Chapter 32
Haa… haa… haa… haa…
The sound of ragged breathing echoed through the thick veil of smoke. Blood dripped steadily onto the cracked ground, the drops barely audible under the weight of silence. The smoke curled upward, spiraling as it slowly began to clear.
As the haze lifted, two figures emerged.
One stood tall, engulfed in flame—a towering spirit blazing with power. The other was on his knees—Han—his body trembling, blood pooling beneath him. He gasped for breath, each one shallower than the last.
Han slowly looked up at the flame spirit looming over him. Its eyes met his briefly before it glanced down at its own chest.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the white core embedded in the spirit's chest. The bead pulsed violently, trembling as if in pain—seconds from shattering.
"Thank… god… it… worked…" Han muttered.
Then everything went dark.
He collapsed onto the floor, his system interface flickering faintly in front of his hazy eyes. His HP bar screamed in crimson:
HP: 1 / 300
His vision swam. His mind blurred. And then—
BOOM!
The bead shattered.
The flame spirit let out a silent scream before its body disintegrated into flickering embers, dissolving into the air.
Han felt himself slipping… but just as the darkness was about to consume him, a notification appeared:
> Portal Boss defeated
+9000 EP received
+4000 CP received
+1 Evol Shard obtained
> "Host has acquired an Evol Shard. Would you like to evolve your body?"
[Yes] [No]
Han's trembling hand twitched. His eyes barely registered the words, but he somehow selected an option.
Luckily he seemed to chose [Yes].
And with that, the process began.
A warmth surged through his dying body. Muscles tightened. Bones mended. His skin, scorched and torn, knit itself back together.
He didn't understand what was happening. He didn't need to.
> "Evolution complete."
"Congratulations. Host has evolved to: Super Human."
"All stats increased. HP and Energy fully restored. New abilities unlocked."
Han's mind began to clear.
He felt… whole.
Stronger.
He rose slowly to his feet, stunned by the absence of pain. The weight in his limbs was gone. Everything felt lighter, sharper—like a fog had lifted from his soul.
He summoned his status screen.
And stared in stunned silence.
---
Name: Han Trystan
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Age: 18
HP: 500 / 500
Energy: 15,000 / 15,000
Strength (STR): 150
Defense (DEF): 180
Dexterity (DEX): 156
Stamina (STA): 120
Sensory (SEN): 200
Stat Points: 6
Physical Evolution Status:
Current Limit: Super Human
EP: 9000
Next Evolution Requirement: 50,000 EP
---
Han stared at the numbers, his heart pounding—not from exertion, but disbelief.
He had grown stronger. Much stronger. Almost... unstoppable.
But then he paused.
If this much strength came from a single Evol Shard... what would it mean if someone stronger—someone S-Class—got their hands on more than one? The thought sent a chill through him. Evol Shards weren't just rare. They were dangerous. Powerful enough to shatter the balance of power.
And just as he was processing the implications, another message appeared:
> Hidden Quest Completed
+15,000 EP, +5000 CP, +1 Artifact Acquired
Before he could even check what artifact he'd received…
Another notification appeared.
New Title Unlocked: Spirit Wielder
Effect: Grants the ability to tame elemental spirits and wield their powers.
Skills Gained:
Summon – Call forth your tamed spirit to fight alongside you.
Merge – Fuse with a flame spirit, enhancing elemental power and gaining deeper knowledge of elemental mastery.
Spirit Owned: 1 – Ifrit, the Flame Spirit
Acquired Skills:
Flame Manipulation (S-Rank - Low) | Evolvable | Requires 30,000 EP
Inferno Vortex (S-Rank - Low) | Evolvable | Requires 30,000 EP
Inferno Rush (A-Rank) | Evolvable | Requires 15,000 EP
Flame Lock (A-Rank) | Evolvable | Requires 15,000 EP
Han stood frozen, eyes wide as the system's message unfolded before him. A powerful title. Multiple top-tier skills. And his very first elemental summon—Ifrit, the flame spirit. It was far beyond what he ever dared to hope for.
Just as he basked in the overwhelming upgrade, another system message popped up—and this one shattered his joy like glass.
