The last Asura

Outside the cave, where Shunya sat in deep meditation—waging a mental war to break the ancient curse shackled inside his mindscape—the world itself seemed to tremble.

It was as if existence could feel the wrath of the Last Asura.

What had once been a quiet and serene night transformed into a nightmarish storm—hellish and apocalyptic. It sent shockwaves of terror, not just through the forest, but across the entire world.

There was not a single land untouched by this phenomenon. Human kingdoms, demon territories, demi-human domains, even the most isolated monster dens—none were spared.

Thunder roared like cosmic war drums, so deafening it made even the bravest beings tremble to their very souls. Lightning fell like relentless rain, as if the sky itself sought to shatter the earth into fragments. Winds howled like glass blades, threatening to peel the land bare. The earth quaked, violent tremors rippling through the continents, shaking mountains, cities, and oceans alike.

And then—came the suppression.

An overwhelming force blanketed reality. A crushing, otherworldly pressure pushed down upon all living things, rendering countless beings unconscious, caught in a semi-coma. Panic erupted across the world. Beast tides surged through forests. People fled, casting magic in desperation to shield themselves and protect the fallen. Priests and saints dropped to their knees, praying frantically for mercy, convinced that divine wrath was upon them.

But those fools didn't understand.

It wasn't divine punishment they were witnessing—but perhaps the resurgence of a power even the gods had once feared.

This was no fury of Mother Nature. It was her trembling awe. The source was not rage, but the ancient, unyielding will of a warrior soul igniting within a forgotten body—Shunya's.

A being whose name and race had been lost to time.

A monster once buried under the ignorance of the world had finally awakened.

A race synonymous with destruction had stirred again.

And the suppression—powerful enough to fracture reality—was none other than the Will of the Last Asura. The only one ever named with care and love by parents long gone...

Shunya.

…

The cataclysm continued for a few harrowing minutes before suddenly—silence.

The sky cleared. The wind died. The earth stilled.

The world returned to normal… or so it seemed.

But from this day forward, nothing would ever truly be the same.

---

Deep inside the cave, Shunya's unconscious body had been slammed into the stone wall from the shockwave unleashed by his mindscape battle. A moment later, there was a soft sound—crack—as a pale, lean hand reached out, gripping the corner of a jagged stone.

Shunya slowly pulled himself free from the Shunya-shaped hole in the wall.

"Ahh…" he groaned as his joints cracked and popped while he twisted and stretched.

He was naked now—his broad-shouldered, sculpted frame glistening faintly in the cave's dim light. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the darkness as he scanned the narrow path of the now-sealed cave.

Unbeknownst to him, the battle within his mindscape had triggered the chaos outside and sealed the cave with a shockwave of his awakening.

After stretching a bit more, he looked at his hands, inspecting his body with silent awe. His Asura eyes, evolved to see through darkness, noticed drastic changes.

Gone were his feral and beastly features. He now appeared more refined—almost human.

His left horn, once like a flickering flame, had grown sturdy and imposing. His third eye, which had always remained open, was now closed.

His face—once tanned, hairy, and wild like a werewolf's—was now pale, clean, and sharp-featured. His once-bulky, wild physique had transformed into a tall, chiseled warrior's form. Still powerful, but more balanced. His canine fangs had retracted into his jaw.

Raising a hand, he clenched and unclenched his fist, marveling at the refined strength coursing through him.

> "This… is my first evolution? If not for my third eye and horn, I could almost pass as human," he murmured to himself.

He felt it—not just in body, but in mind. His thoughts were clearer, lighter—purified.

The screams and dread that once plagued his consciousness were gone. He could think faster, deeper, and with sharper precision.

> "So, after my mother and father named me… this evolution was suppressed by that curse?" he wondered aloud.

Answer: Not quite. That curse consumed your genetics.

Startled, Shunya's eyes snapped open as he heard a mechanical, feminine voice echo in his mind.

His body instinctively shifted into a combat stance, red eyes scanning the cave's darkness.

> "Who is it?! Show yourself!" he growled.

Answer: I am the Soul Guide System—a gift from Mother Nature for the legacy of the Asura.

The voice answered again, calm and emotionless. Shunya lowered his guard slightly, though his eye twitched with suspicion.

> 'What is it with voices in my head?! First it was creepy screams and now a random woman?'

Answer: It is for your benefit, Lord Asura. I am Nature's gratitude for your survival from extinction.

> "Wait—you can read my thoughts too?"

Answer: Yes.

Shunya exhaled, rubbing his forehead, and finally nodded.

> "Thank you," he said quietly.

Suggestion: Begin meditation to check your status and progress.

He gave a curt nod and walked deeper into the cave. Soon, he found a cleaner spot and sat cross-legged. In a matter of moments, he entered his mindscape once more.

This time, the void was gone.

He stood beneath a vast night sky, glittering with a near-infinite number of stars. Above him, like a sun, his Mana Core pulsed with a warm, radiant glow. Around it, a smaller Mana Core orbited—this was the temporary Mana Core he had created to isolate the Mana stream the curse had once consumed.

It was still there—though now under his control.

Suddenly, a translucent purple screen appeared before his eyes.

---

[SYSTEM STATUS]

Name: Shunya

Race: Monster (Asura)

Title: Legacy of Asura

Evolution: Asura Warrior

Rank: G

Talents:

• Martial Arts: 0.1%

• Martial Power: 3%

• Mana Control: 2%

• Mana Power: 1%

Evolution Skills:

• Unique Skill – Void Step (0.0%)

• Unique Skill – Energy Attacks (0.0%)

• Unique Skill – Martial Focus (0.0%)

Next Evolution Progress: 0%

---

Shunya stared at the screen. Sweat trickled down his temple.

> "What happened to that awesome me??!!"

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