The dim room was quiet save for the faint hum of energy Alex felt emanating from Eclipse. Its imposing humanoid form loomed before him, the churning mana beneath its metal surging through the sharp edges of its twin katana-like weapons. Alex stared at Eclipse’s towering form, he choice before him felt weighty. . Alright. Two skills. Which ones? The idea seemed simple enough in theory, but choosing the right combination felt like deciding which parachute to trust during a freefall.

  There was a real opportunity here, one that could go beyond simply strengthening his arsenal. He was a swordsman, not a summoner. What he needed was something that would do more than just improve Eclipse’s clone form—above all, he needed a combination that would enhance Eclipse as a blade first.

  “Status,” he muttered.

  [Name: Alex Ironwood

  Level: 195

  C???????ultivation: Qi Gathering- First stage

  Race: Human - Rank D

  Primary Class: ??????????????Sys???????te??????mic SwO??????rd So????????ve???????reign

  Sub-class: Locked

  Strength: 2274 (1597)

  Dexterity: 2923 (2106)

  Endurance: 1322 (923)

  Intelligence: 2699 (1791)

  Wisdom: 1056 (811)

  Qi: 82 (1013)

  Feats: First Encounter, Pioneer, Pinnacle IV, Survivor, Warrior, Champion, Dungeon Insurgent, Innovator, Reborn, Shard of the Endless, S????????????layer of U?????????n???????k???????n????????o?????????w????????n?????s?????????, Hero (Temporary), Blood Summoned (Temporary),

  Techniques: Bovine Foundation Techniques (Mastered), Divine Bovine Vessel, Azure Restoration Method, Nine Swords Destruction Technique, Sword Qi (Minor), Vibrational Silence… [Expand]

  Active skills: Mana Burn, Boundless Dodge, Du???????l of C???????orruption, Sovereign Executioner, InfiniteBody, Sovereign Clone, Divine Fist, Pierce Reality, NetherForged, Allo??????cation, Thousands become one, Eternal Shroud of Disarray, All-knowing Cut, Unknowable Sovereign (Temporary), Dual Resonance,

  Passive skills: A???????l????????à???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????Ω??????? ??????????????? ???????????????????????g???????e??????e???????E??????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????M???????m????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????O??????o??????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ??????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????, Inventory, InfiniteBody, Mana Vortex, Nascent Body (imperfect), Abyssal Body (Imperfect), Sword Soul, Eternal Disorder, Thà????????????????????????????natos’s Sovereign, Sword Sense, SwordSaints Domain, Bloodforged, Absolution,

  Dao: True Immortality - 1.3% Progress

  Unassigned stat points: 0]

  Alex observed the secondary panel that manifested before him, assessing the intricacies of his capabilities and considering the prospect of imbuing each displayed skill into his blade.

  Assimilate Nexus caught his eye, but Alex immediately dismissed it. The mechanics were simple enough: the skill required skill crystals and would twist each skill crystal to match his class, which only functioned with system-bound beings. Eclipse wasn’t a system being—it was an ego weapon, sentient but entirely removed from the system’s structures. There’d be no practical use in granting the skill to his weapon. I can already use that myself. Why duplicate something that serves no purpose here?

  Allocation surfaced next, but it quickly followed Assimilate Nexus into irrelevance. The skill relied on stats—shifting them, reallocating their values to boost a single stat—but Eclipse had no stats to speak of. It didn’t operate on numerical attributes like strength or dexterity. Its power came from metal, blood, and mana. Giving it Allocation would achieve nothing.

  He shifted his focus to Netherforged. The thought lingered for a moment before fading. Too unpredictable, he thought. It would summon entities to possess the users clothes to act as living armour, but the entities were unpredictable and entirely uncontrollable. The skill had proven volatile, prone to instability that could just as easily turn against him as aid him. Imbuing such a skill into Eclipse was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.

