Arthur's vision blurred. Darkness pressed in from every corner, a suffocating weight that made his chest ache. Pain, sharp and unrelenting, coursed through him like molten iron—his mind screaming, his body trembling. Every memory, every regret, every consequence of his failures pressed against him tenfold, and he could do nothing but fall to the ground.
Then—silence.
SYSTEM PROMPT: TASK COMPLETE. TARGET RESENTMENT RESOLVED. SUCCESS CONFIRMED.
A cold, mechanical voice sliced through the haze of agony, detached and absolute. Arthur's body twitched involuntarily as the chains pulsed faintly against his chest.
SYSTEM PROMPT: CORE STATUS: UNLOCKED. NOVICE TIER INITIATED. NEW SKILL AVAILABLE.
A subtle warmth crept into his chest as his consciousness returned. He gasped, clutching at the floor, the residual pain still scorching through him, yet a strange clarity had taken root. The Soulborne chains glimmered faintly, pulsing in tandem with the rhythm of his heart.
SYSTEM PROMPT: NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: RESONANCE OF SINS. FUNCTIONALITY: ACTIVE/PASSIVE HYBRID. EFFECTS: PAIN PROJECTION, ADRENAL SURGE, SPECTRAL ECHO. RECOMMENDED: PRACTICE IMMEDIATELY.
Arthur blinked, trying to comprehend the words, the mechanical precision in the system's voice. His body throbbed from the residual torment, yet an odd strength began to bloom within him—a presence, a power drawn from every sin, every regret, every hurt he had caused and endured.
He moved his hand instinctively, and a faint ripple shimmered in the air around him. A cold, spectral echo of the moment he had betrayed Rex appeared briefly—like a phantom, sharp and jagged. The chains pulsed, guiding him. The system did not explain, did not offer comfort. It only directed:
SYSTEM PROMPT: ENGAGE SKILL. TEST IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. FAILURE WILL RESULT IN CONSEQUENCES.
Arthur exhaled slowly, willing himself to focus despite the lingering pain. He closed his eyes, letting the memory of betrayal and guilt flood through him—the fear he had felt, the screams he had heard, the helplessness he had caused.
When he opened his eyes, the air around him shimmered faintly. A thin, spectral aura curled like smoke, sharp and cold, an echo of the pain he had caused and endured. He reached forward instinctively, and the aura extended outward, brushing against the walls of the cell. It was subtle at first, almost imperceptible, yet the presence was undeniable—a manifestation of emotional and physical weight converted into power.
SYSTEM PROMPT: PAIN PROJECTION: STANDBY. ADRENAL SURGE: STANDBY. SPECTRAL ECHO: STANDBY. NOVICE TIER FUNCTIONALITY ACTIVE.
Arthur's heart hammered. The skill was raw, unrefined, yet alive. He could feel it resonating with his core—the chains, the system, his past, his failures, all woven into something tangible. His hand twitched again, and the spectral echo responded. A phantom of his past self, a fragment of betrayal, moved in perfect sync with his intent.
SYSTEM PROMPT: INITIALIZATION SUCCESSFUL. RECOMMEND IMMEDIATE TRAINING. CONTROL IMPERATIVE.
He clenched his fists. Every nerve screamed with the remnants of pain, yet he felt the thrill of potential, of control over the very essence of his guilt. He had transformed the past—his sins, his failures—into something he could wield, something he could fight with.
Arthur rose slowly, chains pulsing lightly, guiding his movements. He raised a hand instinctively, summoning the faint spectral echo of his past self once more. It mirrored a strike he had failed to deliver long ago, precise and cold. He tested it again, the echo reacting immediately, slicing through the empty air with uncanny speed.
SYSTEM PROMPT: ADRENAL SURGE ENGAGED. PAIN UTILIZATION AT 12%. STABILITY: NOVICE. RECOMMEND CONTROL AND FOCUS.
Arthur's body shivered with the residual feedback. The skill responded to intent, to emotion, to the raw fuel of his past sins. With concentration, he could expand the aura outward, shaping it into attacks, shields, or diversions. With reckless abandon, it could overwhelm him—pain and power intertwined.
He exhaled, letting the realization settle. This was a tool, a weapon. But it was also a responsibility, a reflection of the system's cold logic: survive, adapt, control.
SYSTEM PROMPT: NOVICE TIER LEVEL 1. EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR PROGRESSION. RESONANCE OF SINS ACTIVE. RECOMMEND BATTLE TEST.
Arthur's gaze flicked to Rex's cell. The man's confusion, his simmering resentment, the echoes of memory—they all pulsed faintly, and the Soulborne chains thrummed in response. This skill… this power… would be essential for what was coming. He wouldn't just face enemies in the outside world; he would face the consequences of every choice he had ever made, and those consequences would now have a weaponized form at his disposal.
SYSTEM PROMPT: ADDITIONAL NOTE: CONTROL OF RESONANCE OF SINS WILL IMPROVE EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE AND BATTLE EFFECTIVENESS. MAINTAIN FOCUS. FAILURE TO MASTER SKILL WILL RESULT IN HIGH RISK.
Arthur exhaled again, letting the chains guide him into a stance. Novice Tier, Level 1. Weak, raw, untested—but alive. And with "Resonance of Sins," he could convert every ounce of regret, guilt, and pain into a weapon.
SYSTEM PROMPT: RECOMMENDATION: ENTER TRAINING SEQUENCE OR COMBAT SIMULATION. ADAPTABILITY WILL DETERMINE SURVIVAL.
Arthur flexed his fingers. The aura pulsed lightly around him, a whisper of what was to come. He had passed the first threshold. He had unlocked his core. He had harnessed a fragment of his past sins.
In the prison's command observation room, Vice Captain Tharen Voss leaned forward, his sharp eyes tracing the faint energy spike on the monitor. A slow, almost imperceptible smile crept across his face.
"Well, well…" he murmured, voice low and measured. "Seems someone thinks they can hide what they are."
Unlike the other guards, Tharen didn't immediately order an alarm. His mind was already analyzing, calculating. Mana shouldn't exist here—the anti-mana chains were flawless. Yet this fluctuation was real. Intriguing. Dangerous. Potentially… profitable.
He tapped a finger against the console, leaning back in his chair. "Keep watch, but no rash moves. I want a full report on the source. Whoever—or whatever—this is, I want to understand them before making a decision."
His gaze lingered on Arthur's cell, eyes cold but curious. This wasn't a threat to be crushed immediately. No—this was something far more interesting: a spark of potential, confined yet undeniable.