The ritual continued long after the first violent surge of change had passed.
Fire Laws remained dominant beneath the crimson dome, while the blood mist slowly thinned. Most of the demons were deep in their own struggles, locked in meditation or silent endurance. For North, however, the transformation was already nearing its end.
Two hours passed.
The pressure around her body gradually eased. The wind that had once coiled tightly around her frame faded into stillness, and her breathing slowed. At last, her eyes opened.
For a brief moment, she simply sat there, adjusting to the new weight of her body.
Then she smiled. That was enough for me. Space folded, and I pulled her directly into the pocket space.
The stadium vanished around her, replaced by the quiet void and the floating world core. North blinked once, then steadied herself almost instantly. Her posture was perfect, as if the space itself had aligned to her presence.
The next second, she reached out and pinched my arm.
"Don’t teleport me like that without warning," she said flatly. "At least say something first."
I smiled. "Noted."
Her annoyance faded quickly as her eyes shifted past me. She stared at the core drifting in the void, at the dense structure now flooded with violet Essence, and finally at the faint crimson glow pulsing at its center.
"...What is that?" she asked.
"That," I said, "is the world core of Armus."
Her gaze sharpened. "The world core?"
"Yes, every world has a world core which decides the level of the world. The blood drop you’re sensing at its center is the root of the Blood and Fire Ritual. Everything happening in the stadium traces back to it."
She took a slow step closer, eyes narrowing as she studied the violet currents flowing through the core. "And that Essence," she said, glancing at me. "That’s yours, isn’t it?"
"Yes," I replied simply. "I’ve taken control of the world core. Armus is connected to me now."
She was quiet for a moment, absorbing that. Then she looked back at the core again, this time with a mix of curiosity and understanding.
"...That explains a lot." she said.
"So," I said, watching her closely. "Tell me the changes you underwent. I could feel that the blood mist worked great on your body."
She flexed her fingers slowly, then took a step forward. There was no sound, no excess motion, yet the space behind her felt cleanly displaced, like something had been cut away without effort.
"My physical attributes increased across the board," she said. "Strength, Dexterity, Constitution. Nothing explosive but refined. I feel... efficient." She paused, choosing her words. "It’s like my body finally understands how to move."
She summoned her status screen and turned it toward me.
I began going through the notification.
[The Major Law of Silent Cleave]
The description was clear. This law governed separation through intent and motion. Once North committed to an action, the cut was already decided. Whether through blade, wind, or movement itself, anything that lay in her path could be severed cleanly. Defenses did not fail through brute force, but through perfect alignment. The quieter her motion, the sharper the result.
The second notification followed.
[The Major Law of Rolling Momentum.]
This law described motion that never truly ended. Every step, turn, or strike fed into the next, allowing force to carry forward instead of dispersing. Retreat, evasion, and redirection were no longer losses. They became sources of power. As long as North continued to move, her efficiency and control increased, making interruption increasingly difficult.
Finally, the third change appeared.
A new physical ability had formed: [Zero-Loss Movement Body.]
The system described it as a perfected kinetic physique. Her muscles, bones, and tendons were aligned to absorb, store, and release motion without internal damage or waste. Sudden changes in direction caused no backlash. High-speed movement no longer strained her body. Even stillness carried tension, allowing her to explode into action without delay.
North dismissed the screen and looked at me.
"I didn’t feel like I was gaining power," she said quietly. "It felt like something that was always possible finally clicked into place. I think it’s the effect of the technique that Dante gave me."
I nodded and stared at her full status screen.
[Status]
--------------------------------------------------
Name : North Winter
Race : Human+
Class : Vortex Lamina (Legendary)
Laws :
Level 1 : Major Law of Silent Cleave, Major Law of Rolling MomentumLevel 5 : Minor Law of Aerokinesis, Minor Law of Vorticity, Minor Law of Compression
Rank: Grandmaster
Level : 291
Attributes :
- Strength: Alpha(1670)
- Constitution: Alpha(1540)
- Dexterity: Alpha(1830)
- Psynapse : Alpha(1610)
- Essence : A+
Skills:
- Cyclone Cleave Level 5
- Blade Rush Level 8
- Windborn Level 7
- Dual Cleave Level 5
- Veil Point Level 7
- Blade Shift Level 9
- Two Step Edge Level 5
- Rolling Death Spiral Level 2
Ability:
- Hidden Cleave - Level 2
- Zero-Loss Movement Body
--------------------------------------------------
My gaze paused on a new line that hadn’t been there earlier.
"Rolling Death Spiral," I said, looking up at her. "What is this skill about?"
"That one is something I am developing on my own," she said. "It is to prepare for the Level 3 hidden cleave." She reached out and expanded the entry.
I looked at the description.
Rolling Death Spiral was a sustained execution skill built on continuous motion. While active, every change in direction or action, generated rotational momentum that did not dissipate.
Instead, it was compressed and layered within her movement. The longer she remained in motion, the denser and sharper the stored force became. When released, the accumulated momentum manifested as a spiraling cleave that traveled forward, carrying cutting force, wind pressure, and rotational dominance. The attack grew stronger the longer it was delayed, and backlash was nullified by perfect kinetic control.
North dismissed the screen and flexed her hand slowly.
"It doesn’t feel like a technique," she said. "More like... a habit. If I keep moving, it keeps building. If I stop, it wants to come out."
"This skill will be dangerous in prolonged fights," I said. "The longer an enemy fails to pin you down, the worse it gets for them."
A faint smile formed on her lips.
"Good," she said. "I don’t like rushed fights."
"This suits you," I said.
"So how long will the ritual last?" she asked. "I want to test this new ability."
"No problem," I replied. "I’ll send you back."
She nodded and waved me goodbye. I snapped my finger and teleported her directly to her quarters.
Once she was gone, I shifted my focus outward again, back to Steve and Primus, quietly observing the changes still unfolding within them.