Episode 8: Awakening: Draven's Great Power

Episode 8: Awakening: Draven's Great Power

Burakkuhōru tamashī tensei: Kyōju no tamashī ga i sekai ni suikomareru VIII

Fanzung Prison was silent—too silent. The air was heavy, thick with rot and fear. Draven sat alone in his narrow cell, the flickering light from a single crystal barely touching his face. Sweat, dust, and dried blood had merged into a crust on his skin. His breathing was slow, mechanical, but behind his calm eyes was a storm.

He had long stopped counting the days. Time in Fanzung wasn't measured in sunrises, only in screams.
Every time the guards dragged another prisoner away, he would remember—again and again—that night.

A child's voice echoed faintly in his head.

"Don't touch him! He's my brother!"
"He's not one of us. He's filth."

The sound of boots. The crack of a whip.
He remembered the smell of incense and iron, the room filled with elders wearing robes marked with the sigil of the Ran Clan. Their eyes were cold, their judgment absolute.

"Blood of the Va tribe cannot mix with ours. The law of CAPAPASTAF is clear."
"Then why was he born?"
"A mistake... to be corrected."

He had been 1 Ovazhila 2 Virg (seven years) old, trembling, hiding behind his mother—the concubine whose name history would never record. He could still feel her fingers shaking as she pushed him away.
"Run, Draven. Even if the whole world rejects you—run."

He had run. Through fire. Through rain. Through the sound of his mother's last scream.

Now, decades later, in the depths of the underworld mine, that scream still haunted him.
Every pickaxe strike against the red crystal echoed her dying voice.
Every drop of blood on the stone reminded him why he couldn't die here—not yet.

"You want me dead because of my blood?" he muttered to himself, raising his trembling hand.
"Then I'll show you the meaning of that blood."

When his pickaxe hit the golden shard buried deep within the rock, it wasn't just light that filled the mine.
It was vindication.

The crystal emitted a dazzling glow and had an energy potential of over 10 Billion Quts, a discovery that automatically placed Draven among the 30 strongest entities on the Aerca continent.

Draven immediately concealed the Golden Quts Crystal from the others and brought it to his quarters.
There, in the dim light, he examined it carefully — and discovered that the crystal was, in fact, a Psychic Attribute Crystal, perfectly attuned to his nature. Yet, something else pulsed within.

At the crystal's core lay a Quts Crystal Bone, the kind that could only form within ancient, transcendent beings. When Draven focused his perception deeper, he felt a consciousness — distant, wrathful, echoing through time.
It was the fragment of a Demon Emperor's core.

He attempted to absorb the crystal's energy, but his calculations quickly froze him.
Fifty billion Quts in total — including the fragment's resonance and an additional forty billion in compressed energy.
That much power would annihilate his body before the first pulse.

He recalled one of Yorian's sayings — "Rome wasn't built in a day."
It made him smirk faintly. If Yorian could forge worlds from nothing, then he, too, could shape himself — grain by grain.

His first step: handle the Demon Emperor's fragment.
Using his unique psychic power, Draven began manipulating the flow of time around his body, compressing and folding it into a single point.

Then, everything collapsed.

A burst of light consumed him, dragging his consciousness beyond physical reality.
The Atherish Field unfolded — an ocean of resonance, where time rippled like molten glass and thoughts formed waves of light.

But his mastery was incomplete.
He lacked both the understanding and the tolerance to stabilize his Rish (Soul), the soul-essence that tied him to his body. Instead of perfect stasis, he formed a distorted temporal cocoon, a broken imitation of true Atherish equilibrium.

In that warped construct, one month in the outer world equaled 1 Ovazhila 1 Liv 2 Virg — ten years within his mind.

Inside that fractured eternity, agony became his only companion.
His flesh felt like molten metal; his veins burned with liquid light. Every pulse of Quts ripped him apart, every heartbeat rebuilt him again — slower, harder, stronger.
Each breath in that Atherish pocket was a scream that echoed across the void.

