Steve's eyes went wide now.
"What happened?"
I told him about the place I was sent to. About the ruined platform.
Steve listened without interrupting. When I finished, we both sat in silence for a moment.
Then I added, "The place I was in… I don't think time flows there like it does here."
He rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, no kidding."
I raised my hand and handed him his sword.
"Here."
He nodded.
"Thanks."
I glanced around and said,
"Go ahead. You can finish your evolution, I'll keep watch."
He gave another nod and walked a short distance down the branch, then sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
**** Steve's PoV
I sat down on the branch and pulled up my status panel, ready to check everything before starting the evolution.
[Status]
--------------------------------------------------
Name : Steve Harper
Race : Human
Class : Death's Touch (Epic)
Laws : N/A
Rank: Mortal
Level : 50
Attributes :
- Strength: 88
- Constitution: 87
- Dexterity: 124
- Psynapse : 80
Skills:
- Burst Flash Level 7
- Lightning Mantle Level 5
- Final Severance Level 3
- Blind Rush Level 3
- Bladed Curse Level 3
--------------------------------------------------
Then I opened my class description.
[Death's Touch (Epic)]: A single slash is equal to Death's hand. Once your blade finds flesh, no one returns.
After reading the details carefully, I took a deep breath and made my decision.
It was time to begin the evolution.
I selected [Proceed], and the evolution options appeared before me.
---------------------------------
[Storm Reaper (Epic) ] : You are death wrapped in thunder. Each strike echoes with the storm's fury, and every flash of your blade splits the air like lightning tearing the sky. Your enemies won't hear the blow that ends them—only the crack of the storm that follows.
Stat Gains: Strength +2, Dexterity +4, Psynapse +4, Constitution +2
Skill: Thunder Guillotine – Dash forward in a blur, striking down multiple enemies in a line. Each hit releases a burst of lightning that stuns and sears.
---------------------------------
[Limit Blade (Epic) ]: Your sword is no longer a tool, it is your shadow, your breath, your will. You strike faster than the eye can track, draining life, will, and hope from those who dare to face your edge.
Stat Gains: Dexterity +5, Strength +3, Psynapse +2, Constitution +2
Skill: Phantom Rift – Execute a chain of invisible slashes around you. Each cut lands simultaneously delivering end to your enemy
---------------------------------
[Arc Revenant (Epic)] : Struck by death, reborn in lightning. You move between heartbeats, your strikes infused with the fury of storms. The battlefield becomes your stormcloud.
Stat Gains: Psynapse +5, Dexterity +4, Strength +3, Constitution + 2
Skill: Living Voltage – Enter a high-reflexive state where lightning pulses through your limbs, greatly enhancing reaction time, movement, and attack speed for a short duration.
---------------------------------
I exhaled deeply and studied the options, one by one.
Storm Reaper. Death wrapped in thunder. It sounded brutal—clean strikes backed by lightning, cutting through enemies in lines. The image of me dashing through a battlefield, thunder roaring in my wake... it was tempting. But it felt more like raw power—less control, more chaos. I wasn't sure that was me.
Limit Blade. The name alone made me pause. My sword becoming my shadow, my instinct, my will? Every part of me sharpened into motion, faster than the eye could track. It promised pure swordsmanship—blinding speed and silent death. Elegant and lethal. But... it lacked the charge. No lightning. No storm.
Then there was Arc Revenant. The moment I read the name, something stirred in my chest. Struck by death, reborn in lightning. This class didn't just give me speed or precision. It gave me both. Storm and steel. It also gave the highest number of stat boosts and felt like a mix of the other two classes. On top of that, I really liked the skill that came with it.
Living Voltage. That was the skill. It wasn't about a single attack, it was a state. A shift. My body wrapped in lightning, every move faster, sharper, alive. That was how I wanted to fight. Flowing between strikes, between heartbeats. My blade guided by instinct, powered by voltage.
I nodded slowly.
"Arc Revenant," I whispered.
And with that, I selected my path.
The moment I selected the option, my vision blurred.
Suddenly, I was standing in a silent forest under a moonlit sky. The air was cold and still, the trees tall and shadowy. A silver moon hung above like a watching eye. Everything felt… distant, unreal.
Then I saw him.
A tall man stood on a rock ledge ahead of me, his dark clothes fluttering in the wind. His presence was calm but sharp, like a storm waiting to strike. Blue lightning crackled faintly around his arms and legs, flickering across his black coat like veins of light.
He looked down at a group of enemies gathering below—soldiers in armor, unaware of the danger above them.
And then he moved.
Not ran. Moved. In an instant, he vanished from the ledge and reappeared in front of them like a bolt from the sky. His sword danced. I couldn't see the slashes, only the light. Blue sparks lit the forest, brief flashes cutting through the dark.
Every step he took left a crackle of lightning behind. Every swing of his blade sent arcs of voltage into the enemies. They screamed, stunned, burned, dropped. The world seemed to slow around him. It wasn't just speed, it was control. Flow. Power.
Then came the final strike.
He raised his sword high. Lightning pulsed through his body, and in one swift motion, he cut downward.
A wide arc of thunder and light tore through the forest floor, splitting trees, enemies, and silence alike.
And just like that, it ended.
A blink later, the vision faded.
I smirked a little. That was what I was looking for. Fast and deadly.
I closed my eyes, letting the flood of information wash over me. It was overwhelming yet exhilarating.
Few minutes passed and I opened my eyes to stare at the notification in front of me.
[Evolution Complete]
[Strength +5, Constitution +5, Dexterity +12, Psynapse +8]
[Weapon Link Available]
[Link a weapon to your Class: Arc Revenant]
[Linked weapons will evolve with you.]
[Proceed?]
I didn't hesitate. I mentally selected the option to proceed.
The sword, which had been quietly resting on my lap, trembled slightly before floating in front of me.
My heart lurched as a single drop of blood was pulled from my chest and hovered in the air.
A disturbance rippled through the air as Essence surged around me, wrapping itself around the sword. In an instant, the sword shattered into tiny particles, each one pulsing with energy.
Then, lightning crackled through the particles, a vibrant blue streaking across the air. The blood, the material of the sword, the Essence, and the lightning all merged together in a chaotic swirl, spinning faster and faster.
Minutes passed, but time felt irrelevant as the swirling mass grew more focused, more intense.
Finally, the chaotic energy started to settle, the swirling particles and lightning coming together into a more solid form.
The sword slowly took shape. It was long, about four feet in total, with a sleek design.
The blade was completely grey, smooth, and shining with a faint blue light running across its surface. It was thin and sharp, built for fast, precise strikes.
The hilt was wrapped in black leather, simple but strong. What caught my eye was the rune on the guard, a lightning bolt, etched in silver. It crackled softly with static, pulsing gently as if it could release a storm with a single command.
I raised my hand and held the sword.
The sword felt lighter than I expected, but there was power in it, a deep hum of energy that I could feel through my hands.
A new notification appeared in front of me.
[Skill Gained]
[Chainstrike Surge]: Mark points in the air with lightning, then strike with your sword to send a slash of energy through each point. The lightning chains between the marks, amplifying the damage with each connection.
More information flooded my mind, and I exhaled deeply as I stood up. I stretched, feeling a sense of relaxation and readiness. I was certain that when I left this place, I would be much stronger, far stronger than before.