Chapter 41: The Monarch’s Physique

In the same chamber where Evan's selection was taking place, he could be seen writhing in agony. No one dared approach—not out of fear, but out of understanding. There was nothing anyone could do now. He would either emerge victorious, crippled, or not at all.

"How long do you think he'll take to assimilate it?" someone asked Soul, who stood watching him in silence.

"I can't say," Soul replied softly. "Even the greatest soul experts can't fully discern what lies within. There was only one man who managed to unravel the complete theory of the soul... but he vanished, swallowed by the tempest of time. A being who challenged the gods themselves, capable of annihilating the souls of so-called immortals."

She paused, her voice reverent.

"I want to be like him one day."

Time passed. Minutes turned to hours. Anxiety settled over the onlookers like a suffocating fog.

Then—finally—a single twitch. Evan's eyelash fluttered.

The crowd stirred. These weren't ordinary people; each one bore a god-like presence. They instantly noticed the subtle sign.

As Evan's eyes cracked open, they were already surrounding him.

"Hi... guys?" he croaked, confused. "Why are you all staring like that? Did something happen?"

He checked himself for damage, recalling the dark orb he had absorbed. His memories flashed—being trapped in an endless void, devoured from within by thousands of invisible insects.

"Oh, something did happen," one of them said, his voice rising with each word. "Something monumental. Something that could've killed you."

"Huh? But I just absorbed a regular orb, right?" Evan said innocently, pretending not to remember the torment he'd endured.

"Don't play dumb," Grim scolded. "You know us too well—we can see through you."

"But seriously," Evan said. "If it was that important, why didn't you just give it to me earlier?"

One of the observers stepped forward. "I would have. But after you absorbed the class orb, I figured you were already at your limit. I didn't expect you to survive this one."

"Okay... but what exactly was it?" Evan asked, still assuming it was a rare skill or hidden ability.

"No," the figure said solemnly. "It's not a class, talent, or bloodline. It's something far more rare... a Physique."

Evan blinked. "Physique? Like, one of those body upgrades?"

"Not just any physique," the man continued. "A Monarch's Physique. A treasure so rare that even dreaming about it is a luxury. Not even one in a trillion is born with it. It's the kind of thing entire civilizations would wage war over."

Evan's expression shifted. Confusion. Awe. Horror. Shock.

He hadn't even realized that during all that pain, his soul had been evolving—like upgrading from street food to the refined elegance of a five-star banquet.

"A... Monarch's Physique? But how?" he muttered. "Isn't a Monarch supposed to be in a realm of their own? When did I manage to kill someone that strong?"

"You did, Evan," One said. "During your second life. In the siege of an expanse. You killed a Monarch—one above your tier. That's why we gave you that title."

Evan froze. "Which one was it? Flame Monarch? Ice? Beast? Don't tell me it was the Dragon Monarch—"

"No," the man interrupted. "Someone you wouldn't even think of. The Death Monarch."

Evan's pupils contracted.

"He was chasing that girl—the one who haunts your memories. You killed him eight times in the Second Tier. But it was during his invasion of the second realm, when he had ascended to Tier Three, that he finally died. His revival was on cooldown, and he underestimated you. That battle ended him."

Evan let out a slow breath. "But doesn't that make him... weak? I thought Monarchs could raze empires."

"Maybe," Grim said with a shrug. "But a Monarch is still a Monarch. It's destiny. Let's hope it serves you well."

Before they could send him away, Evan suddenly stood up. "Wait. I want to try something."

"What now?" Soul asked, alarmed. "Evan, your soul is already on the verge of collapse. Greed can kill you here."

But Evan ignored her, brushing past floating orbs until one caught his eye—a single glowing particle. He plucked it gently.

"This feels like... the final piece," he said, staring at it.

Inside the orb floated a pale blue egg.

"What is this?" Evan asked curiously.

"Oh, that?" One said dismissively. "Just a companion egg. Trash, really. It gives you a bonded creature—nothing more. A pet that grows with you."

"But what's the harm in trying?" Evan said.

Before anyone could stop him, he absorbed it.

And then—nothing.

The chamber fell into a stunned silence.

"What the—why isn't anything happening?" One muttered.

"Let me check," Evan said. He closed his eyes. A moment later, he smiled. "It's there. Bonded successfully. Maybe it doesn't need space like the others."

"Alright, fine," Grim said, exasperated. "But now—no more. You're done."

Grim snapped his fingers, and the orbs vanished.

"One last thing," Grim said, raising his hand. A beam of light shot into Evan's forehead. "The location of the artifact—you'll find it here."

Evan's eyes flickered. A mental image appeared—a closed-down factory on the path to Rey's house. A place he'd passed many times.

"Got it," Evan said, smiling faintly.

He was whole again.

Or so he thought.