> Inventory Alert: 1 minute remaining for Rin.
Time Left: 59… 58…
Han's heart dropped. "No… no, no, no!"
Without hesitation, he crouched low and exploded forward with Cheetah Stride, chaining it immediately into Tiger Dash. His body blurred through the landscape, covering kilometers in seconds—but it still wasn't enough. The portal in the distance, wide as a continent, loomed like a death sentence.
And the seconds kept ticking.
From the scorched plains, a pack of fire beasts—creatures he'd barely escaped earlier—locked eyes on him and charged.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" Han roared.
BOOM!
The beasts barely saw a flash before being obliterated. Bones shattered, flames snuffed out. Those who survived were flung like rag dolls.
One thought echoed in their minds: Wasn't this the same weak human from before…?
But Han didn't care. He had no time for victory or vengeance. Only one thing mattered—Rin.
20 seconds.
"Faster!" he barked, activating Cheetah Stride again before the last one could even fade. His muscles screamed, the wind tore at his face, and the world around him became a smear of motion.
10 seconds… 9… 8…
He spotted the portal in the distance—closer now—but still too far.
"I need more…" he whispered. And then, one name echoed in his mind.
"IFRIT!!!" Han yelled with everything he had.
---
Outside the Portal
"I need to go in there!" Aiden shouted, stepping forward—again.
The elder quickly blocked his path. This was the sixth time Aiden had tried to rush into the swirling red portal, convinced Han should've returned by now. The old man had managed to hold him back each time, persuading him with calm logic. But now, Aiden wasn't listening.
"I'm going," Aiden growled, eyes blazing as he stepped in front of the portal's raging maw.
"Morph," he commanded.
Instantly, his body began to transform.
Thick brown fur spread across his skin. His teeth sharpened into glistening fangs. A barbed tail burst from his lower back, whipping the air. His pupils turned blood-red. Two jagged white bones curved outward from his shoulder blades, forming a pair of monstrous, skeletal wings.
The guild members gasped in stunned silence.
They had seen Aiden transform partially during training—and even then, most of them were knocked with a punch. But this… this was something else. He looked like a fusion of several high-level boss monsters. Pure power and rage incarnate.
The elder saw there was no stopping him this time. He gave a solemn nod. "Be careful, Aiden."
Aiden nodded back, planting his feet like a warrior heading to war. With a sharp breath and a holy battle cry, he lunged forward.
But then—BOOM!
A violent explosion ripped through the air.
Aiden didn't even make it to the portal. A figure shot out of it like a meteor, slamming into him and sending him flying backward. The ground trembled.
The portal trembled and began closing.
The figure landed with a heavy thud, smoke and fire surrounding him. In his arms, a small charred figure was cradled tightly.
The red portal vanished behind him.
As the dust settled, the guild members watched in awe.
Han stood there—burnt, covered in ash, his clothes completely destroyed—but alive. The silence was deafening.
Then, as if by instinct, every guild member dropped to one knee.
"Young Master," they said in unison.
Technically, Han was the guild master. But over time, it had become natural to call him that.
But the moment was… awkward.
Han stood completely naked, his body scorched black from the intense heat, ash clinging to his skin like a second layer. Yet, he didn't seem to notice—or care. His eyes were locked on the system display still flickering before him.
> System Countdown: 1... 0.
The timer stopped.
Rin had made it out—just in time.
All thanks to Ifrit.
Han recalled the final moment. The fiery spirit had struck him with a full-force Inferno Rush, launching him forward at a speed even Cheetah Stride couldn't reach. It was brutal… but it worked.
A weak smile tugged at Han's lips. "We made it," he whispered, voice barely audible.
Then he collapsed beside Rin, who lay unconscious—not from pain or injury, but from overwhelming relief.
Han had done it.
He saved his brother.
Not only that, but he'd grown—stronger, faster, and now with a spirit of flame bound to him. A summon of his own.
Ifrit, huh? Han thought, glancing at the ember-like glow still pulsing faintly in his hand. I wonder what the others will be like… when I tame them.
And with that final thought, he let the exhaustion take him, sleeping beside Rin.
Han's journey was just beginning.
To be continued...