Your existence is mine

Edward found himself sinking into the depths of an endless, pitch-black sea. He couldn't speak, couldn't move, and the sensation of touch had abandoned him completely. His body, once solid, was now slowly turning translucent—fading, piece by piece, as though he would soon vanish into nothingness.

"Ah... I was too greedy. What was I even fighting for all this time? Why did I endure so much, suffer this long... only to end up like this?"

"Don't fuck with me!"

He roared inwardly, forcing his mind to command his unresponsive limbs. To his surprise, they moved—but it was futile. The harder he struggled, the faster he sank, as though the sea itself was dragging him deeper into its abyss.

Suddenly, a ray of light pierced through the pitch-black sea, cutting through the darkness and forming a tunnel that stretched toward the surface. Edward felt the invisible restraints on his body shatter, and for the first time, he could move freely. With a surge of hope, he began to swim upward, chasing the light.

"I won't give up! I'll survive until the very end, no matter what!" Edward propelled himself upward, his strokes growing stronger, faster. The surface came into view, shimmering with the light of salvation. Reaching out with everything he had, his hand broke through the surface—

And in that instant, his eyes shot open in the real world.

Huff!

Huff!

[Congratulations! Your connection with the Essence has deepened. You have unlocked a new ability: "Voidstrike."]

[Details: When you strike an opponent with this skill, it temporarily nullifies the existence of the struck area. The effects cannot be stacked; the second strike will overwrite the first.]

This was the first time the system had provided a detailed description for something, and Edward couldn't help but wonder why.

"Well... whatever."

Edward shrugged off the thought and began scavenging whatever he could from the Frost Fang. Its hide was no longer sellable due to the large hole, leaving only its fangs and claws as anything of value.

That night, Edward had no choice but to spend it in the Tivaris Mountains. It was safer than traveling through the dark, and by the time the next day came, he finally made his way out just before noon.

-------

One week had passed since then, and Edward was nearing his destination. Along the way, he hunted down monsters, selling their remains at the adventurer guild and earning a decent amount of money. His adventurer rank had risen to E, a small but satisfying achievement.

With the money he earned from hunting monsters, Edward could afford to stay at an inn whenever he passed through a town, enjoying a warm, hearty meal without worrying about his next meal or shelter.

He also bought a cheap pair of clothes, tossing aside his old ones, which were stained and torn from the blood and battles he had endured.

Right now, Edward is in a bustling merchant town near the capital. The town lay within the territory of a duke renowned across the continent as the greatest court mage of the empire. Once he crossed through this territory, the capital would be within reach.

There were carts heading to the capital from this town, promising to get there in just three days. However, the fare was ridiculously expensive. Edward wasn't in a rush, though—he had plenty of time to spare, so he decided to continue his journey at his own pace.

"They aren't usable anymore."

Examining the pair of daggers and the one-handed sword he had looted from the three thugs. The weapons were worn down, their edges chipped and dull—no longer capable of cutting through even a vegetable.

Deciding it was finally time to replace his worn-out weapons, Edward made his way through the bustling town. With countless merchants lining the streets, selling a variety of goods, he knew he'd have no trouble finding a weapon that suited his needs.

Rather than heading to a smithy, which would undoubtedly be expensive, Edward figured a street-side shop would suffice. He wasn't looking for anything too fancy—just something reliable for the journey ahead.

"Excuse me, what cheap swords do you have?"

Edward asked as he approached a street shop, hoping to find a reasonably priced weapon. However, the moment he mentioned the word cheap, the shopkeeper shot him a cold glance and motioned toward the side of the store where a collection of dull looking swords were displayed.

"Being poor is a sin, it seems," Edward muttered under his breath, feeling a bit dejected. Despite the cold reception, he began sifting through the pile of dull swords, hoping to find the most fine one among the lot.

[Tip: Pick the most dull-looking one.]

As Edward continued his search, the system provided a tip for the first time in what felt like ages. He hesitated, doubting the advice, but the memory of the last time he had listened to the system—when he escaped a life-threatening situation and even acquired a blessing—made him unable to ignore it. With a sigh, he decided to follow the suggestion and reached for the most worn-out looking sword in the pile.

"Boss I will take this one."

"One silver."

Edward managed to haggle the price down to ninety coppers, though it still felt expensive for what seemed like a dull iron sword. Despite its lackluster appearance, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this weapon than met the eye.

After purchasing the sword, Edward took it to a nearby smithy to have its edges sharpened. To his surprise, the blacksmith's eyes widened as he worked on it.

"Oho, I thought it was just a crappy iron sword," the blacksmith said, clearly amused. "But it seems this one's made of mana stone." He finished sharpening it, revealing a gleam in the blade that hadn't been there before.

Edward's eyes widened in shock. Mana stone—a rare material found only in places where mana had gathered over long periods of time. It was surprisingly light yet incredibly durable. The most important aspect, however, was that mana could be channeled into weapons made from mana stones, significantly boosting their performance. He hadn't expected to find such a valuable weapon in a street-side shop.

"System, are you a god or something? I would never doubt you ever." Edward couldn't help but praise the system inwardly, amazed at how it always led him to such hidden gems.

"One silver fifty coppers," the blacksmith announced, finishing the maintenance on the sword.

"It's more expensive than what I bought this sword for," Edward protested, raising an eyebrow at the price.

"Of course, a weapon like this needs careful handling," the blacksmith replied with a grin, as if it was obvious.

Edward sighed, realizing he had no choice but to yield. Now he only have six silvers and fifteen coppers left.

