Alex's spirit hovered silently before the giant obsidian egg,
He circled it once, slowly, warily. Despite its colossal size—large enough to fit an entire building—there were no visible signs of traps or threats.
Just a heartbeat. Steady. Slow. Alive.
So... this is what I'm going to possess?
With a deep breath, Alex dove forward, his spirit slipping through the outer membrane like mist merging with the wind.
Inside the Egg
Everything vanished.
Alex blinked—and found himself once again in a familiar void.
A vast white space stretched in all directions—featureless, silent, infinite.
Then came the chime.
[System Alert]
You have entered the Soul Battlefield.
All system functions are suspended.
No skills, no items, no stats will assist you here.
Only the raw strength of the soul determines the victor.
Alex groaned. "Hey, hey, wait! You're telling me even the infinite HP is gone? I was planning to abuse that like a boss."
But his complaint was swallowed by the vastness around him.
He turned.
And froze.
In front of him stretched the soul of a beast not yet born.
A serpent—dark, titanic, coiled beyond the horizon of this dreamlike world. Its massive golden eyes stared back at him, ancient and feral. Its body shimmered with starless black scales, and its presence alone felt suffocating.
Yet something felt... off.
Alex looked down at himself and staggered.
His own soul was also enormous. Almost equal in size to the beast in front of him.
What the hell...? Since when...?
Before he could process it, the familiar warm presence of the Heartstone stirred inside him.
(You really are an idiot sometimes.)(Did you already forget your own origin after floating in space for just a few hours?)
Alex slapped his own spectral forehead.
Damn. Even with a quantum brain, I can still blank out sometimes.
Because now that he was reminded—he understood.
Yes, the creature before him was the child of the World Devourer, destined to awaken one day and consume worlds.
But what was he?
He was the only son of a man who could seal the universe itself.
A man who could destroy a planet with a thought. A man who stood above gods.
The difference between this serpent and my father... is like comparing a wild street dog to a fully-armed human general.
The serpent had strength in blood.But Alex?Alex carried the legacy of a force far greater.
My origin... my blood... is no less than this creature. In fact, it might even be more.
The Heartstone—his divine inheritance—wasn't just a gift. It was a conduit to the sealed strength of his father.
And though most of that strength was locked away for now... its echo still shaped him.
The immense soul form he possessed wasn't a fluke.
It was inevitable.
If not for the restrictions of the Heartstone's seal, Alex knew...
I might already be powerful enough to rival Nidhogg himself.
He clenched his spectral fist.
This isn't a suicide mission. This is my birthright.
The great serpent reared its head, releasing a hiss that echoed through the void.
Its challenge was silent, but absolute.
The battlefield was set.
And Alex?
He didn't flinch.
He smiled.
-------------------------
The battlefield stretched out like a dream—white, endless, and deathly quiet.
On one side: Alex, in his true Mutated Spirit form, radiant with energy, cloaked in spectral blue fire.
On the other: the titanic serpent soul, writhing with untamed potential. Its coiled body shimmered with embryonic chaos, and its eyes—void black with golden slits—burned with primal hunger.
Neither spoke.
They didn't need to.
This was a soul battle—raw will against raw existence.
The serpent struck first.
With terrifying speed, it lunged—like a shadow ripping through space—its fanged mouth wide open, filled with an abyss deeper than death.
Alex raised his hand.
BOOM!
Their souls clashed like titans colliding. The serpent's fangs met a hand of a creature in front of him that exploded outward in a wave of translucent energy.
Alex was flung backward, tumbling through the battlefield like a comet.
Its power is unreal… it's not even born yet and it hits like a nuclear storm!
He hovered midair, stabilizing.
The serpent came again—this time coiling around him, binding him in spectral chains, squeezing tighter and tighter.
Tch… If this was my physical body, I'd be pulp by now.
But Alex was no normal soul.
He closed his eyes.
Focused.
And then—ignited.
Blue soulfire burst from every inch of his being, searing through the coils and forcing the serpent to rear back with a hiss.
I may not have my Heartstone powers… but this form isn't weak.
I'm a Mutated Spirit—free of flesh, bound by pure soul energy!
The serpent lashed out again.
But this time, Alex dodged.
In the soul realm, thoughts were movement.
He became lightning—flashing forward, flipping above the serpent's head—and struck down with his massive hands.
A shriek tore through the realm as his met serpent's crown, soul matter cracking like glass.
The beast retaliated, slamming its tail like a whip. Alex blocked, but the impact rattled his very essence, sending tremors through his spectral form.
This thing is only level 0. and its body is undeveloped… but its soul is already a monster.
Alex's flame flickered.
He floated there, panting.
The serpent raised its head again, preparing for a final charge.
I can't match it in brute force... but maybe I don't need to.
Alex closed his eyes again.
And remembered the Heartstone's words.
"You are not borrowing powers. You are the monster. Once you master a form… you may combine it with others."
Then let's begin with mastery.
He lowered his arms in a relaxing position.
And let the serpent strike.
The massive maw closed around him—
But instead of resisting, Alex merged.
He allowed his soul to flow into the serpent's.
For a heartbeat, there was nothing.
Just blackness.
[Soul Battle – Final Phase: Integration]
(A second system voice echoed inside his mind—not the game, not the Heartstone.)
But the serpent itself.
"Who… are you?"
"I am the one who walks alone."
"I am the child of the greatest being in my universe."
"I… am your new master."
"Sleep."
"...Yes… Master."
The blackness shattered.
Alex opened his eyes again—
But this time, he wasn't floating.
He was coiled.
Massive. Powerful. Reborn.
His vision stretched across vast distances.
His body rippled with overwhelming strength.
He was no longer a spirit without form.
He was the Ebonwyrm Hatchling.
🔷 [Possession Successful!]
You have possessed a Level 0 Serpent Hatchling (Race: Voidborn),
Race: Descendant of the World Devourer
Form Gained: Ebonwyrm Hatchling
Inherited Ability: Eye of Void (Passive) – Able to see what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten (Teir 1 - Race exclusive skill)