The training hall was quiet, save for the faint hum of mana that filled the air. The crystalline walls shimmered faintly, reflecting the soft glow of the ambient energy around me. I stood in the center of the room, my sword in hand, and took a steadying breath. This was it—the beginning of the journey to form my Sword Heart and scale the Wall.
For all my achievements, this task felt different. Formidable. Monumental.
Lilith had explained the process in her usual no-nonsense way. "Forming a Sword Heart isn't just about power or technique," she'd said. "It's about connection. You, your weapon, your intent—they need to resonate perfectly. No hesitation. No distraction. If there's even a sliver of doubt, the process will fail."
She'd said it like it was obvious, but standing here now, I could feel the weight of those words. The Wall wasn't just a metaphor—it was a reality. A barrier between Integration-rank and Ascendant-rank, one that only the worthy could overcome.
"Sword Heart is the vessel," Lilith had added. "The foundation upon which everything else is built. Form it wrong, and you'll be stuck at the Wall forever—or worse."
No pressure.
I exhaled, closing my eyes. I could sense the sword in my hand—not just its physical presence, but the faint hum of its aura, the way it seemed to respond to my mana. The resonance wasn't perfect yet, but it was close.
"Focus," I muttered to myself. "No hesitation."
I began the first steps of the process, channeling my mana through the sword, letting it flow into the blade like a river carving through stone. The Sword Heart required more than just brute force. It required intent—clear, unyielding purpose.
The energy hummed louder, and I could feel the sword vibrating in my grip. A faint glow began to emanate from the blade, flickering like a candle in the wind. The first step was synchronization—aligning my aura with the sword's, forging a bond so strong it could weather any storm.
But the Wall wasn't just about technique or mana. It was a test of will.
As I pushed forward, memories rose unbidden in my mind—failures, doubts, moments of weakness. The duel I lost to Ren. The times I'd questioned whether I was strong enough to bear the weight of my own ambitions.
The glow of the sword faltered, and I grit my teeth. "Not now," I muttered. I wasn't about to let my past dictate my future.
Lilith's voice echoed in my mind. "Your intent must be absolute. The Wall doesn't care about excuses. It doesn't care about how hard you've worked or how much you've sacrificed. It only cares if you're ready."
I opened my eyes, the flickering glow of the sword steadying as I refocused. My intent wasn't about ambition or power. It was about the people I'd promised to protect. Rachel's smile. Seraphina's quiet strength. Cecilia's cunning. My friends, my family, the future I was building for all of us.
The resonance deepened, the glow of the sword growing brighter. The Wall loomed before me—not a physical structure, but a presence, vast and immovable. I could feel it, pressing against me, testing my resolve.
I stepped forward.
The sword pulsed with light, and the room was filled with a sharp, ringing sound like a bell struck in a cathedral. The energy surged, and for a moment, I felt weightless, as though the Wall had acknowledged my intent.
The first step was complete.
I let out a slow breath, lowering the sword as the glow faded. My legs felt heavy, my mana reserves drained, but I'd done it. The process had begun.
The Wall still loomed, an insurmountable challenge that would take everything I had to overcome. But for the first time, it felt… possible.
"Not bad," a voice said, breaking the silence.
I turned to see Lilith leaning against the doorway, her emerald eyes studying me with a mix of approval and amusement. "You're not terrible at this."
"High praise," I replied, my voice dry.
Lilith smirked, stepping into the room. "Don't let it go to your head. This is just the beginning. The Wall's a long climb, and it's not going to let you through without a fight."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," I said, tightening my grip on the sword.
Lilith nodded, her expression softening slightly. "Good. Because once you form that Sword Heart, there's no going back. Make sure you're ready."
I met her gaze, determination hardening in my chest. "I will be."
The Wall loomed, but I wasn't afraid. This was my path, and no matter how steep the climb, I would see it through.
__________________________________________________________________________________
The semester blurred past in a whirlwind of training, study, and stolen moments with the three most important women in my life. Each day brought me closer to the impossible, yet tantalizingly real, goal ahead.
And so, time passed.
Until now.
"You're almost there," Lilith said, her voice measured but tinged with approval. She stood a few feet away, her arms crossed and her emerald gaze fixed on me.
Her words carried weight. If I made this next step, I wouldn't just scale the Wall; I would shatter records. By six months, I would eclipse Sun's record as the youngest Ascendant-ranker in history.
No pressure.
To achieve this, I had to do two things: complete my Sword Heart and fully conceptualize seven-circle magic. The Fuller method, the foundation of my spellcasting ascent, had been a grueling challenge. But with Rachel's relentless assistance—bless her—and even Cecilia's contributions as a fellow pure mage, I had finally unraveled its secrets.
All that remained was to take the leap.
It wasn't about rote knowledge or memorization anymore. This was about realization.
Evolution.
I held my sword loosely in my hand, its weight both grounding and empowering. With a breath of focus, I swung.
The blade moved through the air with perfect precision, its aura shimmering faintly. This was the Spectral Sword art, a technique I had refined to near perfection. Now, standing on the precipice, I pushed it further. I didn't just wield the art—I became it.
'This is it,' I thought.
In that moment, something shifted. The air seemed to ripple, as though reality itself was acknowledging the change. My sword glowed faintly, its resonance with my intent reaching a pitch I had never felt before.
I had taken the Spectral Sword art beyond its limits. It had reached the zenith realm of mastery.
A gasp escaped me as the world responded. The mana around me trembled, drawn to the transformation. It was as if the universe had paused, waiting for the next note in an unfolding symphony.
I opened my palm, and in my mind, the Fuller method crystallized—an intricate, three-dimensional matrix of equations and way of reimagining the mana circle method to reach seven-circle.
And then, the Wall yielded.
I felt it in every fiber of my being as I scaled the Wall and stepped into the realm of the Ascendant. The surge of mana was overwhelming, a flood of power that both refined and remade me. I lowered myself into a lotus position, centering myself as the transformation took hold.
It wasn't just my mana core evolving. My entire body underwent the first body metamorphosis—a process that went beyond physical refinement. Muscles, ligaments, nerves, even my very cells seemed to hum with newfound vitality.
And then, deep within me, a new presence stirred.
It wasn't physical, yet it was unmistakably real. A metaphysical construct, glowing faintly in my core—the Sword Heart.
I exhaled, my breath steady but heavy with awe. My body felt lighter, yet stronger, as though it was no longer bound by the same rules. The journey I had begun months ago had finally brought me here. To a new existence.
And then, softly, Luna's voice reached me, a whisper like a breeze in the quiet. 'You're ready.'
Her words settled over me, not as a command but as a confirmation of something I already knew.
I opened my eyes, the room around me both unchanged and yet irrevocably different. The Wall was behind me now, and the path ahead stretched into the unknown. But for the first time, I felt truly prepared to walk it.