Samuel's POV
Their blades were already singing.
My gauntlets flared—runic energy roaring down my arms, casting arcs of flame, void, and shadow. The first Echo-Samuel reached me, the one bathed in celestial light, eyes glowing with righteousness and pain. He moved with grace and conviction, swinging a radiant blade shaped like an oath.
"You were the best of us once," he said as his blade came down.
I met it with both fists—blocking it mid-swing and unleashing a shockwave so fierce it sent him flying.
"Too much mercy," I spat, spinning to intercept the one cloaked in sorrow—his face pale, sunken, haunted. He didn't speak. Just raised a hand and unleashed a wave of despair. My memories surged, unbidden—Abigail. The betrayal. The wedding. The nights alone.
For a split second, I hesitated.
And that's when he struck.
A blade of memory pierced my shoulder—cold, numbing, old. My knees buckled slightly before I roared and twisted, grabbing the blade and snapping it in half.
"Your sorrow made you weak," I growled through clenched teeth. "Mine made me furious."
I blasted him with Devourer's Pulse, the raw chaotic energy ripping through his chest like a collapsing star. He was gone before he could scream.
"Two down," I whispered.
The third came next—cloaked in fire, burning from within. He looked like me, but with eyes mad with power. Wild. Reckless.
"Burn with me!" he cackled and slammed into me, fists ablaze with pure inferno.
We clashed midair, an explosion of flames and fury lighting up the Veiled Expanse like a dying sun.
I took the hits.
He was fast—furious.
But I was precise.
With Fangfire Overdrive, I ignited my core, and my gauntlets became a blur of flaming fury. Blow after blow landed, cracking ribs, breaking flamebone. His last scream ended with my fist crashing through his jaw and planting him into the void.
The light of his fire went out.
Only one left.
The final Echo stepped forward—tall, calm, cloaked in voidsteel. His eyes weren't filled with hatred, but with understanding.
"You're strong," he said, nodding. "But you're not complete."
I flexed my gauntlets. "I don't need to be complete. Just stronger than you."
He smirked. "Let's test that theory."
No theatrics. No build-up.
We moved.
Faster than thought, faster than light.
Each strike bent the realm. Each dodge carved trenches into reality. We fought between seconds, across memories. At one point, we were battling in a frozen moment from the past—back in the Imperial City, before it all began.
"I remember this," I said, looking at the sun above, Abigail's voice faint in the background. "This was the last time I smiled."
The Echo stepped forward. "Then let this be the place you surpass it."
He struck.
I did too.
Both fists collided—and the world shattered.
We plummeted through layers of existence, still fighting—shifting through every failure, every victory, every choice I ever made.
Until—
I caught his arm mid-swing and pulled him into a brutal knee to the ribs. He gasped, but grinned through the pain. "You've grown."
I narrowed my eyes. "I became."
With Reality Sever, I swung—cutting through the last of him. Not flesh. But possibility. He faded, smiling.
And then it was done.
---
[System Notification – Simulation Complete]
Identity Convergence: Successful
Status: Samuel Gebb — Absolute Variant Confirmed
Title Earned: Eternal Apex
Reward Unlocked: Key to the Beyond + Authority over the Veiled Expanse
---
I stood alone.
The Veiled Expanse bent to my will. My echo. My howl. My truth.
I breathed in deep, the air laced with starlight and broken dreams.
"I am Samuel Gebb," I whispered. "And I've surpassed every version of myself."
I turned toward the next gate, the Key to the Beyond glowing in my palm.
Time to find out what's next.
________________________________________
Samuel's POV
The Key to the Beyond pulsed in my hand—a fragment of reality humming with potential. The Veiled Expanse, now under my dominion, whispered secrets of realms yet unseen. The air was thick with anticipation, the very fabric of existence awaiting my next move.
I approached the newly formed gateway, its edges shimmering with colors beyond comprehension. As I stepped through, the world around me dissolved, replaced by a realm of paradoxes and impossibilities.
---
[System Notification – New Realm Unlocked]
Realm: The Paradox Crucible
Description: A realm where time loops upon itself, and reality is a malleable concept. Challenges here will test your understanding of existence and your ability to adapt.
Threat Level: Beyond Mythic
Objective: Navigate the crucible, confront the Paradox Warden, and claim the Fragment of Eternity.
---
The ground beneath me shifted with each step, memories and futures intertwining. I steeled myself, ready to face whatever this realm had in store.
"Let's see what paradoxes await," I murmured, stepping into the unknown.
---
Samuel's POV
The Paradox Crucible was unlike any realm I had traversed. The sky above was a kaleidoscope of shifting hues, and the ground beneath my feet pulsed with temporal energy. Each step I took echoed with the weight of countless possibilities.
Suddenly, the air thickened, and a figure emerged—a being cloaked in robes that shimmered with the essence of time itself. The Paradox Warden.
"You've come far, Samuel Gebb," the Warden intoned, voice resonating with the cadence of eternity. "But to claim the Fragment of Eternity, you must face the ultimate trial."
Without warning, the realm twisted, and I found myself surrounded by echoes of my past—moments of triumph and despair, choices made and paths forsaken. Each echo challenged me, forcing me to confront the very essence of my being.
Drawing upon my deepest reserves, I activated Reality Sever, slicing through the illusions and anchoring myself in the present. The Warden nodded, acknowledging my resolve.
"Very well," he said. "You have proven yourself worthy."
He extended his hand, revealing the Fragment of Eternity—a crystalline shard pulsating with infinite potential. As I reached out to claim it, a surge of energy coursed through me, unlocking new realms of understanding.
---
[System Notification – Fragment of Eternity Acquired]
New Ability Unlocked: Temporal Mastery
Description: Grants the ability to manipulate time within localized fields, allowing for strategic advantages in combat and exploration.
---
With newfound power coursing through me, I turned to the Warden.
"What's next?" I asked.
He smiled, a gesture both cryptic and knowing.
"Beyond the Crucible lies the Eternal Nexus, a realm where the threads of all realities converge. Your journey is far from over, Samuel Gebb."
As the realm shifted once more, I prepared to step into the unknown, ready to face whatever challenges awaited in the Eternal Nexus.