The Third Return of the Necrotic Magic Swordsman

The six glowing orbs hovered before Evan, shimmering with suppressed power. His gaze lingered on them with anticipation, curiosity burning in his eyes.

"What are these things?" Evan asked.

One stepped forward like a scholar ready to explain ancient secrets. His tone was calm, but the weight behind his words was undeniable.

"The first two are an armor and a weapon. The third contains a title—it won’t take much space in your soul. The fourth is a pass—your entry into the competition between candidates. The fifth… a serpent bloodline—highly destructive, rare, and elemental. And the sixth…"
He paused slightly.
"The power of manipulation."

Evan’s eyes narrowed as he walked toward the first orb—the armor.

Could it be one of those legendary growth-type armors I’ve read about?

"Is this a growth-type armor that evolves with its owner?" Evan asked, his fingers brushing the orb.

One shook his head.

"Not exactly. It doesn’t have the glow of a growth-type. But it's definitely valuable. After you defeated its previous owner, he went mad. Tried everything to recover his belongings. Destroyed cities. Even your corpse was torn apart, yet he still raged. That’s how important this armor was to him."

That got Evan’s attention. Why would someone with immense power obsess over something that wasn’t even a growth-type?

Well, only one way to find out.

He grasped the orb, and it dissolved into his hands, sinking into his soul. He waited, expecting a surge of strength or change.

Nothing happened.

"Did something happen?" One asked.

"I… don't feel any increase in soul weight. And the armor—it's gone. I can’t even sense it inside me."
Evan’s eyes widened.
"Where the heck did that armor go?!"

One frowned.

"It had a soul bond with its original owner. It might have returned to him."

Damn… then the weapon might vanish too…

But hesitation wouldn’t get him anywhere. He moved to the second orb. This one pulsed oddly—shifting from sword to spear to bow and back again.

"Is this a multi-form weapon?"

Alright... let's see what happens.

Evan absorbed the second orb.

And immediately regretted it.

His entire body collapsed to the floor. Convulsions seized him. It felt like his very soul was being twisted, stretched, shredded, and reforged.

"What’s happening?!" One shouted.

Soul placed her hand on the ground, eyes glowing faintly.

"His soul is… expanding. It’s already doubled in size. He’s not in danger—at least, I don’t think so. Something is evolving."

They watched, anxious, as Evan writhed like a broken puppet. Then… silence.

He lay still for a few seconds before groaning and sitting up.

"I’m okay… I think."

He scanned his soul.
No new weapon. No new armor.

"What just happened to me?"

Soul spoke slowly, as if choosing her words carefully.

"Your soul… mutated. It’s at least 1.5 times stronger than before. But… the items are gone."

Evan blinked, still trying to process.

"Evan, I think I get it now," One said. "Maybe your soul devoured the items. They didn’t vanish or return—they were consumed to evolve your soul to the next level."

Devoured…?

Evan frowned, then shrugged with mock understanding.

"Ah, right. So, those two were sacrificed to boost my soul strength… makes sense."

"Which is good," One added, glancing upward, "because now you might qualify to choose that thing."

Evan followed his gaze but didn’t comment.

"Let me finish these first."

He turned to the third orb—faint, transparent, like fogged glass.

"A title? Can someone even drop a title?"

"You earned it," One said. "You defeated a tier 3 while being tier 2. The Expanse acknowledged that."

Evan absorbed it. No visible changes, no sudden shockwaves. But something nestled within him—a weightless presence that felt like authority.

"Alright. Next one."

Grim brought out the fourth orb. It was sealed tight, inscribed with strange runes, thicker than anything he’d seen before.

"The hell is that? A crazy soul trying to possess me?" Evan joked.

"No," One replied. "This is your ticket to the competition. The authority other candidates have—you'll now have a fragment of it."

"Authority?"

"Yes. A piece of the <ETERNAL OMNI-VERSE SYSTEM>. The mother of all systems. Every system we use is derived from it. This one can push your power to its limits. We can’t wield it—but you might."

The final seal broke.

"Absorb it fast. If it escapes, we can’t catch it again."

Evan didn’t hesitate. He caught the orb—and something inside it roared. It fought to flee, but Evan held firm, forcing it into submission. The wild presence finally settled.

Then—

[SYSTEM LOG — BEGIN]

<Error... Unknown host identified.>
<Searching for relic...>
<No relic detected. Initiating self-destruction sequence.>
<3... 2... 1...>
<Re-scan request intercepted.>
<Body re-scan in progress...>
<Scan complete. Damaged relic detected.>
<Creating Lesser ID... Reducing system authority...>
<Host is compatible. New system host registered.>
<Relic bond initiated.>
<Error: Relic incomplete. Full bond failed.>
<Partial bond established.>
<New message received:>
"Don't tell anyone about thi..."
<Error: Relic depleted. Entering hibernation. Do not attempt to use it.>

Evan blinked, stunned.

A relic? Where did that come from? And… what was I not supposed to tell them? About the relic? Or the system?

What if they try to take it away?

"Evan, you okay? You blacked out for a bit," One asked, concerned.

Evan forced a smile.

"Yeah. The system just connected with me. That’s all."

One nodded, trusting him.
After all, who would lie to those who had given him everything?

But Evan’s heart pounded.

I have a part of the Eternal Omni-Verse System… and a hidden relic inside me. If they find out…

What comes next? Will Evan keep the relic’s origin a secret? Or will the truth come crashing down before he's ready?