Quts Bone Fusion:
Draven dissolved the Demon Emperor's fragment into a viscous golden liquid and injected it directly into his Quts bones and meridians.
It was torture beyond sanity — his skeleton felt as though it were being devoured, layer by layer, replaced by something alien and ancient.

Golden Crystal Absorption:
Once his reforged body barely held together, he began absorbing the crystal's power. Slowly, carefully. Each particle of Quts energy was guided into his circuits in microscopic waves.
Too much, and he would shatter. Too little, and he would never reach transcendence.

His veins turned radiant gold, glowing beneath his skin like rivers of molten sunlight. Each heartbeat sounded like cracking stone.
Blood seeped from his pores, evaporating midair into shimmering dust.

"If I die here," he whispered between gasps, "then their laughter wins.
No... I'll survive — even if my bones melt and my soul burns."

He clenched his jaw as the liquid light crawled into his marrow, merging with his essence.

Ten internal years passed in that shattered dimension — 1 Ovazhila 1 Liv 2 Virg of relentless pain.
When at last he opened his eyes, the crystal had disintegrated into dust.
His aura pulsed irregularly — half human, half something else.

He had reached Level 95 Kilyasyiq Haosyin, a feat no human in history had ever achieved within a single lifetime.

But victory came at a cost.
The uncontrolled exposure to Atherish carved invisible scars into his Rish. Sometimes his body flickered — half-phase, as if reality itself rejected him.

He had touched divinity... but only barely survived its grasp.
He could feel the Atherish currents now — yet he couldn't command them.
It was like a child trying to hold back a storm with trembling hands.

Still, it was enough.

When he rose, the air bent and shimmered around him; light distorted where he stood.
A single month had passed in the outer world — and now, Draven was ready.

He turned his gaze eastward — toward Ltiktra.
Toward Yorian and Ariana.
The true test of his new power was about to begin.

Meanwhile, back in Class 1A, Tǎocei (the teacher) was explaining levels and Quts crystals to the students.

Tǎocei: "There is a designation for every level of a sorcerer: a level 1-20 sorcerer is called Kilyasyiq Hanlian or Hansui, level 21-40 is Kilyasyiq Hanxuan or Kilyasyiq Tǎocein, level 41-60 is Kilyasyiq Tǎoceian or Kilyasyiq Yuhan, and so on. For levels 91 to 99, you will receive the title Kilyasyiq Haosyin, who is a council candidate. Understanding this title is crucial because it indicates your position and capability in the world of magic."

After Tǎocei finished teaching, he took the students to the area where the monster forest was located.

Tǎocei: 'We are now in the Hengfu Quts Crystal Forest, a basic monster zone, inhabited by white and yellow level creatures. Look for those that match your magic attribute. Yorian and Ariana, you can head to Hengfuian, the forest in the southwest inhabited by yellow-black level monsters.' If you, Yorian, want to get your four fundamental attributes, you can go to the Fuan Quts Crystal Mine (a great Quts crystal mine), where there are gold level fundamental attributes."

"Yes, teacher," all the students replied.

The students were divided into their respective groups. Yorian, along with Ariana, headed to the Hengfuian Quts Crystal Forest. Once there, they searched for suitable monsters. They found a pair of unique creatures unlike anything they had ever seen before. These creatures had two attributes: darkness and light. They resembled scorpions with nine eyes, eight legs, and a six-meter-long tail, with two claws each containing dark and light energy.

"Bro, let's divide the tasks and kill these monsters. You take the male one, and I'll take the female one," said Ariana.

"But they might be black-red level, and that is very dangerous," Yorian said.

"Come on, Bro, don't be afraid. I'm strong too, so you don't have to worry too much about me," replied Ariana.

"Fine, if that's what you want," Yorian said.

They then divided the tasks to kill the two monsters. Yorian used his superior power. He used gravitational pressure, then finished it with Relative Jet, killing the male monster.

