Chương 53: Chapter 50: Spiral Ascension

The amazing things didn't end there. Elizabeth quickly discovered that she had grown even stronger from all the levels she had gained.

"Wait, but how?" she wondered aloud.

"These levels are definitely not just because of the puppet I slew, right?"

"You likely gained additional experience from the Nightmare King's Fragment and the True Nightmare Beast King that manifested, Master," Astraea said, appearing smoothly by her side.

"You did manage to harm them slightly, which allowed you to earn a portion of the shared experience that your parents gained."

"For real?!" Elizabeth was flabbergasted.

"So that's why I leveled up so much!" Ding! [Several of your Skills have reached Max Level!] [Please check your Skills in your Status for more information and how to Rank them up.] [Most Skills will require System Points to Rank up, and sometimes additional materials depending on their strength.] Elizabeth opened her skill list right away. Just as the system had indicated, she had indeed maxed out quite a few skills. The sight filled her with a deep sense of accomplishment and excitement.

♢♢♢♢ <Species Skill Tree> [Divine Dragon – Tier 5]: [Dragon Form Manifestation – Tier 1: Level 10/10] [Small Divine Presence – Tier 1: Level 9/10] [Baby Dragon Breath – Tier 1: Level 9/10] [Young Dragon Scales – Tier 1: Level 10/10] [Newborn Draconic Vitality – Tier 1: Level 10/10] [Chaos Demon – Tier 3]: [Miasma Veins – Tier 1: Level 8/10] [Lesser Demonic Aura – Tier 1: Level 7/10] [Small Corruption Touch – Tier 1: Level 7/10] [Demon Claw – Tier 1: Level 6/10] [Human – Tier 1]: [Tool Mastery – Tier 1: Level 10/10] [Adaptive Learning – Tier 1: Level 6/10] [Ice Dragon – Tier 1] [Reflective Crystal Scales – Tier 1: Level 1/10] [Frost Breath – Tier 1: Level 1/10] <Class Skill Tree> [Rogue – Tier 1]: [Stealth – Tier 1: Level 10/10] [Knife Rain – Tier 2: Level 12/20] <Elemental Magic Affinity Skill Trees> [Harmony – SSS Rank]: [Harmonious Restoration – Tier 1: Level 6/10] [Light of Harmony – Tier 1: Level 6/10] [Chaos – SSS Rank]: [Disrupting Chaos – Tier 1: Level 6/10] [Chaotic Miasma – Tier 1: Level 5/10] [Ice – SSS Rank]: [Sorrowful Winter Garden – Tier 2: Level 11/20] [Icicle Formation – Tier 1: Level 10/10] [Freeze Shock – Tier 2: Level 3/10] [Origin Frost – Tier 3: Level 1/10] [Fire – S Rank]: [Origin Flames – Tier 1: Level 10/10] [Water – S Rank]: [Spirit Soul Sea – Tier 1: Level 4/10] [Nightmare – A Rank]: [Living Darkness – Tier 1: Level 5/10] [Nightmare Thorn Domain – Tier 1: Level 4/10] <Others> [Spiralwalker Abilities]: [Nebula of Memories – Tier 9: Level 10/10] You might be reading a stolen copy.

Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. [Cultivation Methods]: [Dragon Soul Refining Method – Rank 3] [Ascendancy Law Divinity Refinement Method – Rank 8] ♢♢♢♢"Wow, that's a lot," Elizabeth said, sighing in relief.

"I earned plenty of System Points too, so I think I can handle the cost for now… Ah, what's this?!" But it didn't stop there. Everything she had accomplished here — the bonds she had formed, the connections she had built, and all the experiences she had gained — coalesced within the gigantic tree she was sitting on. She now understood that this tree was part of her own soul, a physical manifestation of her inner self and something far deeper.

A coiling crimson and silver serpent gazed at her with golden eyes from within an endless cosmos of watercolor stars. It spun slowly in an eternal spiral of white and silver light that spread outward in every direction.

"T-This is…! My Spiral of Eternity? It's reacting to everything that's happening?" In that moment, the Paragon appeared before her and knelt in deep reverence. A brilliant white light surged down from the skies, piercing straight into her heart. Her Spiralwalker power ascended, and her Fantasy Heart, her Dragon Heart, began to stir powerfully. A deep, resonant voice echoed around her as the world transformed into a grand palace of pure white light.

A majestic staircase opened before her, leading toward an eternal sea of stars and cosmos.

"Oh, great daughter of the Hollow Void and Entropy."

