Chapter21: "Ascension in the Soul-Sprite Lake"

The pale glow of the Soul-Sprite Lake bathed Eren's figure as he sat cross-legged at its tranquil center. With his illusion barrier fully active and his sword resting across his lap, he lowered himself into deep meditation. As he dipped into the lake, its energy surged through his body like a second pulse. The sensation was surreal—cool water embraced him, but within it was warmth, soul-rich currents that coiled around his limbs like gentle serpents of light.

Eren retrieved a shimmering blue pill from his pouch and placed it on his tongue. It dissolved instantly, releasing waves of medicinal soul energy into his system. His eyes flickered, and a soft hum escaped his body. The first phase had begun.

Hours turned to days. Time lost all meaning within the lake's embrace.

Each day, Eren ingested a different type of pill—one to refine his soul, another to temper his nerves, a third to stabilize elemental flow, and yet another to strengthen his sword foundation. His body absorbed them one by one like a growing star. The lake responded in kind. With every deep breath, the lake's surface rippled around him, its soul motes drawn toward him like stardust collapsing into a newborn sun.

By the sixth day, the calm flow of energy in his core had transformed into a fierce current. The dual elemental essence of ice and water churned violently within him, fighting to break free from the fragile shell of the disciple realm.

On the tenth day, his body began to radiate cold mist and flowing droplets, forming a beautiful equilibrium of frost and water. The elements danced around him in visible arcs—one side of his form glowing with silver-white fog, the other trailing streams of shimmering blue like a river in midair. The elements had begun harmonizing with his soul sword's presence, shaping a deeper connection.

Lightning occasionally flickered in the background—remnants of Warren's legacy reacting with his surge in power. His heart thudded like a war drum, each beat syncing with the rumbling energy inside him.

By the eighteenth day, the transformation was nearing completion. Eren's eyes snapped open—his pupils glowing icy-blue. A circle of water began to swirl beneath him, shaped by his spiritual pressure. Then the water lifted upward in spiraling streams, forming an elemental cocoon of pure soul force. Inside, his body trembled. His soul sword, resting on his lap, quivered and then floated into the air, engulfed in twin halos of ice and water.

Then—boom!

A shockwave burst outward from the lake's center, blasting the water up like a fountain of spiritual force. The illusion barrier flickered but held firm. Eren's entire being blazed with elemental light as his realm shattered and reformed.

From disciple... to practitioner.

Eren floated just above the lake's surface, his body surrounded by twin elemental sigils etched in the air. The symbol of water swirled around his left shoulder, while the frost rune shimmered above his right. His aura surged outward, steady, sharp, and majestic.

As the final motes of soul energy settled, he landed gently on the water. Breathing slowly, Eren looked at his reflection. Stronger, calmer, and more focused—he had ascended.

And this was just the beginning.