Chapter 316: Space Level 1
**** [Billion’s PoV]
Steve and I stood side by side, our eyes fixed on Azalea as she floated gracefully in the air, arms crossed and eyes glinting with thought.
The silence stretched a moment longer before she finally spoke.
"There is one creature," she began, "a serpent species, native to the deeper folds of this realm. We call it the Dreadcut Serpent ."
She took a pause then continued.
"It’s not an ordinary beast," she continued. "Over time, this species has developed blade-like growths along its spine. Sharp, curved fragments of bone that pierce through their scales and remain exposed.
These aren’t just physical weapons, they’re tied to the Law of Sharpness itself. A minor law... but one with deep connection to swordsmanship."
She turned to Steve.
"Their very existence resonates with precision, cutting force, and honed edges. If we extract its spinal essence and blood properly, and use it to overwrite your evolving body, your spine will begin to shift. The system will interpret that as a legitimate biological trait and integrate it."
Steve’s eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of transformation are we talking about?"
Azalea gave a small smile. "Primarily, your spine will change. The structure will toughen and sharpen, literally. Portions of your bone structure may adapt to support the new edge sensitivity. I can’t say for sure how it will look after full stabilization... but it’ll boost your physical strength, your reaction time, and most importantly, your ability to comprehend the Laws of Sharpness. And through that... the path to Sword Laws will open wider for you."
I whistled low under my breath. "Sounds painful."
Azalea chuckled softly. "Oh, it will be. But worth it."
Steve asked, "And this serpent?"
Azalea nodded. "We have several. They’ve already become Abominations, but they’re all contained within the realm. I can bring one or two up when it’s time for the procedure."
I turned to Steve and raised an eyebrow. "You have something else in mind?"
His brows pulled together as he clearly started weighing some idea in his head. He let out a long, loud exhale—one of those dramatic sighs that made it seem like my question had drained all the energy from his tiny brain.
"I did have something," he finally admitted. "I was wondering if there’s a way to get a trait specific to the eyes. Something that could improve vision or reflexes... I don’t know, maybe something more."
I nodded slowly. That actually wasn’t a bad thought.
But Azalea shook her head. "That’s nearly impossible right now. First, you’d need to find the right Abomination or beast,one whose eyes contain the specific ability you’re hoping for. And second... your brain. Can it even handle the kind of rewiring needed for a trait like that?"
Steve frowned and fell silent again, probably trying to imagine what would happen if he got an upgrade that melted his brain.
Eventually, he gave a small shrug. "Alright. Let’s just go with your option for now. I’ll hope for the best."
I nodded. "Sounds good. I’ll leave you two to it. Azalea, I’m guessing you’ll take care of capturing the Abomination?"
She nodded. "Yes, leave it to me."
"Cool. I’ve got to head back to the capital, I’ve got something lined up there." Then I paused and asked, "How long will this procedure take?"
"About a day," she answered. "That should be enough for the full transformation and adaptation."
I gave a short wave. "Alright then. I’m off."
With that, I turned and made my way back to the core chamber.
The panther, my soon-to-be shackle, was still unconscious in the corner, breathing slow but steady. I sat down in front of the core and took a deep breath.
"[Psynapse Fracture]," I whispered.
My perception split and deepened again. Slowly, I allowed my senses to merge with the spatial fluctuations emanating from the core. The world around me dulled, faded, and shifted.
And just like before, I slipped into that anchored, quiet realm.
I was close. Very close.
I just needed a little more. One more step.
And I’d break through.
"Node 3, activate."
The third rune on my spine lit up with a sharp jolt of heat. A familiar flood of power rushed through my body as all my stats surged. My Psynapse, in particular, shot past the 2000 mark.
And then... something changed.
Essence appeared in front of me like never before. A living entity encompassing all laws.
The static aspect of space revealed itself like a hidden layer peeled open just for me.
I wasn’t focusing on movement. Not on portals or blinks or jumps. No velocity, no warps. I focused purely on position.
My position.
Other objects’ positions.
The distance between them, not as a number, but as an anchor .
Space wasn’t just emptiness. It was a canvas.
A perfectly structured grid that held every object in place like pieces of chess placed on a board.
Each one locked in place unless something intervened. And even when something did , the resistance of space was always there, holding things back from slipping into chaos.
I turned my attention to the Essence around me. Not just the energy swirling in the air, but how it respected space.
It wrapped around objects. It flowed through space, but never ignored it. Even the smallest ripple of Essence had to abide by spatial structure.
And my skill—[Space Lock]. I thought back to how I used it. I wasn’t freezing time or sealing energy.
I was anchoring the space around someone. I was defining the exact points they were allowed to exist within... and forbidding the rest.
It was a command.
"You will remain here. "
And that was when everything clicked.
A new understanding settled over me. Things I had struggled with before... they now seemed within reach. The barriers weren’t physical; they had been within my perception all along.
And as if the universe agreed, a single chime echoed in my mind.
A notification.
I opened the panel.
Laws:
- Minor Law of Absolute – 40%
- Minor Law of Space – Level 1
A slow smile crept across my face. This was it. This was real progress.
The 40% under Absolute had always puzzled me, it never showed a level, only a percentage. But maybe that was because it didn’t come from standard comprehension. It came from something deeper. My class. My talent.
I remembered that each minor law needed to reach Level 5 before it could evolve into a major law. I wasn’t even close... but I’d started.
I took a deep breath and deactivated Node 3. The rune dimmed, and the intensity around me calmed. My body felt lighter, less pressured, though the clarity still lingered.
I stood up and walked across the chamber, stopping beside the unconscious panther sprawled on the ground like a discarded shadow. Its pitch-black fur shimmered faintly under the soft light, and its breathing was steady.
I crouched and tapped its bony horn with a knuckle.
"Yo, sleepy head," I said. "It’s time to wake up."
The panther growled low in its throat, eyes twitching as consciousness returned. And the moment its eyes fully opened, it sprang to its feet, muscles coiled, horn angled, ready to lunge.
But I was faster.
In a blur, I appeared behind it and grabbed its thick, black tail with one hand. The beast froze, caught off guard mid-snarl.
"Not here, you dumb idiot."
A portal swirled open beside me, and without giving it a chance to react, I stepped through, dragging the beast along.
We arrived on the open surface of the floating island.
I grunted and swung my arm, throwing the panther forward. I made sure to hold back, just enough force to toss it safely across the clearing.
It landed on all fours, skidding slightly as its claws dug into the stone, leaving scratch marks.
The panther turned toward me, growling low again, its bloodied horn angled like a dagger.
I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulders.
"Okay, I need to charge up so let’s get ready to throw some punches."