Nato7

The Awakening: Around 150 years ago, a mysterious event known as "The Rift" caused a dramatic shift in the world. This event opened portals from another dimension, bringing Essences—mysterious and powerful entities—into the world. These Essences granted some individuals extraordinary abilities and set in motion a global conflict.

Essence Warriors: These are people who possess the power of an Essence, which can take various forms depending on the individual’s soul and affinity. Some are born with their Essence powers from birth, while others awaken them later in life. These warriors are ranked according to their power level, and the rankings play a significant role in their status, training, and missions.

Essence Reborn

The spiral staircase groaned beneath Riku's feet as he descended deeper into the underground bunker. The air was heavy with dust and old secrets—thick, cold, and metallic. His knights and clones followed silently, their footfalls muffled against the sleek alloy floor. Pale white lights flickered along the curved corridor, casting strange moving shadows on the wall.

They passed rusted doors sealed shut, shattered monitors, and strange, unreadable inscriptions lining the walls—symbols not even his AI could translate.

Riku raised a hand. His clones stopped. The corridor stretched ahead like the throat of some ancient beast.

A tall figure stepped forward, clothed in dark robes laced with angular crimson patterns that pulsed faintly with energy. His skin was pale like ash, but his eyes glowed golden, focused, emotionless. A massive essence blade rested on his shoulder—twisted, serrated, and humming with an unstable resonance.

"You're early," the man said coolly. "I hoped the 'Nightmare' would make me wait."

Riku's eyes narrowed. "So you're one of them."

The man didn't answer right away. He let the silence build like pressure in a storm cloud. Then, he smiled.

"My name is Korav."

Essence surged beneath his feet like a shockwave—too fast. Riku barely shifted when the essence blade tore through the air where he'd been standing. The hallway exploded behind him.

"Let's see where you stand," Riku muttered, activating his first Divine Avatar.

In an instant, silver fractals burst across his arms. His hair began to glow faintly, lifting slightly from the raw aura pouring out. His dark eyes turned icy-blue. Power flooded the space like a tide crashing onto a quiet shore.

Korav raised an eyebrow. "Is that it? The first layer? You're underestimating me."

"I like to troll my warmups," Riku replied coolly.

Korav's next strike was brutal—more refined this time, as if testing Riku's rhythm. Riku parried, side-stepped, and countered, but Korav's pressure grew with each strike. Sparks lit up the corridor. Essence rippled off the walls.

This wasn't a reckless brute. Korav was precise. Calculated. Cold.

Riku spun low, swiping at his side—but Korav blocked it with the edge of his cloak, which morphed into a shield for a split second. Then Korav unleashed a point-blank burst of essence—blowing Riku backward.

He hit the wall hard but landed on his feet.

"Alright," Riku said, brushing dust off his arm, eyes now sharp.

Korav raised his blade again. "I'm just the first."

Chapter 164: The First High Code