My palm hovered just inches above the spinning cube. Then, with a quiet pull of will, a suction force erupted from my hand aimed only at the deathmist swirling inside the cube.
The corrupted world core reacted instantly. It trembled hard, as if trying to resist me. But the pull from my palm grew stronger and stronger, tightening like a whirlpool.
A sharp crack split across the cube’s surface.
I blinked, a little surprised. I hadn’t expected the structure itself to break so easily. But the process didn’t stop. Deathmist leaked from the crack like smoke, and every bit of it rushed straight into my palm.
Inside me, it traveled into the Dawn Core and streamed directly toward the dead Star of Origin.
Outside, the cube cracked again this time louder. Then it shattered completely.
The entire cube burst apart into fragments of black, rune-covered stone. But even those didn’t fall. The suction pulled them in as well, devouring everything. Deathmist, runes, fragments, the entire corrupted core was sucked into me and merged into the Star of Origin inside the Dawn Core.
I stood still for a moment, watching internally. The Star of Origin remained unchanged. Still lifeless. But outside... something definitely changed.
The asteroid began to tremble. The ground shook, sending vibrations through the air. Dust and deathmist spilled from cracks in the walls. The runic patterns across the asteroid’s invisible barrier flickered wildly, searching for their power source and failing to find it.
The entire base was reacting to the lost core. That was my cue. I didn’t wait for the collapse to start. I flashed instantly, reappearing on the outer surface of the asteroid, high above the fortress. Then I hid myself in space again, burying my presence completely.
The Phantoms inside the fortress reacted immediately. One after another, they flashed out of the tower. Below them, the abominations began roaring at the trembling ground, confused and restless as the asteroid shook harder.
"What is going on?" one of the Phantoms demanded, its voice echoing across the floating rock.
Several of them spread out, scanning the surroundings, but before they could figure anything out, a rough, gravelly voice cut through the chaos.
"There is an intruder. I can smell the Essence."
The strongest Phantom emerged from the tower, a towering figure of deathmist and shadow. I recognized it instantly as the one I had sensed on the top floor.
"An intruder?" another Phantom asked sharply. "Number Ten was guarding the outside. Are you sure Number One?"
I couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at that. So they used numbers as names. For a brief moment, I felt like I had stumbled upon some distant, corrupted cousins.
"Do you see Ten anywhere?" the strong one answered. Silence followed. Not one Phantom responded.
"And the core is gone," One continued. "That’s why the fortress is reacting this way."
Murmurs broke out among them.
"Damn it. How did someone slip past all of us?"
"It’s still here," the strongest Phantom growled. "I can feel it. But whoever it is... they’re very good at hiding."
The others stiffened and summoned their weapons. I remained hidden, silent, watching them prepare with growing eagerness.
But there was one thing I needed to take care of first, my identity. I hadn’t even stepped into the Prime Galaxy yet. Letting these things know who I was would be stupid. Worse, they might have ways to send information to their headquarters or something.
So I activated my Apex Body ability. My body responded instantly. Bones shifted with a deep, rolling crack. Muscles stretched and lengthened. My silhouette expanded upward until I stood a towering ten feet tall, with a body to match the height.
My skin darkened rapidly, turning from its natural tone into obsidian black, so dark it swallowed every trace of light that touched it. No shine. No reflection. Just a depthless void.
Heat pulsed through my scalp as my hair grew longer, spilling down to my shoulders, black streaked with violet, matching the strange glow gathering behind my eyes. When I opened them fully, the world reflected in two burning violet irises .
Then the next change came.
Black smoke began rising from me. But it wasn’t true smoke. It was my violet Essence, wrapped and merged with my elemental laws until the color turned pitch black. It flowed around me like a cloak, curling and shifting with my breathing.
Next, I activated the wing trait I had taken from Silver. A sharp pulse ran down my spine, and a moment later a pair of wings burst out behind me. Their usual crimson-red glow shifted instantly as I willed it, the color draining away until they turned a muted ashen grey, blending perfectly with my shadow-forged form.
Nothing about me looked human anymore. Not even close. I lifted my hand, and Essence condensed instantly. The light solidified into a blade, a completely black sword, so dark it looked carved out of the same void as my skin.
I rolled my shoulders once, letting the new form settle. The phantoms in the distance stiffened, some jerking their heads toward my direction. They sensed something.
Stepping out of the hidden space, I let my presence explode out. The moment I appeared in open air, a shock rippled through the battlefield. Every phantom snapped toward me. Even the roaring Abominations stopped in their tracks, their heads rising up to stare at me.
Then all of them suddenly went crazy as they began roaring and lashing out. The effect of Executor’s Halo was at full display.
"I hope you did not have to wait long." My voice rolled through the area, deep and rough, almost guttural. I had changed that too, no hint of my real tone remained.
"Who are you?" Number One rumbled.
"No one," I replied. "Just a passerby."
The phantoms shifted uneasily. They could sense Essence coming off me, but nothing about it felt familiar.
One phantom whispered, "It feels wrong..."
Another added, "That is true."
Even the abominations hesitated, claws sinking halfway into the trembling ground as they studied me with glowing, feral eyes.
Number One floated a little closer. "You destroyed the core."
A faint smile tugged at my lips. "Yes. But that was not my intention. It was too weak."
"You think you can walk in here and—"
"I already did," I cut him off calmly.
Deathmist churned violently around them now. The fortress groaned behind us as the runes started collapsing. Ripples of unstable energy spread across the asteroid.
Number One waved its hand and two giant hammers appeared in each of them.
"Very well, intruder. Since you have chosen death..."
"I was thinking the same thing," I said, lowering my stance slightly, the black blade humming in my hand.
"...let’s begin."