The world around Ankit began to crumble.
Not in violence—but in transition.
The blood-soaked coliseum dissolved into particles of violet light, vanishing like ash on the wind. The sky above cracked open with luminous runes as the Simulated Training Realm completed its final cycle.
He had done it.
Three years of agony, trials, and isolation...
Complete.
A soft chime echoed in his ears.
[Final Sync Achieved – Initiating Companion Spirit Awakening Protocol]
Condition: Soul Weapon evolution complete
Bloodline awakened
Mental and physical thresholds surpassed
Commencing soul-core resonance…
Ankit blinked.
The light around him warped, twisting into a spiral—a whirlpool of shadows and silver flame. He wasn't in the coliseum anymore. He stood on a blackened hill under a moonless sky. Beneath his feet, the ground pulsed with slitted serpent eyes that blinked once, then faded into stone.
A massive altar rose ahead of him—twisting bones and blades forged into a serpent's open mouth.
Inside it hovered a single orb.
Black. Silent. Alive.
And it called to him.
He took a step forward, drawn by instinct.
The system whispered:
[Do you wish to accept the binding of your Companion Spirit?]
Warning: The Companion Spirit is a fragment of your true self. Denying it may result in a fractured soul.
"I accept."
The moment the words left his mouth, the world shook.
The orb cracked.
From within, a shadow burst forth—a shape writhing like smoke and silver flame. It coiled in the air, revealing a serpentine creature unlike anything Ankit had ever imagined.
It was not a dragon. Not fully a snake either.
It was a myth given form.
Abyss Serpent Wyrmling.
Midnight black, with runes engraved across its translucent scales. Its eyes gleamed like twin moons.
It stared into his soul.
And spoke—not with words, but emotion. Memory. Bond.
"We are born of the same wound. You, the sword. I, the shadow beneath it."
Then it slithered toward him and merged with his chest, entering his heart.
Ankit gasped.
The pain was excruciating—but only for a moment.
Then… clarity.
Power.
[Companion Spirit Awakened: Abyss Serpent Wyrmling]
Type: Rare (Evolving – Soulbound)
Element: Shadow / Venom
Nature: Passive Fusion / Active Manifestation
Growth Trigger: Kills, Emotional Threshold, Tower Energy
🔹 Effect 1 – Shadow Cloak (Passive):
Envelops wielder in a semi-visible layer of abyssal mist. Slightly reduces damage taken from magical and ranged sources.
🔹 Effect 2 – Venom Echo (Active – 3 Mana):
For 8 seconds, every sword strike applies serpent venom, reducing target agility and focus by 15%. Cooldown: 1 minute.
🔹 Effect 3 – Serpent Merge (Locked):
Full manifestation fusion. Requires Tower Floor 5 clearance and Serpent Affinity ≥ 50%.
The system chimed again.
[Soul Integrity: Stabilized]
[New Trait Acquired: Wyrm-Touched]
Effect: Slight resistance to mind-affecting magic. Passive resistance to fear-based debuffs.
Ankit clenched his fists.
He could feel the serpent's quiet presence inside him.
Watching.
Waiting.
Ready.
The light swallowed him again—and this time, it wasn't a simulation.
When he opened his eyes, he was standing inside a silver room—hexagonal, glowing, ancient.
Floating in front of him was a single rune.
It said:
TOWER ENTRY – FLOOR ONE
Do you wish to begin your climb?
Ankit smiled for the first time in years.
"Let the world see what I become."
He reached out.