I wake up again inside the cave where we were sleeping. The memories of the last fight replay in my mind like a broken recording. The pain from my previous death lingers, forcing my body to ache even though it’s perfectly fine. I grunt, scowl, and grit my teeth until it finally starts to fade.

  I stay on the ground for a minute, trying to collect my thoughts, before pushing myself up. It’s supposed to be a quiet night, yet my ears twitch at every distant chirp and faint rustle. I’ve become more sensitive since dying the third time.

  ‘Is this another side effect of the loops?’

  I walk slowly to the cave entrance and stare at the Spire in the distance. It still looms tall, like an ugly castle born of black magic. Strangely, there’s no fear in me as I look at it. Maybe that’s another change the loops brought.

  I know what Sasha’s ability is now. The system called it [Song of the Wind]—wind manipulation. That’s bad news for me since I rely on holding my breath. If I’m going to win, I have to strike before she activates it. I can’t depend on the 3.5-second window. The real problem is simple: I’m not as skilled as her… or Nico.

  But luckily, it has a solution.

  ‘I need to become a better sword user.’

  “Tessia,” I call, and her form materializes before me. Her ethereal figure glows faintly as her sharp eyes study me.

  “You look different,” she says, tilting her head.

  I guess spirits can sense the subtle changes between loops. “I’m fine. Just a bad dream. I need you to teach me how to use my sword like a master.”

  Tessia immediately shakes her head. “That’s impossible. You can’t become that good in a single day.”

  “You bet?” I laugh softly. She doesn’t know what I’m planning. If I can train with her and use her abilities, I can learn. I just need to turn these loops to my advantage.

  “What?” she asks warily.

  “I have a blessing that lets us connect on a deeper level,” I explain. “I’m soulless, so I can contain you.”

  Tessia hesitates, her eyes narrowing. “But I’m not a soul. I’m fragments of one.”

  I snap my fingers and nod. “Exactly. With the Silver Child blessing, you can engrain your techniques into my body. Please. I need to become a better sword user…to help him.”

  She falls silent. Then, slowly, she steps forward and places her hand against my chest. Her touch is warm, almost divine. I feel her essence flow into me. It's Ether as bright as the stars themselves.

  It makes me wonder. Was her true power always tied to Ether control? I mean…I haven’t seen another spirit.

  “I will help you,” she says at last, a smirk tugging at her lips.

  With those words, a faint glow flares between us.

  [A temporary soul bond has been established]

  I grin. “You can actually do this?”

  “For an hour,” she replies. “Now, let me show you how to fight properly.”

  As one, we grip Horus’s Agony and welcome the whispers. They’re loud at first—furious, almost unbearable—but they fade once we steady our breathing. My senses sharpen beyond what feels human. Every sound, every heartbeat, every grain of dust becomes clear. It’s overwhelming, but it feels right.

  [You have to learn how to swing a sword perfectly.]

  She speaks, and I stay quiet, letting her voice echo in my mind. I lift the sword. It’s lighter than ever. With her guiding my body, I swing Horus’s Agony through the air. Clean, precise, and fluid motions.

  She leads me outside, and our training begins. We start with the basic techniques from the facility. Those come easily; I’ve drilled them for years. Her possession isn’t complete. I still control my body, but every movement feels refined, more natural. I move like someone who’s always known what they’re doing.

  In less than an hour, she forces my body to memorize every correction she makes, reshaping the crude lessons from Bloodhaul into something graceful and deadly. I’m stunned. Even these simple techniques feel transformed under her hand. Then she shows me how to merge Ether with my movements, how to let it flow through the blade rather than force it.

  “Do you know why Nexus Beings prefer pre-technology weapons?” she asks as she steps out of my body, her form shimmering faintly.

  “I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe because the system only grants swords and spears?”

  She shakes her head, almost pitying. “No. It’s because humans were the last race in this reality to receive the Nexus System. Humanity had just begun to conquer the solar system when every human suddenly received that message informing them they’d been registered.”

