Chapter 126: Level 2 Sun Class
Edgar took one final look around the clearing, which was nothing more than a crater created by the ⟨Watch Tower⟩.
The hundred Sornja Flowers had already been arranged in a perfect circle around him.
Each blossom emitted a soft golden radiance that gently illuminated the surrounding darkness.
The Headless Soul Knight stood a few metres behind him, while the Albino Gorilla Commander guarded the opposite side.
Neither of them moved. Both silently watched the endless darkness surrounding the ritual site.
Edgar slowly exhaled. "...Let’s begin."
He knelt at the center of the circle before taking out a flint stone.
A single spark landed upon one of the flowers.
Whoosh!
Golden flames instantly spread from blossom to blossom.
Within only a few breaths, the entire circle had ignited.
Unlike ordinary fire, however, the flowers didn’t blacken.
Instead, they slowly dissolved into glowing golden ash.
The ashes floated upward as though gravity itself had stopped affecting them, while the Eternal Night tried to force them back down.
"..."
Edgar watched quietly.
The ritual had officially begun.
The golden ashes continued rising until they completely surrounded him.
For a brief moment, everything remained peaceful, like the Garden of Eden.
Then the floating ashes suddenly began to move.
"Hss..."
Without warning, they rushed toward Edgar’s body.
The moment they touched his skin, an unbearable burning sensation erupted throughout his entire body.
"Ghh..."
Edgar instinctively clenched his fists.
It felt as though countless burning needles were piercing every inch of his flesh.
The golden ashes burned through his clothes with ease.
They clung to his skin before sinking into his body. The pain intensified almost immediately.
"Grr..."
His breathing became ragged.
Every muscle in his body trembled violently.
Still, Edgar didn’t stop the ritual.
He slowly raised both hands.
Resting inside each palm was a Yellow Nightmare Stone.
"...Now."
Without hesitation, he began absorbing them.
Thump.
His Solar Heart immediately responded, drawing the energy into his veins.
Thump.
Its heartbeat echoed throughout his entire body.
Golden energy burst from both stones before flooding into his chest.
The familiar warmth rapidly spread through his veins.
One after another, brilliant golden lines appeared beneath Edgar’s skin.
His entire body glowed faintly within the darkness.
The Solar Heart refined the incoming Nightmare Energy with unbelievable speed.
At the same time, the burning ashes continued forcing themselves deeper into his flesh.
The two completely opposite energies collided throughout his body.
"GAAAH..."
Edgar finally let out a muffled groan.
His teeth remained clenched so tightly that blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"...Keep going..."
He forced himself to continue absorbing the Nightmare Stones.
Stopping now would only make everything meaningless.
Time gradually lost all meaning.
The ritual continued without interruption.
Far beyond the clearing, growls suddenly echoed through the Eternal Night.
One Nightmare after another was drawn toward the strange ritual.
Dozens of crimson eyes gradually appeared among the surrounding trees.
The Headless Soul Knight moved first as its azure sword quietly left its sheath.
The Albino Gorilla Commander lowered its massive body.
The first Nightmare leapt from the darkness.
BOOM!!
The Gorilla’s fist reduced it to nothing but broken flesh.
The next instant, another charged from behind.
The Headless Soul Knight’s blade flashed once.
Slash!
The Nightmare collapsed before it even realized it had been cut.
More monsters continued arriving.
The two Commander Soul Guardians silently defended the ritual site without allowing a single creature to approach Edgar.
The sounds of battle echoed continuously around the clearing yet Edgar heard almost none of it.
His entire consciousness had become consumed by the ritual.
The burning sensation continued growing stronger.
It no longer remained confined to his skin.
He felt it in his muscles, his bones even his blood seemed to have caught fire.
"Ghh..."
His entire body shook uncontrollably, still, his Solar Heart continued beating.
Thump.
Thump.
Each beat grew louder than the last.
The golden veins beneath his skin became brighter and brighter.
Deep inside his chest, something slowly began changing.
Edgar couldn’t explain it.
He simply felt... different.
As though his body was slowly breaking apart before rebuilding itself into something stronger.
The pain reached its absolute peak.
His vision blurred. For one terrifying moment, Edgar genuinely thought he might lose consciousness.
"No..." He bit down on his lip harder. "...Not yet."
The Yellow Nightmare Stones gradually became smaller.
Their energy continued flowing into his Solar Heart.
Finally, the last fragments disappeared.
Crack...
Both stones crumbled into fine dust. Almost immediately, the burning sensation abruptly stopped.
"..."
The floating ashes surrounding Edgar slowly changed.
Instead of burning him, they gently entered his body like warm sunlight.
The wounds covering his skin rapidly healed. Burn marks disappeared one after another. Torn flesh regenerated before his eyes.
Every trace of pain gradually vanished. Only an overwhelming exhaustion remained.
"Haa..."
Edgar slowly opened his eyes.
His breathing had become incredibly weak.
Every ounce of strength had disappeared from his body.
=======
⟨Level Up Successful⟩
Class: Sun
Level: 2
=======
"...Done..." Even speaking felt difficult.
The hundred flowers had completely vanished.
Nothing remained except gray ash scattered across the ground.
The Commander Soul Guardians quietly approached after confirming every Nightmare nearby had been eliminated.
Neither of them had suffered serious damage.
Edgar weakly stood up as his legs almost gave way beneath him.
"...Let’s go home."
The two Commanders silently escorted him back toward the Fortress.
...
Some time later, Edgar slowly pushed open the front door of his house.
The familiar warmth welcomed him once again.
The first thing he noticed was Hera.
She had fallen asleep on the sofa beneath a blanket. Perhaps she had tried waiting for him.
"..."
A faint smile appeared on Edgar’s exhausted face.
Without making any noise, he slowly walked over.
His entire body felt unbelievably heavy.
He gently lifted one side of the blanket before lying down beside her.
Almost instinctively, his tired arms wrapped around the sleeping girl.
Hera stirred slightly in her sleep.
"...Mm..."
Without opening her eyes, she quietly leaned closer.
Edgar didn’t even have the strength to think about it.
His eyelids slowly became heavier.
The last thing he felt was the familiar warmth beside him.
Then the exhausted boy drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.