A familiar sound echoed.
Zzzzsup!
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ARCANA STATUS
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Reality Fracture Progress :
Wolfrezon Cub Defeated ×1
Adult Wolfrezon Defeated ×12
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Authority EXP +4,800
Authority Level : 32 → 35
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STR 15 → 18 AGI 17 → 20
DEX 16 → 18 VIT 14 → 17
PER 19 → 21 WIL 25 → 28
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New Record Added
> Pack Slayer
> Defeat an entire Alpha Pack alone.
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Arcana Points Earned
+2,400 AP
Current AP: 3,185
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Zekai stared at the floating screen.
"...Level thirty-five already?"
He chuckled.
"So hunting really is the fastest way to grow."
Just then...
The familiar warmth spread through Zekai's pocket once again.
"...Hm?"
He slipped his hand inside his coat and pulled out the wolf-shaped pendant he had stolen from the relic collector.
The silver relic rested quietly in his palm. Its surface was covered in countless ancient cracks.
"...I almost forgot about you."
He turned the pendant over several times.
"...Arcana."
"What exactly is sealed inside this relic?"
Zzzzsup!
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ARCANA ANALYSIS
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Relic Classification: Soul-Sealed Relic
Contained Soul: Wolwing
Status: Permanently Sealed
Current Vessel: Ancient Wolf Pendant
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Zekai frowned.
"...Permanently sealed?"
His fingers unconsciously tightened around the relic.
A familiar face surfaced inside his mind.
Aldric.
A soul trapped...
Unable to move forward. Unable to return.
"...That's no different."
He lowered his gaze.
"...So it'll stay imprisoned forever?"
Silence.
The Arcana gave no answer.
Zekai slowly lifted his head. His eyes drifted across the battlefield.
Twelve Alpha Wolfrezon corpses lay scattered across the snow.
Then—
An idea struck him. His pupils narrowed.
"...Wait."
He looked at the pendant. Then at one of the dead Wolfrezons.
Then back again.
"What if..."
"...a soul doesn't need another relic?"
"...What if it just needs another body?"
He looked toward the Arcana.
"...Can a sealed soul be transferred into another vessel?"
The interface flickered.
Zzzzsup!
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ARCANA RESPONSE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Compatible Vessel Detected.
Soul Integration...
Possible.
Warning:
Original consciousness of the vessel has already perished.
Only an empty body remains.
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A slow smile appeared across Zekai's face.
"...That's enough."
Zzzzsup!
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ARCANA RESTRICTION
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Companion Creation Authority:
Exclusive to The Fool.
Only the Bearer of The Fool may offer a wandering soul a new existence.
This Authority cannot restore the dead.
It only permits the birth of an Arcana Companion through a willing soul and a compatible empty vessel.
All other soul-sealed relics remain bound by their original laws.
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"Quite interesting."
He walked toward the largest Alpha Wolfrezon lying nearby.
Its body still radiated traces of lingering Energy.
Another screen appeared.
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THE FOOL'S AUTHORITY
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The Fool never walks alone.
Offer companionship to a wandering soul?
YES / NO
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Zekai didn't press anything.
Instead...
He spoke to the pendant.
"...What do you want?"
For several seconds...
Nothing happened.
Then...
A gentle blue light escaped from the cracked pendant.
It slowly gathered before him.
The spirit of a small wolf appeared. Its translucent body resembled moonlight itself.
Its eyes quietly met Zekai's.
Then...
It looked down at the dead Wolfrezon.
"...Better..."
"...than remaining trapped forever."
Its soft voice barely rose above the falling snow.
"If you'll accept me..."
"I wish to live again."
"I pledge my loyalty..."
"...to you."
The Arcana answered immediately, not because Zekai had commanded it...
But because The Fool had accepted its first companion.
Zekai smiled.
"...Then let's give you another chance."
He tapped YES.
Immediately—
The pendant floated into the air.
The Alpha Wolfrezon's enormous body also began rising from the snow.
Dark crimson energy flowed out from the corpse.
Azure light poured from the Wolwing's soul.
One represented flesh.
The other...
Soul.
Both streams slowly approached one another.
Red...
Blue...
The moment they touched—
BOOOOOOOM!!
Brilliant violet light exploded across the clearing.
The surrounding snow spiraled outward.
The Wolfrezon's corpse convulsed violently.
Its bones cracked. Its muscles reshaped.
Its fur gradually changed from dark gray to silver-white.
Ancient violet markings spread across its body like glowing veins.
Its savage crimson eyes slowly faded.
Replacing them...
Were calm sapphire-blue eyes.
The light finally dispersed.
Standing before Zekai...
Was no longer a Wolfrezon. Nor a Wolwing.
It was something entirely new.
Zzzzsup!
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ARCANA EVOLUTION
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New Species Created : Leewolf
Origin: Soul Integration Successful
Classification: Arcana Companion
Authority: The Fool
Bond Status: Complete
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The newly born creature slowly opened its eyes. It looked down at its new body. Flexed its claws.
Raised its head toward Zekai.