  I straighten my posture, swinging my sword as I listen. “Why were humans the last?”

  “Some say it was population. We were too few. The Nexus System waited until humanity reached its peak before initiating the first Nexus Event.”

  “Is that when Ashmeal was born?” I stop mid-swing.

  Tessia’s eyes narrow. Her voice sharpens with caution. “You’re not supposed to know that name. Where did you hear it?”

  “A friend,” I answer quietly.

  Her expression hardens. “He appeared during that time, centuries before this Era. He was a human god. The colonies worshiped him the way they now worship the Monarchs.”

  “What about the organizations?” I ask.

  Her gaze drifts away. “I don’t know.”

  Her quick reply sets off an alarm in my mind. There’s something she’s not saying. Was Ashmeal involved in all this?

  ‘He has to be.’ Sasha didn’t kill me just because we betrayed the Blood Monarch—she killed me because we disrespected her god. The Blood Monarch serves Ashmeal.

  “Anyway,” Tessia continues, her tone stiff, “what I’m trying to say is that swords are better weapons against enemies who move faster than bullets. Some use other alternatives, but swords remain the most popular magical weapons across the worlds. Even other species use them. Humans conquered multiple planets with swords and spears. Sure, there were things like Star Breakers and Planet Eaters, but the main forces of Nexus Beings relied on enchanted swords—magic fused with technology.”

  ‘Other species. Star Breakers. Machines that eat planets?’ My grip loosens, and I almost drop my sword. The world beyond Beta #3 sounds… unimaginable.

  “Oho,” she chides, smirking. “Back to swinging your sword. You need to perfect this form. It’s the essence of everything I know.”

  Hours later, I’m pouring Ether into my blade. I hold my breath, channeling energy down the weapon, and swing in a clean diagonal slash. My target is a tree a hundred meters away. The goal is simple: make the energy reach it and cut clean through. If I can master this, I’ll gain control over my Ether beyond my body. A long-range advantage.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The energy leaves my sword, slicing through the air. It strikes the tree—but only leaves shallow scars.

  I try again. My arms tremble, my grip weakens, and the sword slips from my hand. I collapse to my knees, panting. Every muscle burns. Have I hit my limit?

  No. That can’t be my limit. There’s still more. There has to be.

  I pick up the sword again. This time, it feels heavier, like it’s testing me.

  “It appears you’ve reached your limit,” Tessia says coldly. “Even after I possessed you and shared what I know, you’re still failing.”

  I clench my jaw. She’s right—but I already know what the real problem is. This can’t be done in a day. It’ll take more loops, more pain, more time. Only in my final attempt today did I manage to touch the tree. Without talent, I’ll just have to grind my way through.

  “It’s fine,” I mutter, steadying my breathing. “Lead us to the Spire. I’ll wake up Nico.”

  We follow the same path as before, the same stones and cold winds of my previous lives. This time, though, we avoid Sasha entirely. I guide us straight to the Spire’s entrance.

  “I’m sorry, but only one of you is permitted to go through that doorway.”

  She appears above the doorway, floating upon us like some angel.

  Nico reacts instantly. I’d already told him to have his ring ready. He unleashes a surge of lightning without hesitation.

  Sasha deflects it effortlessly with her sword and dives down like a predatory bird. I shove Nico aside and intercept her descent, blocking her plasma blade before it reaches him.

  Our eyes meet. They’re cold, focused, unflinching. Then we both leap back. My joints burn as I rush forward again. This fight matters. I need to study her. Every move, every flaw, every rhythm. It’s the only way I’ll beat her in the next loop.

  Sparks erupt as our swords collide again. The impact rattles my bones. Parrying her strikes feels like trying to block a collapsing mountain. She thrusts, and her blade grazes mine, a violent kiss of energy. And I’m forced back, boots skidding across the rock.