  The All-Knowing Cut briefly caught his attention, but practicality snuffed it out. For all its salience and intelligence, as far as Alex was aware, Eclipse didn’t have the advanced understanding required to wield such a skill effectively. It’s a blood-hungry blade, not a scholar of Physics, magic and elemental mastery, he reasoned, brushing the thought aside.

  That led him back to the basics. Infinite Body could work. Absorbing different types of energy from every strike it takes would make it even more versatile. But that’s already achievable through the All-Knowing cut skill… How much more would that really add?

  Sword Soul entered his mind but left just as quickly. The skill was redundant—completely unnecessary to give to Eclipse. The blade already embodied the principles of Sword Soul in its very existence. It was practically made of blades and tied to his very soul. It would be like layering the same function over itself, yielding no new advantages.

  But then again… what if it could gain the abilities of other swords… like what I get with InfiniteBody? The idea sparked bright in his minds eye, filled with potential. Sword Soul could amplify its strength massively, giving it access to its own arsenal of absorbed blades. What if it absorbed Qi blades? He asked himself, considering the prospect. Alex suspected that allowing Eclipse to store Qi blades using the SwordSoul skill would simply erase the blade from reality and quite possibly take him along with it due to the connection they shared. No that’s too dangerous, the Void Web Technique’s already proven that the reality erasing reaction of Qi and Mana can travel through mana threads, he decided.

  But then there was another possibility the SwordSoul skill allowed. Absorbing Ego swords. If Eclipse absorbed further ego swords, rare as they seemed to be, it could gain infinite growth which would extend to Alex as his soul-bound blade. But ego swords are pretty rare, aren’t they? Apart from Eclipse, are there even any others? Its description had said it was the product of the crafting of countless deaths, blood, and souls. Alex had only managed to encounter one received as a quest reward, and had not even heard mention of who swords as a concept on any world he had entered thus far, not even in the Empire. He imagined a single sword comprised of many egos, all under the control of the central blood hungry blade, Eclipse. But do I want it to have that level of autonomy? The thought came with an edge of concern. Eclipse’s faint contempt hadn’t lessened since its transformation—it lingered in their connection, a whisper of disdain that felt too constant. Giving it Sword Soul means giving it the potential to become a threat. It doesn’t stand a chance against me right now, but what happens if it grows and gains the ability to decide it wants to be more than just a blade?

  The third eye narrowed slightly as though sensing his hesitation. It’s judging me, isn’t it?

  Alex smirked faintly at the thought, then he exhaled sharply, relaxing his shoulders. Then again, withholding and limiting its growth is the same as limiting myself. Eclipse isn’t just a weapon—it’s part of me. We’re one and the same. If I’m wary of its strength, then I’ll just have to make sure that I’m unbeatable, and if it ever gains the ability to disobey me? Well, then we’ll just have to go for round two. He could still vividly remember the battle for dominance they had both fought against each other in his mind-space. Defeating Eclipse had felt like overcoming a part of himself. If the future held more challenges like that between them, then he would welcome it, and any growth that came with it.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  So let’s put a pin on SwordSoul, that’s not a bad option, he decided.

  Boundless Dodge? He considered the skill briefly, imagining Eclipse’s lithe yet massive frame moving with the precision and speed the dodge granted. The thought almost made him laugh. No, that’s ridiculous. It’s already built for evasive manoeuvres, and it would be pretty useless when I use it as a blade. Why would I need my blade to dodge? I need the opposite. Besides, one second of enhanced movement wouldn’t mean much for something as durable as eclipse.

  His thoughts briefly touched on Sovereign Executioner and Eternal Disorder. Both were powerful, but both were also entirely under his control when wielding Eclipse in its blade form. I already have these, he thought. Granting them wouldn’t change anything.

  I need something new, something I can’t achieve on my own.

  That brought him to Sovereign Clone. The idea stirred something different—a spark of potential. If Eclipse could use Sovereign Clone while already in its humanoid form, it could generate a second clone. I can’t do that myself, he realized. The potential for two clones acting independently alongside him was undeniable. Even if the secondary clone was somehow weaker or had limited duration, the additional presence on the battlefield could overwhelm enemies, divide their focus, and provide tactical flexibility he couldn’t achieve alone.