Ariana, on the other hand, was much more brutal. She repeatedly stabbed the female monster, letting it scream in pain, before healing it only to repeat the torture. The monster's screams were heartbreaking, reflecting the dark side of Ariana's light and darkness energy.

"Ariana, don't be so cruel. It's a living creature just like us," Yorian said.

"I just wanted to play... but fine," said Ariana.

Then, Ariana launched her final attack, similar to Yorian's, using Relative Jet, which instantly ended the female monster's life. They were disappointed that Yorian only received a yellow crystal and Ariana received a purple one, but it didn't matter. They then absorbed them, and to their surprise, the absorption process took quite a long time, about seven days.

After seven days of meditation in the Hengfuian Forest, Yorian slowly opened his eyes. Quts energy still swirled around them, forming a spiral of fading light. Beside him, Ariana sat cross-legged, her hair glimmering softly, the light and darkness around her blending like a living painting.

The air was warm and calm—only the sound of wind brushing through the leaves.

"It felt so long," Ariana murmured, lying down on the grass. "Seven days felt like seven months."

Yorian gazed at the sky, now painted in orange hues. "That's because you absorbed mixed attributes. The energy takes longer to synchronize with your body. And since you focused so deeply, time must've felt slower."

A small laugh escaped her lips. "Brother, can I ask you something?"
"Hm?"
"I read the Aerca Pinot—the Continental Constitution of Aerca. It says that merging the Va tribe with any other clan is strictly forbidden, even punishable by death. But... why wasn't I hunted down? Why am I still here?"

Yorian paused, eyes shifting toward the forest as if searching for the right words.
"You're right, Ari. That law does exist. But it only applies to registered clans across the continent, not to free individuals."
He turned to her. "You don't belong to any clan. You're... a blend of three races—Va, Ra, and Tra."

He smiled faintly. "So relax, Ari. Even if they change the law and come after you, I'll protect you."

Ariana stared at him, cheeks flushed. Her voice trembled softly.
"Why do you call me your sister... when I'm just your creation, Brother?"

Yorian took a deep breath. "Because when I created you, I didn't make a tool. I made someone—someone who could think, feel, and... smile."
His eyes softened. "You have emotions, sorrow, and choice. That's more than enough to be called alive. And in my broken life... you're the only one who makes me feel human again."

Ariana lowered her gaze, smiling faintly. Silence fell between them—serene, almost sacred.
But beneath that peace, something changed. The leaves trembled though the wind had stopped. The birds went silent.

A subtle vibration crept through the ground. "Brother... did you feel that?" Ariana whispered.

Yorian rose slowly, eyes narrowing toward the east. "Yeah. A spatial distortion... and a massive psychic pressure. Like someone breaking through dimensional walls."

The sky darkened—not from nightfall, but from the gathering of overwhelming energy.

Yorian looked up, his eyes sharpening.
"Damn it... it's Draven."

They saw Draven flying over the forest with an intense killing aura and unimaginable power, holding Yellow and Gold Quts Crystals.

"Damn, it looks like he managed to escape and gain incredible power. We better run as fast as we can," Yorian said.

"Okay, Bro, he's not the same as before. We have to be fast," Ariana replied.

They ran very quickly, using spacetime distortion, but the power of Level 95 Kilyasyiq Haosyin was not something to be underestimated. He easily destroyed the spacetime where they were hiding. He pulled them out easily, making them terrified by his enormous, relentless power, shaking the forest with his extraordinary energy.

"Horrifying. You used to bully me, and now you're like worthless ants," Draven said.

"I won't give up that easily," Ariana replied, her eyes blazing with fire.

"Hahaha, are you joking? You are cornered," Draven sneered.

Ariana launched a brutal attack with a combination of light and darkness, but Draven easily stopped it using his psychic power. Yorian saw his sister was giving her all and decided to intervene.

"Enough, Draven. I won't let you touch her!" Yorian shouted, gathering Yin-Yang energy and creating a U-DABSA (Ultimate Darkness And Brightness Spiral Attack) in his palm.