"Sigh, it's all about money," Edward muttered as soon he stepped out of the smithy, the weight of his newly spent silver still lingering in his pocket.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, Edward decided to leave the town. Over the past few days, his connection with his essence hadn't increased much, nor had he acquired any new abilities. However, there was a slight improvement—his existence sense range had expanded by 10 meters through consistent use. Now, he could sense up to 30 meters around him.

Combining his enhanced existence sense with existential manipulation, Edward now had a deadly advantage. He could easily navigate through areas, avoiding unwanted fights by sensing nearby threats before they even saw him. If necessary, he could strike first, eliminating a target before they had the chance to react.

On his way along the road to the capital, through a thin forest, Edward noticed a carriage overturned in the distance. It lay abandoned, its wheels upturned, and everything around it appeared still.

Edward activated his existential manipulation as he approached the overturned carriage. There was no one around, just a few horses grazing nearby and a couple of arrows scattered on the ground—clear signs of a battle. He picked up on footprints leading toward the forest on the side, suggesting someone had fled.

------

"You traitors! My father trusted you so much, and this is how you repay him?!" A young lady, her back pressed against a boulder and surrounded by seven men, shouted in fury. Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and fear, facing the men who had betrayed her.

She had long, ember-red hair that flickered like fire and piercing red eyes. Her noble aura was still present, but her body was clearly exhausted. Those who possessed elemental essence relied heavily on their mana pool, and she had nearly drained all of her's in a desperate attempt to defend herself.

Among the seven men in front of her, three were her own escort knights—trusted by her father. Yet, they had turned traitor, selling her out and dragging her into this forest under the guise of fleeing from a sudden ambush.

"Don't hate us too much, Miss Fiona," one of the knights said with a sneer. "We're just doing this to earn some money. You see, the money your father gives us isn't enough."

"Just because of some petty money, you betrayed us?" Fiona asked, her voice laced with disbelief and hurt. She couldn't comprehend how they could sell her out for something so insignificant.

"Tch, what would you know, growing up with a silver spoon in your mouth?" one of the traitors scoffed, his tone filled with resentment.

"Enough talking." A man with a hood stepped forward, his voice cold and indifferent. "Sorry, little girl, but you have to die here for our greater plan." He raised his sword, ready to strike down the trembling Fiona.

With no mana left to defend herself, Fiona closed her eyes, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. In that moment of despair, she silently prayed, "Someone, anyone, please save me."

Just as the sword was about to strike, multiple icicles shot out from the side, piercing the air with a deadly speed. The seven men were forced to dodge, stumbling back to avoid the sharp projectiles, breaking their circle around Fiona.

Hearing the commotion, Fiona opened her eyes, only to see a creature that resembled a fusion of the Frost Fang and a human. Its body was shrouded in a layer of white smoke, clinging to its form like skin, with blue stripes running across it. Its glowing blue eyes burned with deadly intent, and its long fangs and claws gleamed, promising a swift and brutal end to anyone who dared challenge it.

Fiona collapsed to her knees, her strength draining away as if all hope had left her. The betrayal of the seven men had already shattered her, and now this terrifying monster appeared, pushing her to the brink of despair. She felt utterly powerless, as if there was no escape from the fate closing in on her.

The mysterious monster glanced at Fiona only once before rushing toward the seven men, wielding a sword. A monster... using a sword? It was the first time any of them had seen such a sight, and for a brief moment, confusion overtook them.

The mysterious monster manifested multiple icicles in the air, launching them toward the seven men as it advanced with swift precision. The icicles flew with deadly speed, but the men, not mere street thugs or bandits, easily dodged or blocked the projectiles with practiced ease. They had faced danger before, and this creature, despite its intimidating form, was just another threat to overcome.

They underestimated the creature, thinking it was no more than a mindless beast. The icicles were merely decoys, distracting them while it closed the gap. As the projectiles landed among them, the monster swung its sword in a wide arc. The experienced men managed to dodge, but two of them weren't fast enough. The sword cut through them, sending them crashing to the ground in a bloody heap.

"Everyone, now! Attack together!" the hooded man, who had been acting as their leader, barked out the command. Without hesitation, all five of them charged at the beast from all directions, coordinating their strikes in an attempt to overwhelm it.

The beast stood still amidst the five men, unfazed by their coordinated assault. A gust of icy wind erupted from its body, expanding in all directions. The chill was so intense that everything it touched began to freeze, turning the ground and air into solid ice. The five men couldn't see anything through the blizzard of frost, their vision completely obscured, let alone mount an attack.

Through the swirling ice, a clawed hand, sharp as a monster's talon, reached out with terrifying speed and grabbed the face of one of the knights who had betrayed Fiona. His body tensed, unable to react, as the creature's grip tightened.

"Ahh! let me go, please don't kill me!" the knight begged, his voice trembling with fear as he struggled to break free from the creature's unrelenting grip. But in his panic, he quickly realized that his hands and feet were already frozen beneath a thick layer of ice, trapping him in place. His movements became more desperate, but it was futile—he was completely at the mercy of the beast.

Slowly, a layer of frost crept over the man's face, spreading inch by inch as his pleas turned into muffled cries. Panic filled his eyes, but his struggles ceased as the ice fully encased him. Then, with a chilling finality, the beast's clawed hand tightened its grip. A sickening crack echoed through the frozen air as the man's head shattered like a brittle crystal ball, fragments scattering to the ground.

The remaining four men gulped nervously, their faces pale as they stared at the horrifying scene before them. A chilling sense of fear washed over them, their weapons trembling in their hands.

On the other hand, Fiona pressed both hands tightly over her mouth, her body trembling as she fought to suppress even the faintest sound. She dared not breathe too loudly, terrified that the slightest noise would draw the beast's attention to her.