Chapter 3: The Price of Power

Chapter 3: The Price of Power

The ruins stretched before me, silent and forsaken. Crumbling stone pillars jutted toward the sky, remnants of a temple long abandoned, forgotten by history. The air was thick with the scent of damp moss and decay, and the only sound was the wind whispering through the broken architecture.

I stood before the altar, my heartbeat hammering against my ribs. This was it.

In Mana's Ascension, this place had been nothing more than an obscure Easter egg—an unmarked location hidden deep within the game's sprawling world. Most players never found it, and those who did often dismissed it as a useless curiosity. But I knew better.

This altar was a legacy site.

A Voidwalker had died here.

Voidwalkers… creatures feared by demons, hunted by gods, and whispered about in the darkest corners of legend. They weren't bound by the laws of this world. They could tear through space, slip between dimensions, and bend reality to their will. Their true forms varied—some appeared as shadows, others as eldritch horrors—but they all shared one unmistakable trait.

Red eyes.

A Voidwalker's gaze was its most terrifying weapon, an ability that allowed them to perceive, distort, and manipulate existence itself.

And here, within this ruined temple, the remnants of one's power remained.

But power like this didn't come free.

---

The Price of a Name

I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to stay calm. In the game, this ritual required a sacrifice. Players who followed the steps correctly could acquire an incredibly rare trait, but the price was steep—permanent loss of an important companion.

But I had no companions. No allies. No one I could afford to lose.

Which meant I had to give up something else.

My name.

Not Alden Blackwood—that was just a role I had inherited.

No.

Ethan.

My real name. The name that had belonged to a sickly boy in a hospital bed, a boy who had stared at the same ceiling for years, waiting for an ending that never came. A name that no longer had a place in this world.

Here, names weren't just words. They were anchors—ties that bound people to their mana, their existence. By offering my true self as tribute, I would be cutting away the last remnants of my past life, erasing it from this world's fabric.

It was poetic, in a cruel way.

I stepped closer to the altar, placing both hands on the cold stone. The runes etched into its surface pulsed faintly, as if awaiting my decision.

"I abandon my past, my name, and my place in the annals of fate," I murmured, my voice steady despite the weight of the words. "Let the old self perish, and from the ashes, let the power I seek be born."

The moment I finished speaking, the runes flared to life, burning a deep, crimson red.

And then—pain.

A searing agony tore through my body, as if molten metal had been poured into my veins. I gritted my teeth, every nerve screaming as my vision blurred. The air around me twisted, the temple warping and shifting into a void of endless darkness.

In that abyss, I saw something—

A reflection of myself.

But not me.

The figure in the void had my face, but his eyes glowed a piercing red, burning with an otherworldly intensity. He tilted his head, studying me, his expression unreadable.

Then, just as suddenly as it came—

Darkness.

---

The Eyes of the Voidwalker

I woke up gasping.

The stone beneath me was cold, my body drenched in sweat. My limbs ached as if I had been torn apart and stitched back together. The air felt… different, charged with an energy that wasn't there before.

Slowly, I pushed myself up.

Something had changed.

I stumbled toward a small puddle of rainwater, my fingers trembling as I looked down at my reflection.

And there they were.

Crimson eyes.

A slow exhale left my lips.

Eclipse Vision.

I could feel it. The power coiling beneath my skin, raw and untamed. The Voidwalker's legacy had been passed to me.

---

[Eclipse Vision]

A rare trait, feared and revered alike.

Heightened Perception – I could see things others couldn't. Subtle movements, weaknesses, mana flow—it was all laid bare before me.

Prediction & Copying – With time, I could analyze techniques and even replicate them.

Reality Distortion – The eyes held a strange, illusionary effect, capable of influencing minds and bending perceptions.

It was broken.

But there was a catch.

The mana consumption was insane. In the game, this ability had been so impractical that most players avoided it.

And in this world, where mana dictated survival… it was a double-edged sword.

I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a tired sigh.

"One problem solved, ten more unlocked. Classic."

---

Returning to the Academy

By the time I reached the academy grounds, dawn was breaking. The sky was painted in soft hues of orange and blue, the morning air crisp with the lingering chill of night.

I kept my head low.

In this world, demonic possession was a very real fear. And suddenly gaining red eyes? Yeah, that was the kind of thing that got people executed on sight.

I had to be careful.

I had to act normal.

Unfortunately, "normal" meant interacting with people.

And my first real challenge came in the form of Seraphina Valeheart.

---

Seraphina Everfrost

I turned a corner, lost in thought—

And promptly slammed into someone.

A flash of white. A soft "oof." And the next thing I knew, I was staring into a pair of icy blue eyes framed by long, snow-white hair.

Seraphina Valeheart.

The Prodigy of Frost.

A future war goddess. One of the strongest mages in the game. And, more importantly, one of the protagonist's main love interests.

Oh, and also?

Someone who absolutely despised Alden Blackwood.

"Watch where you're going," she snapped, brushing off her uniform. "Are you blind?"

I blinked.

Well.

Technically, I could see better than ever now.

But instead of saying that, I kept my face neutral. "Apologies, Lady Valeheart. I was lost in thought."

Her brows furrowed slightly. She had been expecting arrogance. A sneer. A smug remark. That was how Alden usually acted around her—pestering her with unwanted attention, acting superior despite being vastly weaker.

I had to play my role, but not too well.

So I offered a half-smile, giving a casual bow. "I'll be more mindful next time."

Her eyes narrowed, studying me. "…Hmph. At least you know when to apologize."

She turned on her heel, but I caught something in her expression.

Hesitation.

Seraphina didn't like Alden. She had dismissed him as an arrogant fool.

But I wasn't acting like the Alden she knew.

And that made me… unpredictable.

Good.

The less they suspected, the better.

As she disappeared down the corridor, I exhaled.

Keeping up this act is going to be exhausting.

But for now, I had one priority.

Train. Grow stronger. Survive.

I glanced at my reflection in the glass. The red glow of my Eclipse Vision flickered for a brief moment before fading.

A slow smirk tugged at my lips.

This world had given me a death sentence.

Too bad for them—I don't plan on dying anytime soon.