"How dare you fight back, Yorian! You will die!" Draven attacked with full force, firing an extremely powerful psychic blast.

Yorian launched his U-DABSA. The two attacks collided, creating a massive explosion that shook the forest. When the smoke cleared, Yorian and Ariana looked exhausted, but Draven was completely unharmed. He laughed slyly.

Realizing he couldn't win, Yorian knew he had to do something drastic. He made a terrible decision. With his fingers, he began transmitting a series of special frequency signals to the sky containing commands, a code understood by only one entity.

"10071, 846150, 946050, 10071, 10071, 987650, 1282400, 10071, 10071, 846200, 970000, 10071, 10071, 1500350, 10071, 10071, 1295700, 1525900, 10071" "ASI! Launch attack on Draven"

Suddenly, a response from ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) Paxtorovutra appeared, not as a confirmation, but as a personal question, a moral check on its Master:

"10071, 847700, 10071, 10071, 1507600, 10071, 10071, 1487850, 1469200, 10071, 10071, 1410950, 1499850, 1472350, 10071, 10071, 1507600, 10071, 10071, 1295500, 515000, 10071, 10071, 1474650, 1410100, 1308500, 10071, 10071, 1500000, 1302800, 10071, 10071, 1333900, 1435750, 1359000, 10071, 10071, 1507600, 10071, 10071, 1282650, 1411000, 1499850, 1290000, 10071, 10071, 1436300, 10071, 10071, 1307650, 1475000, 1341200, 10071, 10071, 1500000, 1494800, 10071, 10071, 1500500, 1513050, 1500900, 1307800, 10071, 10071, 1507600, 10071" "Are you sure, Master? Do you not remember the genocide you committed on Earth that traumatized you?" ASI asked, its tone cold and calculating.

Yorian replied, his focus still on Draven, but his hands sent a calming command to ASI:

"10071, 1295550, 10071, 10071, 1359800, 10071, 10071, 1359500, 10071, 10071, 1251600, 10071, 10071, 1282700, 1500500, 1397800, 1307800, 10071, 10071, 1410700, 1423050, 1469200, 10071" "Do it in a controlled manner."

ASI accepted the command and obeyed its master's orders:

"10071, 1282650, 1410200, 10071, 10071, 1256550, 1449400, 10071 " "Command accepted"

A robotic voice suddenly roared in the sky, spreading power across the planet, terrifying everyone on the Aerca continent.

In a magnificent meeting room, ten members of the CAPAPASTAF Supreme Council, all Level 100 Kilyasyiq Hao sorcerers, suddenly flinched. "What is this energy?!" shouted one council member, Lord Shen, his Level 100 aura shaking uncontrollably. "This is not pure Quts, this is an emergency signal with destructive power. This force could explode the entire continent!" The Chairman of the Council, an old man with a sharp gaze, immediately activated the continent's emergency shield, even though he knew it might be futile. "Check the coordinates! Who dares to use this destructive energy at a planet-destroying level?"

In the Hengfu Quts Crystal Forest, Tǎocei, a level 50 teacher, slumped to the ground, his knees weak. The Quts Crystals around the forest resonated until they cracked. 'This... this is the same pressure I felt when Sova fought Tava!' Tǎocei muttered, cold sweat soaking his brow, 'Cosmic destruction power!' "It's coming from that child, Yorian! But what is he doing?" The other students nearby, including Yanwe who was training in the distance, fell to the ground. They could only feel the presence of incredibly ancient and fierce energy, which made it difficult to breathe.

In one of the training arenas in Kontra, where young Kilyasyiq were trying to reach level 90, a sorcerer who had just reached Level 91 suddenly knelt, holding his head. "Damn it, my Quts! It feels like it's being ripped apart!" he shouted. All the energy around him seemed to flow away from the anomaly's location, leaving a horrifying vacuum. They sensed an unimaginable threat: if this energy were released, they would all die.