  The thought settled in his mind, but it didn’t take root entirely. Another option loomed—Thanatos’s Sovereign. The implications of granting Eclipse this skill were significant. The ability to store a fragment of a powerful soul would grant Eclipse durability beyond what it already possessed. Alex himself could store only two fragments, a limitation that had persisted despite the many powerful beings he’d defeated.

  If Eclipse could store even one additional soul, it would act as both a backup and an enhancement. Phurafel’s soul alone has saved me more times than I can count. If Eclipse could house another fragment like that, it would be invaluable. His mind lingered on the possibilities. A stored fragment wouldn’t just enhance Eclipse’s strength—it would also bolster its resilience. The durability of the stored soul could reinforce the blade’s structure, making it nearly indestructible.

  The mechanics of summoning also played into his thoughts. Souls summoned through Thanatos’s Sovereign cost lifeforce, a dangerous trade-off for him. But Eclipse didn’t rely on lifeforce—it ran on blood, essence, and mana. If it could summon a soul fragment without draining his vitality, the skill would bypass its most significant drawback.

  He paced the room, his boots brushing softly against the floor. There had been a skill combination that had immediately came to mind the instant the selection notification had appeared, but he had kept it suppressed and dormant in the back of his mind as he considered other, more safer options.

  Mana Burn and Omega.

  Mana Burn presented a different kind of opportunity. By burning through the blade’s mana entirely, Eclipse could potentially activate Omega, a skill that required its user to be devoid of mana.

  The implications churned in his mind. The Omega skill essentially had two functions; the first was that it consumed everything within a short radius—energy, materials, flesh, beings, even its user— and the second was that it would utilised all energy and materials consumed to rebuild the user in the most optimal form. Paired with Mana Burn, it might allow Eclipse to access a cycle of destruction and rebirth, growing more powerful each time. And if Omega works as intended, if it could absorb Qi along with mana and other materials… that could push its reconstruction even further, Eclipse could reconstruct itself into something even stronger, perhaps a blade that can utilise Mana & Qi respectively, without being destroyed by the conflicting energies.

  Yet doubt lingered. What happens if it activates the skill within range of Alex? Omega was powerful, but it wasn’t without risks. The skill’s all-encompassing nature made it unpredictable in its consumption. If Eclipse misfired during reconstruction, the consequences could be catastrophic. Alex would have to ensure the blade was a safe distance away before experimenting with granting it Qi.

  Sovereign Clone felt safer—straightforward, reliable. Two clones on the battlefield would create chaos and confusion, giving him an edge against even the most formidable opponents. But once again, Alex wasn’t a summoner, he was a swordsman, and what he needed wasn’t an ally— he needed a powerful sword.

  He stopped pacing, his gaze settling on Eclipse’s humanoid form. Its imposing figure stood still, a weapon of monstrous potential.

  Alright, Sovereign Clone is out for now. I’ll save that for a true emergency when I need sheer numbers and distractions to succeed. His thoughts sharpened on the priority: First, grant the blade access to mana and Qi. Mana Burn and Omega will handle that, but I’ll need an artifact that holds Qi for it to absorb. That’s the first step.

  Then, once that’s done, Thanatos’s Sovereign comes next. It’ll raise Eclipse’s durability to that of one of the many powerhouses I’ve defeated—maybe the mother tigress or the little demon of winding bloods. Their durability would turn the blade into something nearly unbreakable at this level.

  The final piece of the plan felt like a natural culmination. And once that’s done, I’ll remove Omega and replace it with… Duel of Corruption. That’ll be the one. Qi Techniques and Duel of corruption. He’d thought of utilising the combination back when he first started mastering the stolen techniques from the sect’s treasury. If my blade can learn to use Qi techniques while stripping opponents of their access to the system and its skills... both of us will be operating at a huge advantage. His considered the possibility. Granting the Duel of Corruption skill to Eclipse would let me target two enemies at the same time—or even bypass the cooldown entirely by triggering it twice in a row.

