Valerian Capital – Valerian Estate7:00 AM, The Morning After the Banquet
The sunlight crept through the velvet curtains of Arthur's room like fingers hesitant to wake a sleeping soul. The golden rays touched his face gently, but even they could not warm the cold sweat that clung to his skin.
Arthur Valerian jolted awake.
His heart pounded in his chest like a war drum. His breath came in gasps, ragged and panicked, as if he had been drowning and had only now burst above the surface.
He sat upright in bed, clutching his chest.
The world spun.
His head felt like it had been torn apart and stitched back together by lightning and broken glass. Every muscle in his body screamed. His bones ached like he had been crushed beneath the weight of mountains. And his mind—
His mind was chaos.
Memories stormed through him like a flood breaking free of a dam.
The banquet.The scroll.The Pope's strange words.The blinding green light.And then—Mars Vallhala.
The God of War had looked down on him like an ancient truth wrapped in flesh. Then came the curse. The pain. The death.
Yes—Arthur had died. He remembered it with terrifying clarity. The sensation of his heart stopping. His thoughts scattering. The world tearing away.
But something else had come after.A presence. Vast. Silent. Absolute.
The memory of that figure was hazy, cloaked in celestial light and cosmic silence. But Arthur knew—he knew who it was.
The same being who had reincarnated him.The one who had gifted him Elaris.His true benefactor. His unseen patron.
Arthur clutched his head, wincing as another wave of nausea rolled through him. "What the hell happened to me…"
He swallowed and called out weakly, "Elaris…"
There was a long silence. Then—
[System Core Reconnected.]
A soft, ethereal chime rang out in his mind. Familiar. Comforting.
Then came the voice.
"Yes, Master."
Arthur nearly collapsed from relief. He exhaled shakily, closing his eyes.
"You're still with me," he whispered. "I thought I lost you."
"When the curse activated, I was forcibly severed from your consciousness for several seconds. During that period, I could detect neither your life signs nor your soul signature."
Arthur flinched. "So I really did… die."
There was no answer.
"…What was that curse?" he asked, voice low.
"You were targeted by a curse of origin-level rank," Elaris replied, her voice as calm as ever, though edged with something rare—reverence. "It is known as the Mark of the Eternal Void."
Arthur's blood ran cold.
"That sounds like something that should not exist."
"Correct. It is not meant for mortals. It was designed to erase you completely—body, soul, spirit, even memory. Nothing would remain. Not even your name."
Arthur felt the weight of those words settle on him like a lead cloak.
"But I'm still here," he said. "Something intervened."
"Yes, Master.""Though I lack the authority to access the full event record, I recognize the aura of the one who intervened. It was the same being who reincarnated you… and the creator of my system. He did not cancel the curse—he rewrote it."
Arthur blinked. "Rewrote it? How do you rewrite a curse?"
"By overpowering the will that cast it.""He didn't erase the curse. He bent it. Altered its nature. What was meant to be your erasure… became your awakening."
Arthur sat in stunned silence.
"Awakening…?"
"Yes.""You have gained an Element."
He stared at the wall for a long moment, then looked down at his trembling hands.
"…What element?" he whispered.
Elaris hesitated.
"Void."
Arthur flinched as the word hit him like a thunderclap.
Void.The very thing that almost erased him… was now part of him?
"That's… not normal, is it?" he asked.
"Void is not an elemental force recognized by this world's system. It is older. It exists outside the natural laws. Few have ever wielded it, and those who did… reshaped continents."
Arthur swallowed. His heart was racing again—but not from fear.
"…Show me my status," he whispered. "I need to see it."
"As you command."
A faint sound echoed in his head, like glass being polished in a vacuum. Then, a shimmering panel of light unfolded before him, glowing with soft violet hues and silver script.
[Status Window – Arthur Valerian]
Name: Arthur Valerian
Age: 10
Race: Human
Rank: 1 – Beginner
Class: Swordsman
Element:Void(Currently Locked – Unlocks at Rank 2)
Ultimate Skills: 3
A-Rank Skills: 6
B-Rank Skills: 10
C-Rank Skills: 12
D/E/F Rank Skills: 35
Arthur's eyes scanned the screen, his heart thundering in his chest.
"So it's real," he murmured. "The void is real… and it's mine now."
"Yes, Master."
He closed the window slowly, the glow fading into his palm.
"…This world won't be the same anymore, will it?" he asked quietly.
"No," Elaris answered."Because you are no longer just part of this world."
Arthur sat in silence, staring at his reflection in the dark glass of the window. His ten-year-old face stared back—young, pale, eyes shadowed by secrets far older than his age.
And in those eyes…A flicker of something vast.
Something void.
---------------------------
Somewhere Beyond RealityIn the Depths of the Cosmic River
Nothing moved here except the light of stars.
The Cosmic River flowed endlessly—a divine stream of shattered universes, forgotten gods, and the light of unborn stars. It was silent, sacred, unreachable to most.
But in the heart of it sat a figure.
Cross-legged atop a suspended slab of celestial stone, Mars Vallhala—the God of War—was still as death.
His skin was white as carved bone.His hair flowed silver-gray, wild and regal.His eyes, once sharp like blades, were now closed—focused inward, cultivating his divine aura, letting it circulate through the fractured scars of his body.
He looked calm.
But that calm shattered in an instant.
Cough!
He jerked forward, coughing hard—and golden blood splattered onto the stone below him.
A tremor rippled outward.
A tiny realm orbiting nearby collapsed instantly, torn apart by the divine toxicity of the blood of a god.
Mars gripped his chest, pain flashing through his stoic expression.
"Kh…!"
His aura erupted—violently, without restraint.
Across the Cosmic River, lesser universes shattered. Dimensional laws bent. Stars flickered and went dark.
And after what could've been seconds… or eons… he regained control.
The cosmos calmed again.
But his face was pale. His fists, shaking.
"…He interfered," Mars muttered, breath ragged.
His ash-colored eyes narrowed, hate and fear threading through his divine voice.
"That being interfered again… in direct defiance of cosmic law."
He stood, the air around him bending with each movement.
"Why the fuck is he helping that child?" Mars spat, more blood trickling down his lip
His voice turned sharp, war-like. The aura of calm divinity faded, replaced by something ancient and brutal.
"I have to inform the them," Mars said through clenched teeth. "We must advance the plan before the balance collapses entirely."
The stars bent. A war gate of light opened.
And with a final growl, the God of War vanished into it—
Leaving behind silence…And a river that no longer flowed as peacefully as before.