Misbegotten

The tunnel stretched on, the hollow voice repeating its call: "Come closer…"

The air felt different here—heavier, as though the weight of ages hung in the stone walls. His grip on the sword tightened, his every muscle coiled, ready for whatever lay ahead. The voice wasn't human, but something about it tugged at him, drawing him deeper into the labyrinth. He had no choice but to follow. The sound, eerie and hollow, grew louder as he advanced, until it filled the entire space around him, reverberating off the walls like the whispers of the damned.

He stepped into a cavern, larger than any he had encountered so far. The air was thick with decay, the stench of rot hanging heavy. At the center of the room, illuminated by a faint, ghostly glow, stood hundreds of ancient, twisted crosses. Most were already empty. Piles of blue dust under them.

Only three of them were occupied. On those crosses hang figures, skeletal and devoid of flesh, their body confined in broken armor twisted, rusted and broken, yet somehow still alive and one was just a specter.

One of them stirred as Fang Yuan approached, its head lifting with great effort, the armor joints creaking as if they hadn't moved in centuries. A broken skull helm looked forward. Its eyes, hollow and lost in darkness, locked onto him. The voice that had been calling him came from this figure, the misbegotten soul trapped on the cross.

"Oh, traveler!"

"Oh, traveler lost in darkness! Why not listen to this one's plea!"

He stood there, sword in hand, staring at the pitiful sight before him. The were figures were barely recognizable as living anymore, their skeletons and shattered armor fragments clinging to the steel of the corss, stretched and warped by years—perhaps eons—of torment.

The second figure, smaller and weaker, a spector, remained silent, its head bowed, its eyes closed. This one had long since resigned itself to its fate, unable to speak, perhaps even unable to hope.

The talking soul groaned, its voice cracking with misery and despair of millennia.

"I have a shape. It is a shape like that of a man, but I am hollow. I am just the outline. I have hands, but cannot touch. I have no mouth, but I have been screaming since I began my fall. I want to breathe, but I cannot. I cannot remember what it is to breathe; only what it is to drown in an abyss, to sink without hitting the bottom...

I am drowning....

I once had a name, it is an echo. I once had flesh, that is gone. I do not know what I am. I had a name, it is gone. I am nothing!.... I am locked in darkness, trumbling through broken memories....."

The ghost stopped then spoke again.

"End it here! Oblivion awaits."

He looked at the sword in his hand, then back at the tortured souls hanging before him. The cold logic of his mind battled against the faint stirrings of compassion that flickered inside him. What difference did it make to him whether these souls lived or died? And yet, something about their suffering resonated with him. A faint smile appeared on Fang Yuan's lips.

"Look like I still have some of that.... or it is this world?"

The torment in their eyes mirrored the cold darkness of the labyrinth itself—a prison with no escape.

Fang Yuan approached the first figure, the one that had spoken, its body trembling as it hung limply from the cross. The eyes, dark and hollow, seemed to plead with him silently as he raised his sword. With a swift, clean stroke, he brought the blade down, severing the fragile connection that held the soul to this world.

"End is nigh! All is dust!"

The figure let out a final, rasping sigh before crumbling into dust.

[You slain a Fallen Titan, Damned of the Night.]

[Your soul grows stronger.]

[You have received a Memory, Mantle of the Night.]

The air seemed to shift, the cavern growing quieter, heavier. The second figure, still silent, did not move or acknowledge what had just happened. Its head remained bowed, as if in eternal submission to the cruel fate it had been given.

He turned toward it, sword in hand, knowing what needed to be done. Without a word, he stepped forward and delivered the same mercy. The blade sliced through the air, ending its suffering in an instant.

[You have slain an Awakened Terror, Damned Nephilic Sister.]

[Your soul grows stronger.]

[You have received an echo.]

But as the second soul crumbled, it turned into translucent particles. He turned to the last misbegotten and stabbed his sword into the broken corpse.

[You have slain an Fallen Devil, Forsaken Oarsman.]

[Your soul grows stronger.]

[You have received a Memory, Tome of Rakesh.]

As the corpse turned into dust, a faint smile appeared on Fang Yuan's lips.

"Looks like I won't get any memories or echoes in a long while."

He summoned his runes.

---

Name: Fang Yuan.

True Name: Abyss Walker.

Rank: Dreamer.

Soul Core: Dormant.

Soul Fragments: [66/1000].

Memories: [Lamenter], [Mantle of the Night], [Tome of Rakesh].

Echoes: [Nephilic Sister].

