded, and followed.

Eirana led them away from the glowing mana spring, deep into a hidden hollow surrounded by petrified trees and ancient stones covered in runes. The jungle here felt old. Sacred. This was no ordinary training ground. This was a place of legacy.

She turned to face them, her cloak billowing behind her as she unsheathed a small blade and dragged its edge across her palm. Her blood—an odd silver-violet—spilled onto the center stone, and the entire hollow reacted.

Rings of translucent energy shimmered to life around them, forming a dome that blocked out the rest of the jungle. The runes on the stones lit up in sequence, one after the other, until seven distinct symbols glowed in a perfect circle on the earth.

Kaelen stared. "What is this?"

Eirana exhaled slowly, letting her blood dry on the stone. "This… is the ancestral cradle of the Seven Qi Juggernauts—the deepest martial art of the Nullcarvers tribe."

Kelvin whistled under his breath. "Dramatic name. Sounds serious."

"It is," she said simply, then stepped into the center of the ring and faced them, her voice taking on the measured cadence of a keeper of sacred knowledge. "This technique is not a single form. It is a progressive, cumulative body of martial principles that allows the wielder to break free from conventional mana dependency and instead channel Qi-based martial dominance across seven distinct phases of combat evolution."

She paused, watching them absorb the weight of her words.

"Each of the Seven Qi Juggernauts is named after a primal principle of survival. They are not just techniques. They are transformations. Once mastered, the user's body and instincts are restructured to operate purely on Qi momentum, completely detaching from mana reliance. That is what gives the Nullcarvers our feared reputation in the Deadroot."

Kaelen's brows furrowed, fascinated. "What are the seven?"

Eirana walked over to one of the glowing symbols and gestured for them to observe.

"The First Juggernaut—'Root of the Earth'. It anchors the body. Teaches you how to become immovable, unshakable, your Qi sinking deep into the earth beneath your feet like iron roots. You'll become a fortress."

She moved to the next symbol.

"The Second—'Hollow of the Pulse'. Here, you learn how to shift your breathing, heartbeat, and reflexes to match your surroundings. Every muscle will act faster than conscious thought—your body will move before you decide to."

Kelvin leaned forward. "So like instinct-based acceleration?"

Eirana nodded. "It trains your subconscious through Qi to predict and react to aggression before it even lands."

She continued.

"The Third—'Ghost of the Vein'. Invisibility through Qi manipulation. You'll learn how to erase your presence by halting your internal Qi flow to mimic the silence of death. You'll become a phantom on the battlefield."

Kaelen's eyes gleamed.

The Fourth—'Tide of the Breaker'. This one trains you to lash out with Qi-enhanced attacks that can break through most conventional defenses—armor, barriers, even magical constructs. It turns your weapon or fists into siege tools."

"The Fifth—'Crest of the Juggernaut'. It enhances your body's ability to regenerate by converting ambient Qi into cellular acceleration. Pain becomes power."

Kelvin let out a low breath. "You're kidding…"

"I'm not," Eirana said flatly.

"The Sixth—'Howl of the Tempest'. It lets you unleash wide-area suppression waves through your strikes. Those affected will have their Qi and mana flow disrupted for brief windows. It is our primary crowd-control doctrine."

"And the Seventh…"

Eirana stopped, looking between them, her voice growing quiet.

"'The Null Throne'. Only a handful in our tribe have mastered it. It's a state of existence where you no longer manipulate Qi—you become Qi. Physical, spiritual, mental limitations dissolve. You are weapon, aura, storm, and silence… incarnate."

Kaelen's heartbeat thudded once. Twice.

Even Kelvin's grin had faded now, his jaw tight. "…That sounds almost unreal."

"Most die by the Fifth," she said coldly. "The rest go mad trying to reach the Seventh. But if you truly carry the potential I've seen in that baptism—then you'll walk further than anyone before you."

She stepped back into the center of the formation.

"Now strip off your arrogance. Forget everything you think you know. From this moment on… you begin again. Not as mages. Not as gifted warriors. But as Nullcarver initiates."

Kaelen and Kelvin stepped forward, serious now.

"Teach us," Kaelen said.

"Break us if you have to," Kelvin added.

Eirana's lips twitched slightly. Whether it was a grin or a grimace, neither could tell.

"Good," she said, drawing her blade again. "Then let the First Juggernaut begin."

The ground quaked.

And thus, began their descent into the true path of the Nullcarvers.