While the uncle and aunt were trying to come to terms with the fact that Zayn was preparing to leave home and embark on his journey into the vast world, a sense of nostalgia filled the air. It wasn't easy for them to see him go, even if it was for his future.
Suddenly, they felt something warm touch them. It was a small white wolf with pure blue eyes, quietly sneaking up beside the aunt and gently rubbing its head against her leg, as if sharing her silent sorrow.
The aunt looked down and met the intelligent eyes of the wolf, then smiled softly.
"Fenry, you'll take care of Zayn, won't you?"
Fenry lifted his head and let out a soft sound, as if assuring her that he wouldn't let her down.
The aunt chuckled and gently patted his head. "Good boy! Come, I'll get you a delicious steak."
It was as if the wolf understood her, a look of happiness appearing on his face, adding a touch of warmth to the moment of farewell.
---
Zayn entered the storage room, where there was nothing but darkness. Even the windows were tightly sealed, making the place feel like a black cube swallowing every particle of light.
He stood in the center, sensing the heavy silence around him. He had carefully prepared this place to be the stage for his first real step on the path to power. Here, he could consume the elixir without losing its energy, allowing his body to expel impurities and freely open his energy pathways.
In this world, a "star" symbolized the aura of knights and warriors, while a "ring" symbolized the power of witches. Zayn's goal was clear—to form his own star.
And despite the darkness, it never bothered him. He had grown used to living with the shadows. His problem wasn't seeing; it was the disconnect between his soul and body. His soul was alert, eager to move and break free, but it was trapped in a body that hadn't caught up yet.
That's why he needed to fight, to move, to test his limits over and over until that critical moment arrived—the moment of synchronization.
Once he reached that stage, he would no longer be an ordinary person walking the earth. He would be like a tiger that had grown wings—a rebirth of a destiny yet to be written.
---
Zayn crouched in the center of the dark storage room, where absolute silence reigned, broken only by the sound of his steady breathing. Inhale… exhale…
He was shirtless, revealing a sculpted, toned body—clear proof of the intense training he had endured over the past six months.
He took out a small box and opened it, revealing a black pill with an unattractive, coal-like appearance. Despite how it looked, it emitted a fragrant scent.
This was a third-grade elixir pill, crafted by him using various herbs, though he wasn't satisfied with it. When he had been the King of Alchemy and a Celestial Demon, he would have scoffed at such a pill. But now, at the bottom of society, he had no choice but to make do.
"When I leave and register at the Mercenary Guild, I'll take missions for money, or gather herbs myself. But for now, there's no need to think about that."
Zayn took a deep breath, cleared his mind, and swallowed the pill in one go.
As soon as it reached his stomach, its effects began instantly. It dissolved and spread through his body, seeping into his blood. As it circulated through his veins, impurities began to exit his pores as a sticky black substance with a foul smell, quickly filling the room.
At the same time, Zayn felt his body being cleansed from within, and his energy pathways began to open one after the other. As the energy flowed through him, he began practicing his unique meditation technique—"Holy Dark Dragon."
It was a technique he had created, merging elements from three martial schools: the Celestial Demon Sect, the Murim Alliance, and the Shaolin Temple.
From the Celestial Demon Sect, he took the technique for rapidly condensing internal energy.
From the Murim Alliance, he borrowed energy flow control skills.
From the Shaolin Temple, he adopted body reinforcement techniques—for the skin, bones, and internal organs—making his body stronger than steel.
This technique was the reason Zayn had once risen to the top of the world. He directed energy throughout his entire body, opening energy nodes. If anyone saw him, they would be shocked—because what he was doing was considered suicide in this world.
Here, everyone channeled their energy through a single path, because spreading it throughout the body could lead to paralysis or death. But he saw that as an illogical limitation—one of the reasons this world lagged behind Murim.
However, this world had an advantage even Murim couldn't match—the location of the energy center.
In Murim, energy focused around the lower dantian. But in this world, the center was near the heart, allowing magical energy to spread quickly with every heartbeat.
Yet as he meditated and circulated the energy, Zayn did something strange—instead of gathering energy in his chest, he began drawing it directly into his heart!
Yes, the energy was entering the most fragile organ in the human body. But despite the danger, Zayn didn't stop.
"This... is dangerous. But if I succeed, I'll surpass even my past life in Murim!"
He knew a single mistake could crush his heart. Sweat poured down his body, and every cell screamed for focus.
Now... he would either succeed—or die!
All his focus was on gathering magical energy in his heart. He didn't notice the light glowing from the tattoo of the infinite serpent. The snake began to move as if alive, its eyes glowing red. The tattoo was suppressing the magical energy and making the process easier. At the same time, it activated a new feature:
[Infinite Storage Space] — A space where almost anything could be stored, except living beings, with no limits.
Zayn wasn't aware of this—his full attention was on the critical moment he had reached—the moment of forming his star.
At the age of fifteen, Zayn became an aura user—an unprecedented feat! This moment marked a turning point, destined to be recorded in history as the youngest person to wield a sword aura.
Inside Zayn's heart, a tiny star of magical energy formed, the size of a fingernail, shining white like a sun at the center of a universe—it was proof of success, even if it was just the first stage.
But he didn't move. He needed to stabilize his star to avoid any risks to his foundation.
And so, a full week passed, with Zayn never opening his eyes. Were it not for the faint sound of his breathing, one might have thought he was dead.
During that week, both his uncle and aunt tried to check on him, but they were stopped by Fenry. Though just a wolf pup, every time someone tried to approach or open the storage door, he released a dangerous aura that made ordinary people retreat in fear. The uncle and aunt had no choice but to watch the storage from afar with worried eyes.
Inside the warehouse, Zayn opened his eyes. Strangely, his right eye appeared normal, while the other was pitch black with a violet pupil.
Zayn felt changes coursing through his body, but instead of being shocked, he was actually pleased. The reason was simple—every time he reincarnated into a new world, he gained a unique talent. The first time he reincarnated into the world of blacksmiths, he was born with a special physique known as the "Heavenly Body," which granted him golden bones and steel-like skin. With that body, by the age of twenty-five, he had crushed the peak of a mountain with his raw strength.
In the world of magic, he was born with the talent of "Magical Energy Manipulation." In the world of alchemists, he possessed "Photographic Memory." In the world of Murim, he was born with the "Heavenly Eye," which allowed him to know everything. Thanks to that talent, battles became easy, as he could see the weaknesses of his enemies and their techniques.
The best part was that each talent carried over into the next world with him. Now, with the awakening of his aura, he had regained all of his past talents—and even awakened a new one related to time: "Frozen Moment." It seemed he could freeze time for a single second—not fully stop it, but slow it down drastically. Don't underestimate a single second—it could be enough to take the life of someone even stronger than him!
He didn't know the true reason behind the awakening of all these abilities, but he suspected it was tied to the Curse of Eternity.
Suddenly, a foul stench of impurities hit his nose, snapping him out of his awe over his new powers. Hunger struck him hard—he hadn't eaten for a whole week. Now, with all his talents awakened, his hunger had intensified, every cell in his body screaming for food to restore his energy.
Zayn stood up, feeling power surge through his veins.
"In this life, I will surpass all my previous ones and break this curse!"
He clenched his fist with excitement. He had always had only one true rival—himself. No one else had the potential to be his equal. In every new life, he aimed to surpass the version of himself from the last.