  In a blink, she closes the gap. That wide, unhinged smile spreads across her face as she brings her sword around in a horizontal slash. I catch it cleanly. There is no burning, no sizzling skin. I can’t tell if it's my blessing or it's my ether protecting me.

  “I never thought you could fight like this, Astrid,” Sasha laughs, her voice echoing like broken glass.

  I twist my blade, pulling hard. She releases her sword to avoid the lock. I see my opening and swing Horus’s Agony, charged with Star Ether. The energy detonates outward as she takes flight. But it’s too late, the blast clips her midair. She returns to the ground, and sparks leave her damaged armor.

  Nico seizes the moment. Lightning crackles around him as he rushes forward, poison blade drawn. He’s just about to pierce her armor when something invisible shoots across the battlefield.

  I don’t see it. But I hear the wet sound of impact. It tears straight through Nico’s chest. His back bursts open in a flash of red. The shock freezes me for half a second.

  Anyone else would’ve fallen instantly.

  But Nico doesn’t stop. He clenches his teeth, fury and pain mixing in his eyes, and pushes through. His poisoned blade grazes her cheek. It's a small cut, but the venom takes hold. The wound refuses to close. Sasha’s expression darkens. For the first time, she looks uncertain.

  Nico steadies his breath, Ether flaring wildly through his wounds to keep him alive. With a final surge, he moves faster than before, his sword flashing once more. He delivers another cut. Clean across her face.

  This time, Sasha tries to retreat. She doesn’t fly. The rig attached to her back doesn’t respond. That’s when I smile. The confusion on her face brings some warmth to my heart.

  Her sharp eyes narrow as she touches the wound on her face. The poison is spreading fast. But that’s not what bothers her the most. “Sorcery.” She seethes through her teeth. “How dare you harm my perfect body?” Then she turns her gaze to Nico, her eyes flooding with killing intent.

  Nico only smiles through the pain. “I guess your god has no dominion here.”

  “Pathetic.”

  She vanishes. A blink later, she’s clutching him by the throat.

  I move. Horus’s Agony cuts through the air without hesitation. I’m not fast enough, but the swing still lands between them as she releases him.

  He’s dead. I watch his body hit the ground, helpless to stop it. Just like the previous loops. It’s unfair how I’m starting to feel bad for him.

  “He fought well. Will you follow him, too?” Sasha’s voice rings with that mocking tone. She truly believes she’s untouchable.

  I hate it. I hate that look in her eyes. I hate whoever twisted her into this. And I hate that I’m still so weak.

  I clutch my sword tighter. The world holds its breath as our eyes meet.

  She has changed, but so have I. I’ll die here again, but I’ll have the last laugh. Because I’ll remember everything, and she won’t.

  “I want to kill you.” My voice is a blade of its own, sharp and steady.

  She only shakes her head in pity. Wisps of wind coil around her. Her hair dances, strands brushing away the tears slipping down her cheeks.

  “I won’t forget you,” she whispers, commanding the wind.

  I pour everything into my sword and brace. Normally, I shouldn’t be able to see the wisps. But Tessia told me ether can be given properties that match the Nexus Being’s nature. Dormant humans can’t do that… but we can feel ether.

  That’s my advantage against a wind user.

  The first wisp comes. I tilt my blade, diverting it. The second grazes my side when I twist away. The third collides with Horus’s Agony, nearly severing my arm.

  Neither of us moves for a full minute. Then she takes a step forward.

  Her plasma sword reignites with a hiss. “You’ve changed a lot,” she smirks. She’s still godlike despite the bleeding cut across her face. “I never thought I’d see the day you fight like this.”

  “Isn’t this place meant to change us?” I shrug. It’s true. This world is changing me. Molding me into something else. Something harder.

  “You could say that.” Sasha laughs.

