The isolation chamber was silent, the kind of silence that stretched endlessly, wrapping around me like a shroud. The thick steel doors had sealed behind me, cutting me off from everything outside. No distractions. No obligations. No interruptions. Just me, the pill in my hand, and the path I was about to walk.
I had spoken to everyone—Rachel, Seraphina, Cecilia and Rin. They all had expectations, but for now, I had to set that aside. This wasn't about them. This was about me. I rolled the Heavenly Violet Pill between my fingers, feeling the faint pulse of energy contained within it. It wasn't meant to push me to Radiant-rank. It wasn't about raw power or a shortcut to breaking through. It was something more fundamental than that. Refinement. Stabilization. True control over myself and the power that had nearly destroyed me before.
I closed my eyes and let my breathing slow, feeling the pill's energy settle into my palm. My mana circulated in response, golden light flickering around me, but it was unstable, shifting in a way that betrayed its own imbalance. It had been like this since my fight with Vorgath. My Unity had nearly killed me. Without Rachel's healing, it would have. That wasn't just an issue of power. It was a fundamental flaw in my approach, a sign that I had moved forward without truly understanding what I was building. That had to change.
I swallowed the pill, feeling the energy surge through me the moment it dissolved on my tongue. A wave of violet light erupted within my veins, flooding through my mana circuits, igniting every fiber of my being. It wasn't painful, but it was overwhelming, a force unlike anything I had ever absorbed before. My breath hitched as my body reacted, my mana struggling against the sudden change, rejecting it, before slowly—painfully—accepting.
As the energy settled, a thought surfaced, one that had been forming in the back of my mind for a while now. Humans relied too much on the body. It was something I had always known but never truly internalized until now. Every advancement in mana rank was based on physical transformation. Integration-rank strengthened the body to withstand astral energy. Immortal-rank pushed it further, forcing the first body metamorphosis. Even Radiant-rank followed the same trend, the second body metamorphosis acting as the gateway to godhood. The soul transformed, yes, but only as a response to the physical changes. And the mind? It was left behind.
The demons didn't make that mistake. That was why every demon Duke and above had undergone mind metamorphosis. That was why they wielded True Domains with absolute authority while humans struggled to even grasp the concept. It wasn't about talent. It wasn't about potential. It was about structure. The entire mana core system was designed around the body, and the mind had been neglected. The exceptions—Lucifer, Alyssara—had reached their strength because they had naturally undergone mind metamorphosis. But for everyone else, it was a wall they didn't even know existed.
I exhaled, focusing inward. My body. My mind. My soul. The three aspects of my existence, each one carrying a weight of its own. And for the first time, I truly saw how my Gifts aligned with them.
Lucent Harmony. The body. The Gift that reinforced me, that enhanced my resilience, that allowed me to withstand the burden of my power. It was the foundation upon which everything else stood, the structure that carried me forward.
Soul Resonance. The soul. The Gift that connected me to others, that allowed me to steal power, to merge myself with the energy of those around me. It was why I could wield Rachel's Saintess Gift, why I could draw on the strength of my allies. It was the bridge between myself and the world.
Mythweaver. The mind. The Gift that imposed my will upon reality itself, that turned my thoughts into existence, that allowed me to shape the story around me. It was the force that dictated my growth, the reason I could push beyond limits that should have held me back.
Three Gifts. Three aspects.
The energy of the Heavenly Violet Pill surged again, responding to my realization. My mana shifted, no longer just golden but streaked with violet, the two colors intertwining as they wove through my circuits. This wasn't just purification. This wasn't just enhancement. It was transformation.
I focused everything into my Sword Heart. It had always been the core of my existence as a swordsman, the place where my will sharpened itself into something unbreakable. But it had been lacking something. Now, I understood what. The energy condensed, spiraling inward, folding into itself until it collapsed into a single, brilliant point of light.
A star.
A small, violet star burned within my Sword Heart, pulsing in perfect harmony with my astral energy. It was different from anything I had ever felt before. Not a domain. Not a core. Something entirely my own. It wasn't just the power of the Heavenly Violet Pill. It was the culmination of everything I had built, everything I had struggled to understand. It was the first step toward something greater.
I opened my eyes. The isolation chamber was unchanged, the silence undisturbed, but I could feel it. The shift. The difference. My mana was no longer just golden. It shimmered with violet light, a balance of what had once been separate.
I flexed my fingers, feeling the weight of my power settle into place. My Unity wasn't fully stabilized. Not yet. But it was closer. The burden on my body was lighter, the strain less overwhelming. I wouldn't have to rely on Rachel's healing as much. My space manipulation had refined itself further, the distortions I created sharper, cleaner. And my swordsmanship—it had changed in a way I couldn't fully put into words yet.
I exhaled, closing my eyes again as I let the energy settle. This wasn't a breakthrough in mana rank. I was still at quasi Radiant-rank. But my relative power had risen. My foundation was stronger. The next time I used my Unity, I wouldn't be fighting against my own body to stay alive.
When I reached Radiant-rank, I wouldn't just be another warrior who had ascended. I would be something different. Something new.