The Last Legendary Weapons Master: Rise of the strongest player-Chapter 17: Voices Beyond the Veil

He activated the Legendary Weapons Master blessing.

A brilliant blue rune ignited in his remaining hand, releasing a strange force that engulfed the boss soul.

Before Ethan’s astonished eyes... the Ember Hunter’s soul began taking physical form.

It was his first time forging a weapon from a soul, and he found himself captivated by the sight ..

Until dread struck him.

The soul suddenly lunged at him... and fused with his body.

Ethan stepped back immediately, but it was useless.

He felt something brushing against his severed left arm ..

And realized the soul had attached itself exactly where his arm had been cut off.

The boss soul shone brilliantly, then dimmed .. finally assuming its completed form.

Before the stunned Hearts...

And Ethan’s own disbelief...

He raised his left arm and stared at the dark masterpiece.

"This... a prosthetic arm?" he whispered.

In place of his missing limb... a new arm had appeared.

A black mechanical arm gleaming like the darkness of night ..

resembling the gauntlet of a dark knight’s armor, radiating a mysterious power as violet lightning crackled around it.

Ethan tried moving it.

It responded instantly. Perfectly.

"I can’t feel anything through it... but I can move it freely."

He clenched his fist and punched a massive rock nearby ..

His fist pierced straight through it, shattering it effortlessly.

Seeing that, Ethan’s smile widened into something frightening.

But he quickly controlled his expression as the Hearts suddenly surrounded him.

Fortunately, their eyes were fixed on the arm, not his face.

"Amazing... is that a mechanical arm?" Chai asked, fascinated.

"I’ve heard the great cities have tools like this... but I’ve never seen one myself," Moon added, while Raiden nodded.

"Looks more like a dark armored limb than a simple prosthetic..." Raiden said, then turned to Ethan.

"What’s it called?"

Ethan understood what he meant.

So he immediately opened his player interface...

...and found it waiting for him.

...

[The Legendary Weapons Master]

Executioner’s Sword

Ash of War: Telekinesis

...

Legion Arm — Level 1

Souls required for next level: 1000 Souls

Current progress: (0 / 1000)

Grappling Hook: An unbreakable cord launched from the arm, capable of pulling in either direction.

Additional Legion Arm functions unlock upon leveling.

...

"Legion Arm..."

So that was its name.

Ethan raised his arm high, pleased with what he had gained.

"My missing left arm was bothering me... but I won’t have to worry about that anymore," he said with a smile, glad he had chosen to use his ability instead of absorbing the soul.

The result was astonishing .. a new limb, and one that could evolve.

Seeing Ethan happy, Raiden exhaled in relief.

"At least... something good came out of everything you went through."

He truly sounded glad for him.

The others relaxed as well.

The battle was over, and everyone had earned their reward.

"We should leave this place. We’ve already stayed within the curse’s range for far too long," Moon said, bringing them back to reality.

"Remaining inside it turns humans into monsters .. mindless, mutated creatures. We Hearts can endure it longer than most... but even we cannot resist it forever."

Her words were directed at Ethan; she motioned the others to start retreating while explaining things for the sake of his lost memory — killing two birds with one stone.

Ethan didn’t really need the explanation .. he already knew about the curse’s effects .. but confirmation never hurt.

"When a Heart turns into a monster under the curse... they become far worse than ordinary beasts. We must never allow that to happen, no matter the cost," Moon warned seriously.

If one of the Hearts transformed, their power alone could doom both comrades and civilians alike.

Ethan nodded.

"Then let’s go."

He had plans of his own, but for now he chose to stay with the Hearts.

There was no safer place than their homeland.

And there was also the matter of that additional curse bearing their name .. something that had been occupying his thoughts.

[The Cursed Blood of the Heart]

Just... what exactly does this curse do?

He wondered as they walked away from the battlefield step by step.

After such a brutal fight, silence settled among them .. each lost in thought.

Within the curse’s domain, the atmosphere was utterly dreadful.

No life remained.

Only death... and emptiness.

The Hearts followed the path they had come from, avoiding further battles with monsters .. they had no strength left to fight.

They walked beneath the eclipse’s gloom, absent-minded and quiet.

They didn’t realize... they were already too late.

Daylight in Ordeal was never warm — only cold, beneath an orange sky fading toward black.

But even that sky did not last long.

The eclipse slowly vanished...

...and something entirely different replaced it.