  [The Ability Song of the Wind has Activated]

  “But change is inevitable for those who want to become strong.” She raises her weapon, acknowledging me at last. Hatred sharpens her eyes—pure, cold, and absolute. As if I’ve become her nemesis.

  I move first, holding my breath. We exchange blows. Our sword dance isn’t anything special until she brings in her wind. Then it becomes something else entirely.

  She overwhelms me without breaking a sweat. Each swing of her blade tears through the air like a storm. I bleed from deep cuts, my body failing to keep pace with her superhuman speed.

  Soon, my movements slow. My hand burns. My sword starts to feel like a mountain. In the end, my desperate struggle amounts to nothing.

  My hands slip from the hilt. Warm blood drowns the sound of her laughter. Then everything fades.

  ****

  I wake into a nightmare. I’m lying on a table in a room I know too well. I can’t move. My limbs are pinned, my skin glued to cold metal.

  A cluster of robotic arms hangs above me. One lowers and drives a needle into my neck, pumping a green chemical into my veins.

  The pain is indescribable. I want to scream, but I can’t. Every nerve ignites. My body convulses as sweat pours from me. Tears run dry against my skin.

  I lose consciousness again and again. Once, I even die. But they bring me back, a small metal device pulsing beside my heart.

  When the agony finally fades, I hear a woman’s voice from the next room.

  “These freaks can survive such a toxin. I can’t believe they want us to treat them like children. Just look at them.”

  The doors slide open. She’s wearing a smile. I pretend I didn’t hear what she just said. That’s just how people are in this facility, two-faced a-holes wrapped in lab coats.

  She helps me up because it’s part of her job, not out of kindness. Still, she cleans me with a warm cloth, her hands gentle and practiced. She rubs the grime from my skin with such care that, for a second, I almost forget she hates my kind.

  Because I can’t move yet, she sets me into a wheelchair and wheels me to my quarters. There, she lays me on a soft bed, tucks me in, and leaves without a word.

  As soon as my eyes close, the system’s robotic voice hums in my ear.

  [You have died ]

  [Congratulations! You have reached the necessary Loops for the dormant ability: Scholar of Time.]

  I gasp. The mechanical tone cuts through me like cold water. Memories of every death rush back at once, the pain so vivid it makes me wish I’d stayed dead.

  When I recover enough to breathe, I summon my system window. Excitement buzzes through me, but I know better than to celebrate. Every gift in this world comes with a curse.

  Abilities: [Scholar of Time], [Whispers of Agony]

  Scholar of Time Description: [Learn from every loop and grow to survive another. Scholar of Time allows one to gather relevant information in loops. You may also take one magic item with you when you return.]

  The last line catches my attention. But then the text keeps shifting, and another sentence forms beneath it:

  {Because this is part of a Nexus Curse, you will experience severe traumatic memories and illusions each time they carry an item across loops. Please know that the stronger the item, the more effective the illusion}

  ‘So that’s what it was.’ The memory of one of my tests was a result of this ability.

  I close the window and lean against the wall. Acquiring an item means going out there and facing some monster head-on. Something I’m not ready for. Not yet.

  Today, I don’t ask Tessia for help. She’s already shown me enough. For now, I need to perfect everything she’s taught me. I have a full day ahead of me.

  I step out of the cave and into the woods with Horus’s Agony in hand, hoping the system will notice my effort and reward me somehow.

  Hours pass before I find my first target. It’s massive—twice my size—with spiked fur jutting from its thick hide. Four eyes glare at me through the dim forest, and a guttural growl rumbles from its throat as it senses my intent.

  It lunges with shocking speed. I leap aside, and the impact splinters a row of trees. My pulse steadies. I tighten my fists, feel my muscles burn, and move in.

  It raises its head just as I throw my punch. Power bursts through me, and the impact sends the creature crashing backward. It tumbles through several trees before finally coming to rest in a shallow gorge of its own making.

  [You have slain a Forest Devil Mole.]

  Unfortunately, I have to try harder than that to get a reward.