  Assuming the enemy he targeted’s level was within the skill’s operable range.

  “I choose Mana Burn and Omega,” Alex spoke the words aloud.

  From his heart surged large, intricate waves of mana, threading through the air like veins of molten light and twisting in patterns too precise for nature, each surge splitting and converging in intentional formations. The poured into Eclipse’s towering frame, where it seemed to unravel further, each strand breaking apart and then reassembling with precision, as though the blade itself were being rewritten from the inside out.

  [System Message: Through Dual Resonance, User skills - ‘Mana Burn’ and ‘A???????l????????à???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????Ω??????? ??????????????? ???????????????????????g???????e??????e???????E??????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????M???????m????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????O??????o??????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????? ??????????????? ??????? ???????????????????????’ have been granted to Soul-Bound weapon ‘Eclipse’]

  Alex regarded his handiwork, the faint sense of satisfaction clinging to him. He felt like a mad scientist or wild weapon maker working on crafting a dangerous tool. “Nice. Now I just need to find a safe place to feed it Qi,” he murmured, sensing Eclipse’s disdain briefly replaced with wonder before returning to the strange ire that seemed permanently directed at him. He canceled his clone skill, returning the towering metal demon to a dark sword that he snatched from the air. Channeling a dao of flux, he shot through the ceiling as though it wasn’t there, gently landing on the roof to observe the city from above.

  Alex committed the inn’s location to memory and shot across the city rooftops, his movements quick and silent. Above, figures flew in different directions, some propelled by magic, others by means less magical, but none paid him any heed. He exited the city by slipping through an isolated wall, his Dao’s flux wrapping around him as he passed effortlessly through stone, metal, and complex magical barriers. Outside the city stretched a vast rocky wilderness, resembling a desert but dominated by stone. A clear path cut through the landscape, leading to the city’s towering entrance. Alex ventured deep into the wilderness, halting only after ensuring he was both distant and isolated from civilisation. Then he reached into his inventory and withdrew four items.

  The first was the twin blades he had stolen from the Ben Nui Sect’s treasury, the Qi they emitted was suffocating and conflicting, causing Alex to step back due to the sheer pressure. The second item was a massive bone greatsword, its surface glowing with molten fissures and heat. Waves of Qi poured from its core, so dense and scorching that the stone beneath it bubbled into slag. The oppressive heat singed Alex’s hair, forcing him to retreat further as sweat beaded on his brow. The third and final item he summoned was the high level manual he had received as a reward for achieving ‘second place’.

  Alex’s gaze swept over the items before him. These weren’t just enchanted blades—they were the most valued treasures of the Ben-Nui sect, each radiating a history of power and bloodshed. He would also have to feed one of these powerful Qi treasures to Eclipse through its combination of Mana Burn and Omega. That would grant his blade the ability to channel both energies, and make it perfect for utilising Qi techniques.

  Each item demanded careful inspection. He would need to quickly judge which was least useful and which could unlock untapped potential. Then he would attempt to master the technique the sect had given him as veiled punishment in quick fashion. And once that was done, he would quickly return to the Hunter’s inn to discover the layout and happenings of the city he had been summoned to, and perhaps then decide his next steps.

  Alex stood still, buffeted by waves of Qi, assessing the items every dimensions through his domain. My domain is a result of skill consolidation, and one of those skills had the ability to appraise items. By that logic, my domain should be able to appraise items too, right? He decided.

  Alex stepped closer, pressing against the dense Qi that surrounded the treasures, condensing his domain slightly and allowing it to envelop each item, studying the vast and complex energies that lay within them. He focused intently, his domain mimicking the precise function of his past appraisal skill, laying the intricacies of the items bare, whether he understood them or not. When the notification appeared, he let out a sharp breath of relief.

  It worked.

  [Skill 'SwordSaints Domain' has discerned the energies of the item you have inspected]

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