Instead of roaring... It quietly walked forward.
Then gently rubbed its head against Zekai's arm.
"My name..."
"...is Nuke."
"I shall walk beside you..."
"...Origin."
Zekai chuckled softly.
"Nuke, huh?"
"I like your name."
Then he paused.
"...But why are you calling me 'Origin'?"
Nuke looked down at his own paws before speaking quietly.
"When my soul was sealed..."
"...I lost my memories."
"I no longer remembered who I was."
"Nor where I belonged."
He slowly lifted his sapphire-blue eyes to meet Zekai's.
"But..."
"...you gave me a new beginning."
"You gave me another chance to exist."
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"So..."
"...you are my Origin."
Silence settled between them.
Zekai scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"...That's a pretty heavy title."
Zzzzsup!
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ARCANA COMPANION
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Name: Nuke
Species: Leewolf
Classification: Arcana Companion
Authority: The Fool
Bond Level: 1
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HP: 100% AP: 100%
STR: 12 AGI: 18
DEX: 16 VIT: 13
PER: 20 WIL: 14
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Companion Skills
• Pack Instinct (Rare)
Can sense hidden enemies, killing intent, and nearby lifeforms.
• Moonstep (Rare)
Greatly increases movement speed on natural terrain.
• Grave Fang (Rare)
Empowers its fangs with Grave Energy, allowing them to tear through supernatural defenses.
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Companion Trait
The Fool's Hound
A loyal companion born under the Authority of The Fool.
Its growth is linked directly to its master.
As the Authority Bearer becomes stronger...
Nuke will evolve alongside him.
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Zekai stared at the screen.
"...So you can grow too?"
Nuke wagged his tail enthusiastically.
"Woo!"
Zekai chuckled.
"...Looks like we're starting from the bottom together."
He gently scratched behind Nuke's ears.
"Let's survive long enough to become monsters."
"...I'd like to keep talking."
"But we're still inside a Reality Fracture."
He pointed toward the Arcana storage.
"Rest for now."
"When I need you..."
"...I'll call."
Nuke lowered his head once more in respect.
"I await your command..."
"...Origin Lord."
Its body dissolved into countless violet particles.
The light gathered into a small wolf-shaped crest before disappearing into the Arcana Arsenal.
The snowy clearing fell silent once more.
Zekai looked toward the endless frozen forest.
"...Quest first."
"...Everything else later."
Zekai tore Null Drakular from the snow. The sword rested loosely in his hand, hanging at his side like a silent executioner waiting for its next command.
And continued walking deeper into the Reality Fracture.
The cold wind swept gently across the battlefield.
Zekai slowly looked around. The clearing had become quiet once again.
Gigantic Wolfrezon corpses lay scattered across the endless snow.
A few hours ago...
Even one of them had nearly killed him.
Now...
An entire pack had fallen.
His gaze drifted toward Null Drakular. The polished blade reflected his own face.
A quiet smile slowly appeared.
"...I'm changing."
Not because the world had become easier.
Because...
He had finally begun catching up to it. His fingers tightened around the hilt.
"If I keep getting stronger..."
"...then maybe..."
He closed his eyes for only a moment.
Aron's smile surfaced inside his memories.
Marcus laughed from beneath the circus lights.
Sara cried before a rain-soaked grave.
When his eyes opened again...
They carried a quiet determination.
"No."
"I'm not leaving anyone behind again."
"Not Aron."
"Not anyone."
He rested Null Drakular across his shoulder.
A faint grin appeared.
"I'm finally moving forward."
Without another word...
He turned toward the deeper forest. Then looked deeper into the frozen forest.
He started walking.
Far ahead...
The air distorted.
A nearly invisible wall shimmered between two ancient pine trees.
"...There."
"So that's the Reality Fracture's core..."
Yet...
Something felt wrong.
He narrowed his eyes.
The distortion wasn't merely unstable.
It felt...
Alive.
"...Arcana."
"Analyze it."
Silence.
No response.
"...Really?"
"So you're ignoring me now?"
Several seconds passed.
Finally—
The interface appeared.
But instead of words—
The screen glitched violently.
Letters twisted into meaningless symbols. Red cracks spread across the interface.
A̸N̸A̷L̶Y̸S̷I̸S̶...
E̶R̸R̷O̸R̷...
D̷O̷ N̸O̶T̷...
T̷O̸U̴—
The screen abruptly disappeared.
"...What?"
For the first time...
The Arcana seemed...
Afraid.
Zekai slowly extended his hand toward the distortion.
"...Guess there's only one way to find out."
His fingertips touched the black membrane.
The world shattered.
A violent headache exploded through his skull.
"...Ghh...!"
He staggered backward, dropping to one knee.
Both hands clutched his head.
It felt as though something inside his mind was tearing itself apart.
His vision blurred.
"...What is this?"
"The pain... it's coming from inside my head."
The snowy forest began spinning.
"Something... is pulling at my consciousness."
His consciousness began sinking into darkness.
Something...
On the other side...
Had touched him back.
✦ End of Chapter 57 — The Touch Beyond ✦