"Mass Destruction Energy Firing Process Initiated," the system announced across the planet.

"Whatever you're planning, it's futile. I will kill you now," Draven said.

"If you don't want this terrible energy to finish, then stop. I will deactivate it. If you kill me, this terrible energy will destroy the entire planet," Yorian said.

Suddenly, a mysterious figure with the same title as Draven, Kilyasyiq Haosyin, but with Level 99 power, appeared.

"Hey, whiny prince, what do you think you're doing to them?" the mysterious figure said.

"Who are you, and what is your purpose? I don't want to fight you. Leave," Draven said.

Without further ado, the mysterious figure moved, striking Draven. They collided like two stars at unimaginable speed. However, because even a one-level difference above the 90s is significant, Draven was easily beaten by the mysterious figure.

"Whatever you're doing, stop it, young man," the figure said to Yorian.

"10071, 846150, 946050, 10071, 10071, 1076600, 1034000, 10071" "ASI! STOP!" Yorian said.

"10071, 1078450, 1500250, 10071, 10071, 1435900, 10071" "System Off" the System said.

After the terrifying energy disappeared, the mysterious figure continued to beat Draven.

"What is your purpose in tormenting someone weaker than you?" the mysterious figure asked.

"I have a personal grudge against him, please forgive me," pleaded Draven.

"Fool, you have great potential, but your behavior is shameful," the mysterious figure said.

Finally, the mysterious figure kicked Draven back to the Demon/Va island. Yorian and Ariana immediately knelt, their heads bowed deeply. However, the fear was quickly replaced by overwhelming relief, as if fresh air had just been allowed into their lungs after nearly choking. "Thank you for your noble grace, you have saved us from destruction..." whispered Yorian, his voice hoarse from the tension that had just eased. The mysterious figure simply smiled faintly. From his robe, he produced two small leather pouches. The pouches emitted a calm yet astonishing aura—they were not just Quts Bones, but pure essence that had been extracted into a liquid, ready to be absorbed without a long meditation process. "This is not grace, this is a gift for a genius who made a difficult choice," he said, his tone full of respect. He handed the precious gift to Yorian and Ariana, then vanished without a trace, leaving them both wide-eyed.

Yorian stared at the spot where the figure had just stood, his confusion and gratitude mixed together. His hands trembled holding the leather pouch. "Who is he?" he asked slowly.

Ariana flipped the pouch over, her eyes gleaming madly at the golden Quts crystal liquid. "I don't know either, Bro, but this is amazing! Liquid! We can absorb it right away! I can become much stronger to fight that bastard princess!" she exclaimed, the irresistible excitement overcoming her fear.

"Hah~" Yorian let out a long sigh, not out of fatigue, but because of the mental burden. But who is he? Why would an entity of that level suddenly help us and give such an expensive gift? How did he know we were here and were being attacked by Draven? Is he someone from the academy? Or... someone else with a hidden agenda? he thought to himself, realizing that this great blessing might come with a price he didn't yet know.

Meanwhile, Draven, who was thrown back to the Demon/Va island, arrived among the other slaves and said:

"I have reached level 95. I was no longer a cursed half-blood... I was the offspring of a Va (demon) and a Ra (human) — and the curse would become a weapon to destroy the gods., and together we will fight CAPAPASTAF," Draven declared.

Sometimes, his form flickered — not like a mirage, but as if reality itself hesitated to decide whether he truly existed. The resonance between his body and Rish wavered, producing faint distortions in space around him. For a fleeting moment, one could see his veins of light threading through the void beneath his skin, and the echo of his soul drifting half a step behind his movements.
Each flicker was a reminder — that he had forced open a door meant only for gods, and the world had yet to fully accept his return.
But as the Atherish within him slowly stabilized, the intervals shortened. The glow dimmed. The fractures between flesh and spirit began to mend, one pulse at a time.

He was no longer the same Draven — no longer fully human, yet not divine.
He was something in between: a being stitched together by will, pain, and defiance of fate itself.