A moon.

A blood-red moon casting a sinister glow, heralding the beginning of a long dark night.

Darkness fell.

Night began.

And among the Hearts... one had been cursed by the night.

"—Ghh..."

Ethan groaned as a burning sting erupted at the back of his neck ..

as if something were scorching his skin.

"What’s wrong, big brother?" Chai asked from beside him.

Ethan reached back with his human hand, feeling the spot.

"Nothing... I’m fine," he said, then lowered his hand and looked at it.

It was stained red.

The mark... was bleeding.

Staring at his blood, an ominous feeling crept over him .. he realized he had forgotten something critically important.

"The Legendary Weapons Master blessing is extremely powerful... which means..."

He swallowed.

"The curse must be just as powerful."

He lifted his head toward the sky .. and saw it had completely darkened.

Lowering his gaze, tense, he looked right... then left...

But saw nothing.

Only silence.

The unsettling quiet of the night.

For a moment, it seemed nothing would happen.

Then, a voice came.

"Save me."

Ethan spun around in alarm as something whispered beside his ear.

But there was nothing there.

The rest of the Hearts turned toward him, noticing his agitation.

"What’s wrong?" Moon asked.

But Ethan gave no answer.

An ominous feeling was swelling inside him.

"I don’t want to die."

He spun to his right again as something whispered beside his ear once more.

"What the hell is happening?" Ethan asked, confused.

Another wave came .. but this time it wasn’t a whisper... nor two...

"Save me, I don’t want to die, it hurts, I’m sorry, I love you, why?, I don’t want to die, I’m scared, please, why me, why are you alive, I’m in pain."

Crying.

Crying.

Crying.

Screaming...

Violent screams. Bestial wailing. The emotions of the dying...

Hundreds... thousands of voices...

All erupted inside Ethan’s mind at once, shaking his very being.

His crimson eyes trembled violently .. before he collapsed to his knees.

Clutching his head, he ground his teeth as his body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Save me, I don’t want to die, it hurts, I’m sorry, I love you, why?, I don’t want to die, I’m scared, please, why me, why are you alive, I’m in pain."

The voices did not stop.

The screams grew louder.

The crying worsened.

It was as if someone were carving into his brain with a heated blade.

Ethan felt he was going mad.

"Ethan?! What’s wrong?!"

Raiden and the others rushed toward him ..

But it was useless.

They couldn’t hear what he heard.

Surrounding him, Ethan paid no attention to any of them. His gaze drifted past them... to something behind.

The cursed mark bled even more violently — the moment he saw them.

His eyes widened.

His lips trembled.

They appeared out of nowhere.

From everywhere.

White creatures .. viscous entities crawling across the ground like worms.

Their faces were distorted...

Their eyes hollow pits...

Their mouths split wide open... screaming with the same voice that was destroying Ethan from within.

Staring at them... listening to them...

Ethan lost his mind.

With a horrifying cry, he screamed like a madman, collapsing onto the ground, his body trembling without end.

The Hearts panicked as well .. both because of Ethan’s state... and because they could see them too.

They couldn’t hear them.

But they saw them.

Terrified, Raiden shouted ..

"Moon!!!"

She reacted instantly. Flames erupted from her body, spreading into her sword.

She raised it high to the sky, unleashing a brilliant radiance that illuminated the entire area.

It seemed light and fire were enemies of all that belonged to the Night’s curse.

The Hearts were shaken .. they had never seen creatures like these before.

Especially Alicia, who nearly fainted where she stood.

Ethan suffered the worst .. his eyes turning white as he lost consciousness from the overwhelming pressure... pressure that nearly drove him insane.

Raiden immediately grabbed him and threw him over his back, then sprinted away.

Moon led the path, driving the creatures back with her flames, allowing them passage.

But the viscous beings pursued them.

"They’re drawn to Ethan!!" Chai cried, preparing to fire arrows — but Moon stopped him immediately.

"Don’t fight .. just run! We cannot fight these creatures!!"

Everyone’s expressions changed at her words.

Moon clearly knew what they were.

"These... are the Children of the Moon."

"The Children of the Moon?" they all asked in unison.

There was no time to explain.

"Run — talk later!"

The Children of the Moon... entities that pursue those trapped between life and death.

Another legend Moon never thought she would witness in her lifetime.

Yet Ethan had shattered that belief.

Beneath the darkness of night...

the Hearts ran for their lives.