"Bearer of the Hollow Void's lineage and Entropy's unmaking spark… thou who walketh the Spiral of Eternity… thy soul hath been weighed and found worthy."

"In this age of encroaching Nightmare, where the boundary between dream and ruin frays, I bestow upon thee the last piece for your ascension: the one who balances creation and oblivion, harmony and chaos, ice and fire."

"Awaken… Heir of the Eternal Spiral!" Inside the spiral within Elizabeth's Fantasy Heart, a new ring appeared and began rotating rapidly around the original one. In that instant, all the condensed emotions, memories, and bonds she had forged until now merged into this shining new ring. When Elizabeth opened her eyes again, she was back atop the great tree. Her parents, Hrymdra, and Nifl had gathered around her. [Your [Fantasy Heart]: [Divine Spiral of Eternity – Tier 9: Star Child] has ascended to Tier 8: Lodestar.] [You have awakened the Spiral Ability: [Little Star of Destiny – Tier 8: Level 1/10]: You are the Star that guides the Destiny of the chosen. Once per day, you may designate a target to become their Little Star of Destiny. This grants them the power to fight against Fate itself. Their fate is momentarily shielded from ruin, critical wounds are healed, fatal blows become survivable, and their next action is guaranteed to succeed with overwhelming power. For the duration of the blessing, their growth speed increases by three times.]"Oh wow." Elizabeth was surprised. She had awakened a truly unique ability, one that did not directly strengthen her in combat but instead helped others. It was built to guide them, help them grow stronger, and fight against fate on their own. This was something she had already been doing for her aunt and even her own parents. She had become the light that gave meaning to their lives.

She realized her father and mother's growth had become somewhat stagnant. Perhaps this new power could help them break their limits and prepare for what was coming. It could also be used on a friend, allowing them to catch up with her.

"Feel stronger now?" her father asked warmly.

"I see you've grown quite a lot."

"Yeah!" Elizabeth replied brightly.

"But what is this tree anyway?"

"This tree seems connected to your Spiral and your Soul," he said.

"It might be a physical manifestation of it all, linked to this Realm. It is rather unusual."

"Elizabeth has rather erratic powers, doesn't she?" Hrymdra remarked with a small smile.

"It's hard to predict what she will pull out next."

"Yeah, but this tree doesn't seem to be disappearing anytime soon," Queen Mirai added.

"I wonder what its purpose is here…"

"I can feel it is connected to the Ice Dragon Realm's Spiritual Roots," Nifl explained, gazing out across the vast horizon beyond the tree.

"It has helped stabilize this place. The element of Harmony appears to be cleansing any leftover Nightmare Essence. It will be nearly impossible for what happened today to occur again. Thank you for your great help, Elizabeth. You have truly been an extraordinary little girl."

"Ahh, hehe, it's nothing!" Elizabeth giggled cutely, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment from all the praise.

"I'm very happy that I could help at all. Even though I couldn't defeat our main enemy, I'm glad I was able to contribute something… and even gain lots of EXP in the process… hehe."

"You were a great help," Nifl said with a respectful nod.

"And within you, I sense an incredible new power. You have attained something unique: Origin Frost. Only I and Skadi, the strongest Primordials of Ice in this world, had ever achieved it before. Your mastery over this mysterious and ancient form of ice is remarkable. I suppose Drake is the only one who has ever mastered all forms of Origin Elements."

"Origin Elements?" Elizabeth asked, tilting her head. That term had never appeared in the game.

"What are they?"

"They are the Ancient Spark of Fantasy woven into an element," Nifl explained.

"In the distant past, when Yggdrasil grew and Fantasium spread across the world, these sparks were the first things it created. They are the Origin Elements — foundational pillars from which all other elements were born. They are Living Concepts that have long been forgotten, and only the strongest Primordials of ancient eras could wield them."

"Ooh…" Elizabeth's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"And I'm wielding such a power too?!"

"Yes, just as you were able to copy the Origin Flames from Surtr almost effortlessly," her father said, gently patting her head.

"You are an incredible talent. I'm very happy you're here with us, Elizabeth. There isn't a single day when you don't entertain us with your amazing feats."

"Really?" Elizabeth giggled happily.

"Yes, but that also means you might grow overly confident," her mother sighed.

"So you must learn to be more patient and less reckless. Life is not a game, Elizabeth." Elizabeth's cheerful mood shattered instantly. She lowered her head, feeling a sting of guilt.

"I know… I'm sorry for being reckless…"