"Phantom Rebirth: The Last White Raven’s Path to the Ultimate Assassin"

A Journey Beyond Limits

The training hall was silent, save for the distant crackle of torches burning along the stone walls. Theia stood at the center of the massive ritual chamber, her hands clenched into fists, her expression unreadable.

Seraphis, Elowen, Sylvaine, and the others watched from the edges of the hall.

They had all pushed their limits before, but this—ascending to Tier 8—was something entirely different.

For most, Tier 7 was a legendary threshold, the point where mages and warriors alike reached near immortal status, commanding power beyond mortal comprehension.

But Tier 8?

It was a level beyond humanity—a state where magic itself became an extension of one's very being. Few in history had ever ascended that far.

Seraphis narrowed her eyes.

"Theia… are you sure about this?"

Theia turned, her golden eyes blazing. "I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life."

She exhaled, stepping forward.

"Let’s begin."

Understanding Tier 8

Before attempting the transcendence, Theia had spent months researching what it meant to reach Tier 8.

Unlike previous tiers, which relied on accumulating energy, refining the body, and sharpening control, Tier 8 required something more fundamental.

It demanded a complete fusion between the mage and their own magic.

It wasn’t just about harnessing power—it was about becoming one with it.

Theia had mapped out three critical steps to achieve this transcendence:

1. Gathering the Divine Elements – She needed to harness the most potent elemental forces from the world.

2. Breaking the Mortal Shell – To move past mortal limitations, she had to undergo a ritual that would temporarily unravel her existence, remaking her body to withstand Tier 8 power.

3. Reforging Her Soul

   – The final step, where her magic and soul would fuse, permanently evolving her into a being capable of wielding Tier 8 magic.

Each step was deadly.

Each step could destroy her if she wasn’t strong enough.

But Theia was ready.

Step 1: Gathering the Divine Elements

The first requirement for Tier 8 was Divine Elements—pure, unfiltered energy from the highest planes of existence.

No ordinary magic would suffice.

To succeed, Theia had to gather five elemental essences:

• Solar Flame Essence – The power of the Eternal Sun, burning hotter than any mortal fire.

• Abyssal Void Essence – The endless darkness beyond the stars, a force of destruction and rebirth.

• Celestial Wind Essence – The very breath of the gods, wind magic imbued with divine motion.

• Tectonic Core Essence – The soul of the earth itself, raw, unshakable power.

• Ethereal Ocean Essence – The boundless flow of magic, representing infinity and change.

Seraphis watched as Theia closed her eyes, reaching out with her magic.

Within moments, the room trembled.

Five portals opened around her, each leading to an elemental domain.

"I will return," Theia said, stepping into the first.

Trial of the Solar Flame

Theia emerged in a realm blazing with golden fire. The sky burned, the ground cracked with molten veins, and before her stood an enormous phoenix wreathed in eternal flames.

"To claim the Solar Flame, you must survive its wrath," the phoenix declared.

Theia smirked. "Then burn me if you can."

The battle that followed was unlike anything the others had ever seen.

Theia danced through an inferno

She endured the heat of a thousand suns, her magic adapting—until finally, the phoenix bowed.

"You have endured the flame. Take its heart."

With a single motion, Theia absorbed the Solar Flame Essence, her veins now glowing with golden fire.

Trial of the Abyssal Void

Theia plunged into absolute darkness.

No sound.

No light.

Only the emptiness of the Abyss.

A voice whispered: "You must surrender yourself."

For what felt like eternity, Theia floated through nothingness, her soul unraveling at the edges.

But she held on.

And when she emerged, the Abyssal Void Essence coiled around her, its infinite power bound to her will.

Trial of the Celestial Wind

Theia found herself soaring through endless skies, where winds whispered secrets of creation itself.

A storm descended, a colossal titan of air and lightning forming before her.

"You must become the storm," it bellowed.

Theia let go of gravity, her magic merging with the winds.

She became a streak of lightning, dancing across the sky faster than thought itself.

And when the trial ended, the Celestial Wind Essence joined her.

Trial of the Tectonic Core & Ethereal Ocean

Theia next faced the earth’s fury, standing within a collapsing cavern, where mountains crumbled and continents shifted.

She had to become unbreakable—to endure, to hold firm.

And when the dust settled, the Tectonic Core Essence was hers.

Finally, she descended into the Ethereal Ocean, where the very essence of magic flowed in liquid form.

To survive, she had to let herself dissolve, to become one with the current.

Theia surrendered, her body breaking into pure mana—and when she reformed, she was forever changed.

She now held all five essences.

But the hardest step remained.

Step 2: Breaking the Mortal Shell

Theia returned to the training hall, standing at the center of the prepared ritual circle.

Seraphis and the others watched in silence.

This was the most dangerous moment.

To ascend, Theia had to shatter her physical limits, letting her body die before reforging itself in its new form.

She took a deep breath.

Then—

The ritual began.

The five essences erupted in a maelstrom of raw power, enveloping her.

Her body burned, cracked, dissolved.

She felt everything fading—her senses, her thoughts, her existence.

Then—

BOOM.

A pulse of divine light exploded outward, sending shockwaves through the hall.

Seraphis shielded her eyes.

When the light faded—

Theia stood at the center, reborn.

Her golden eyes glowed with divine power.

Her presence warped the very air.

She had done it.

She was now Tier 8.