It had been a week since Raqin crossed into this world.
In that short span of time, he had done what most disciples would take months to achieve—he had nearly mastered the basic sword technique. Every strike, every breath, every stance… refined to near perfection.
Two days ago, after fully understanding his environment, he made a decision.
He picked up the sword.
And everything changed.
/ Sub-system detected: Sword Path Dominant /
/ Initializing Sword Sub-System /
/ Please choose 3 focuses of the sword /
Raqin's eyes narrowed slightly as he read the prompt.
"Explosive… Stealth… Devour."
A pause.
Then—
/ Deathbreath Codex Activated /
A new panel unfolded before him.
[ SWORD SUB-SYSTEM ]
Name: Deathbreath Codex
Type: Bloodline-Patented System
Status: Bound to Host (Irreplaceable)
Level: Sword Initiate (5/100)
Core Laws:
Thunderous Extinction
Null Presence
Abyss Devour
Bloodline Sync: 0.01%
Stats:
Stealth Efficiency: 15%
Explosion Output: 20%
Devour Conversion: Locked
Unique Trait:
Evolution Through Consumption
Raqin stared at the panel for a moment… then exhaled slowly.
"…The universe really wants me to be broken."
His gaze shifted to his main status.
/ Sword Qi Capacity: 240 / 240 /
A faint smirk appeared.
"Same vitality… double energy… and it's Sword Qi."
He shook his head slightly.
"Unfair."
But then his expression turned thoughtful.
"My core attributes… haven't changed."
After a brief moment of calculation, he made his decision.
"If I'm going to break through… I'll do it at the limit."
Points were allocated.
Energy burned.
Power surged.
/ Strength: 15 → 50 /
/ Agility: 14 → 50 /
/ Constitution: 16 → 50 /
10,500 energy—gone.
But the result?
A perfect foundation.
"It's time."
Raqin sat down, crossing his legs as his breathing slowed.
The Heavenly Sword Dragon Technique began to circulate.
Sword Qi flowed like a raging river through his meridians—sharp, violent, yet controlled.
Within an hour—
He broke through.
Mortal Realm – Level 2
Bone and Marrow Refinement.
His eyes snapped open.
[ STATUS ]
Name: Raqin
Race: Human
Bloodline: Heaven-Thunder Draconic Sword Bloodline
Age: 19
Cultivation: Mortal Realm – Level 2 (10/1000)
Attributes:
Vitality: 240
Strength: 50
Agility: 50
Constitution: 50
Spirit: 66
Soul Power: 80
Energy:
Sword Qi Capacity: 480 / 480
Energy Reserve: 489,400
"…Doubled."
His brows furrowed slightly.
"System. Why didn't my spirit increase?"
/ Your soul power has doubled due to the Soul Egg. However, half is occupied. /
/ Effective Soul Power: 40 /
/ Doubling Spirit would exceed host tolerance. /
"…So it's a limiter."
Interesting.
Moments later—everything changed.
The Soul Egg reacted.
The storage ring trembled.
A pale grey beast egg was pulled forward…
…and fused.
/ Tier 0 Beast Detected: Dragon-Wolf Hybrid /
/ Initiate Soul Split Fusion (1/6)? /
"Yes."
Four hours later—
The egg swelled… and swelled…
Until it filled half the room.
Bloodline Baptism began.
Lightning coursed.
Bones reshaped.
Instinct awakened.
Then—
CRACK.
A creature emerged.
Purple-black scales. Wolf body. Dragon eyes.
"Stormfang… Drakehound."
A new system awakened.
A new path opened.
From that moment on—
Raqin was no longer alone.
Three months passed.
Raqin reached the Peak of Mortal Realm Level 3.
Drakey reached Tier 1 Rank 5.
Everything was progressing perfectly…
Until—
"I haven't touched my sword…"
A dangerous realization.
At the same time—
A breakthrough.
Nanotechnology.
Cultivation.
Fusion.
Nano-Cultivation Path… born.
But when he swallowed the Origin Nanite—
Everything collapsed.
His cultivation dropped.
Mortal Realm – Level 1
"…What the hell?"
Yet—
His body felt…
Stronger.
Denser.
Sharper.
He checked his panel.
And his pupils shrank.
Everything… had doubled.
Inside his dantian—
A hexagonal nanite rotated slowly.
Devouring Qi.
Refining it.
Releasing something new.
"…Nanoblade Qi."
He finally understood.
"I wasn't cultivating wrong…"
"I was cultivating… inefficiently."
Raqin closed his eyes.
And redefined his path.