Attributes: [Perseverance], [Spark of Divinity], [Monolith],[Fate Breaker], [Blade of Struggle],[Reincarnator].

Aspect: [Defyer].

Aspect Rank: Divine.

Aspect Description: [You are a borne spirit of freedom. No shackle, no chain, no order can stop you. Nothing can bound you. You will break every shackle, every chain, every order, every obstacle on your way. You will defy Earth, defy Heaven, defy Gods and defy Fate.]

Innate Ability: [Demon].

Aspect Abilities: [Ultra Sense].

Memory Name: [Mantle of the Night].

Memory Rank: Ascended.

Memory Tier: VI < VII.

Memory Type: Armor

Memory Description: [A malevolent demon declared war against the divinity of the Dark Skies. They said we must destroy this demon. They said we shall defend the honour of the Storm. They said we will be exalted. They promised glory. But they lied. Battle after battle, death after death, not even granted Shadow's marcy. Now only remains an echo.]

Fang Yuan's mind started to race.

Divinity of the dark skies, honour of strom... The Strom god. Marcy of shadow, death... Shadow god and the malevolent demon...who is this enitity? Maybe one of the lesser deities... The daemons most probably.

Fang Yuan inferred what he could and summoned the memory.

The memory weaved itself over his body. It is a heavy scale armor made of silver with gold details here and there. It covered him from head to toe. Heavy gauntlets, heavy pauldron gave his hands high protection. A helmet in the shape of a skull, a blue plume on the top. A long cape in royal blue was hanging over his shoulder.

He finally felt warm with a proper clothe on his body. He moved to his next memory.

Memory Name: [Tome Rakesh].

Memory Rank: Ascended

Memory Tier: IV

Memory Type: Tool

Memroy Description: [I am Rekesh of the Stargazer. Although my family specialize in astral navigation. I will become a refinement master that even the followers of the war would be jealous of.]

He summoned the memory. An ancient, old book appeared on his palm. But as soon as he tried to open the book. It transformed into particles and absorbed into his chest.

[Your memory has been destroyed.]

The spell whispered. But Fang Yuan didn't focus on that as his mind was being filled with new knowledge. After the in pour of knowledge, he smiled. Now, he can finally make use of his refinement path knowledge form Gu World, by corss referencing and deductions. He has a direction to step forward at.

He couldn't really use his refinement path knowledge and mastery form Gu world as the Heaven and earth, the laws governing the world is different.

Next he looked at his echo.

Echo: [Nephilic Sister]

Echo Rank: Awakened.

Echo Class: Terror.

Echo Attribute: [Nephilim], [Indomitable], [Sword Saint], [Flame of Divinity], [Night Veil], [Nephilic Armament].

[Nephilim]

Attribute Description: [There once were terrible creatures born of an unholy union between the divine and the profane. Nephilim were the most beautiful, and the most harrowing of them all.]

[Indomitable]

Attribute Description: [Unbreakable will. Have immunity against mental attacks.]

[Sword Saint]

Attribute Description: [One with the sword. Can wield any sword with unnatural mastery.]

[Flame of Divinity]

Attribute Description: [Your soul is aflame with the light of divinity.]

[Night Veil]

Attribute Description: [Have high protection against divination.]

[Nephilic Armament]

Attribute Description: [Can equip memories.]

Echo Description: [A revolting nephilim joined the priesthood of absulation. To redeem herself for the sin of being born. She was made into a machine of war. She become the slaughter in the name of redemption.]

[Transform echo into Champion? (66/100).]

"Hmm...Interesting. I will find out later.

He summoned the echo.

The ehco was around seven feet in height. She had a sublime face, two raven black eyes, long golden blonde hair tied into a long rope braid, pink lips, a sharp jaw line and a slightly busty figure, three pairs of long wings made of steel like black feathers. 

Honestly, she is one of the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. She has the face of a goddess. The Spell wasn't joking when it described the nephilims as the most beautiful of them all.

The wings were two times bigger than their normal size as they were being enhanced by other three pairs of wings while six pairs of wings remained in reserve. Wings are made of feathers.

She was wearing a black valkyrie helmet over mail coif which covered the lower half of her face alongside the neck, onyx breastplate, a long battle skirt with onyx plates, two adamantine gauntlet that come up to the shoulders. Every piece of the armor was decorated immaculately. Her braid was filled with silver throns.

Fang Yuan truned around and started looking for a place to rest. She flicked and truned into a ethereal dark specter as she followed behind him.

After finding a dry corner to rest, he sat down and closed his eyes. He gave her the mental command to gaurd him while he slept. He needed some rest....