"Skin and Muscle Refinement… isn't about endurance."
"It's about precision."
Not brute force.
Not pain.
Not repetition.
Perfection.
Controlled circulation.
Micro-cutting.
Reconstruction.
Adaptive hardening.
A complete system.
Then—
He created it.
Sword. Body. Movement.
All as one.
Raqin exhaled slowly.
A faint smile appeared.
"I won't train blindly anymore."
His eyes sharpened.
"Every movement is data."
"Every strike is refinement."
"Every step… is evolution."
Raqin exhaled slowly as he reorganized his thoughts.
His training would no longer be chaotic.
It would be structured.
Three Combat Pillars
Sword Path → offense and precision
Fist Path → raw power and close combat
Movement Path → speed and survival
All of it…
Enhanced by Nanoblade Qi micro-refinement.
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"As for the sword…"
Deathbreath Initiation Form
Focus:
Precision
Lethality
Stealth
A killing art.
Silent. Efficient. Absolute.
Raqin turned his attention to the storage ring.
His consciousness dived in—
…and paused.
"There's… this many?"
Dozens of techniques floated within.
Sword arts. Fist manuals. Movement techniques.
Choosing one manually would take time.
Too much time.
Before he could decide—
/ Focusing on Tri-Path Foundation Protocol… /
The system responded instantly.
/ 13 Sword Techniques Detected… /
/ Deathbreath Directive: Precision, Lethality, Stealth /
/ Fusing Techniques… /
A pause.
Then—
/ Asura Three Killing Strikes — Created /
Raqin's eyes flickered.
/ 36 Fist Techniques Detected… /
/ Bloodline Directive: Raw Power, Close Combat Efficiency /
/ Fusing Techniques… /
/ Void Crushing Fist — Created /
The pressure in the air seemed to change.
/ 108 Movement Techniques Detected… /
/ Directive: Speed, Agility, Survival /
/ Fusing… /
/ Phantom Step Sequence — Created /
Raqin stared at the three completed techniques.
No hesitation. No inefficiency.
Perfect alignment with his path.
"…So this is optimization."
After a brief pause, another thought surfaced.
"System… can you simplify the panel?"
/ Three options available: Default / Simplified / Custom /
/ Simplified Option:
Displays core growth only
Attributes integrated into Level and Foundation /
/ Custom Option: User-defined display /
/ Warning: Changes are irreversible /
Raqin fell silent.
He weighed it carefully.
Power wasn't just about gaining more—
It was about clarity.
"In the simplified option… can I still allocate points?"
/ Yes, Host.
Allocation available across all paths except Beast Path /
"…Good."
He made his choice.
"I choose… simplified."
/ System Reboot Initiated… /
/ Estimated Time: 30 Minutes /
Raqin closed his eyes.
And waited.
Thirty minutes later—
[ STATUS ]
Name: Raqin
Age: 19
Cultivation: Mortal Realm — Level 1 (10/10000)
Bloodline: Heaven-Thunder Draconic Sword Bloodline — Lv.1 [10/10000]
Paths:
Sword Path: Deathbreath Codex: Asura Killing strikes — Lv.5 [100/5000]
Body Path: Nanoblade Qi Tempering (Nanoblade Dragon Body) — Lv.1 [67/1000]
Fist Path: Void Crushing Fist — Lv.1 [1/100]
Movement Path: Phantom Step Sequence — Lv.1 [1/100]
Beast Path: Stormfang Drakehound — Tier 1 / Rank 5 [500/20000]
Energy:
Capacity: 960 (Nanoblade Qi)
Reserve: 600,560
Equipment:
Storage Ring
Forge Nanite
Intelligence Nanite
Database: Lv.1
Raqin's pupils narrowed slightly.
"…It even created a body cultivation technique for me."
Nanoblade Dragon Body
Tailored.
Adaptive.
Perfectly aligned.
A faint smile appeared.
"This… is much better."
With everything streamlined, clarity settled in his mind.
No distractions.
No excess.
Only progress.
He stood up slowly.
Ivan's facility… hidden deep within the mountain.
He remembered it well.
Training rooms.
Simulation chambers.
Resources.
Everything he needed—
For now.
"System."
His voice was calm.
Measured.
"Based on everything I currently have… how far can I go?"
A brief pause.
/ Maximum growth achieved through:
Consistent, high-intensity training /
Raqin nodded.
He already expected that answer.
"…Then I'll push it."
His gaze turned sharp.
"Resources can come later."
A step forward.
"For now…"
A faint surge of Nanoblade Qi rippled through his body.
"I train."