The Voidspawn snarled, snapping its jagged fangs at Kael's throat. Kael twisted, barely avoiding a fatal bite, but its claws raked across his chest—three shallow slashes that bled hot and fast.
Kael grunted, staggering back. The pain was sharp, but not paralyzing.
[Pain Conversion: +14 EXP]
[Current Level: 1 — 38/100 EXP]
He spat blood and smiled.
"You're feeding me," he said, raising his fists.
The Voidspawn growled again, circling.
It was faster. Stronger. Born in this abyss and molded by darkness. But Kael wasn't the same boy who had fallen. Not anymore.
He glanced at his glowing arm. The crimson marks pulsed like veins of fire.
"Guide my strike," Keal whispered.
The Mark responded. A red shimmer gathered around his right fist.
[Skill Unlocked: Ruin Strike – Rank F]
— A basic attack infused with ruin essence.
— Effects: +25% damage | Armor break chance | Pain feedback: minor
Kael's legs surged forward on instinct.
He feinted left, then drove his glowing fist into the Voidspawn's jaw. The bones cracked. The creature howled, reeling back from the force.
It didn't fall. But it hesitated.
That was enough.
Kael leapt forward, hammering another Ruin Strike into the creature's side. Then a third. The beast collapsed, its ribs caving with a sickening crunch. Black mist poured from its mouth as it tried to rise.
But Kael didn't give it the chance.
He grabbed a jagged shard of bone from the ground—possibly the rib of something ancient—and drove it into the Voidspawn's neck.
The creature gave one final gasp.
Then silence.
[Voidspawn Defeated — +60 EXP]
[Level Up! – Kael Arin is now Level 2]
+3 Strength | +2 Endurance | +1 Ruin Affinity
New Skill Slot Unlocked
Kael dropped to one knee, panting, covered in blood. Every muscle ached. Every bone groaned.
But he smiled.
It was the first time in his life he'd killed anything.
The first time pain had rewarded him.
He looked down at the corpse of the beast, then at the empty darkness ahead.
"I can do this," Kael whispered. "I can survive this world. I can climb."
The Mark pulsed in agreement.
But the voice returned—quieter now, like a shadow behind the veil.
"Good. Then listen well, heir of ruin. This was a test. Now, your trial begins."
A rumble shook the cavern. Red light poured through cracks in the stone walls. The floor beneath Kael's feet began to shift.
Then the voice spoke again, solemn and sharp:
"To become a Heavenbreaker… you must first conquer the Tomb of Ten Thousand."
The ground gave way beneath him once more.
And Kael fell—deeper this time.
But not afraid.
.....
.....
Kael landed hard, dust and stone choking his breath as he tumbled down a slope of broken marble and cracked skulls. The tomb opened around him like a buried cathedral—silent, grim, and steeped in dread.
The walls whispered again.
Names. Thousands of them.
Some begged for forgiveness. Others screamed.
Kael ignored them.
He stood, his wounds still aching, but something in him had changed. That fight with the Voidspawn had done more than toughen his flesh—it had quieted the fear in his bones.
He was starting to understand.
Pain was his path. And the mark—this curse on his arm—was his key.
[Tomb of Ten Thousand – Level One: Hall of Forgotten Sins]
A glowing ruin sigil burned itself into the air.
Kael pressed forward, navigating the maze of shattered statues and flickering torches. The deeper he went, the colder it became. A wind moved where no doors were, like the tomb was breathing.
Then he saw it.
Bodies. Dozens of them.
Shadow Echoes, the cursed dead who walked without souls, now lay shredded across the marble floor. Limbs bent the wrong way. Black mist curling from their corpses.
Kael froze.
Someone had been through here… and killed everything.
He followed the blood trail cautiously—until he saw her.
A girl.
Lying half-dead in a pool of silver-blue blood. Her long blue hair tangled around her like a veil. She wore light armor, torn at the shoulder, one blade clenched in her hand, another buried in the chest of a still-writhing Echo.
Kael approached slowly.
His Mark pulsed. Once. Twice.
She stirred.
Her eyes opened.
Silver. Bright, cold, and sharp. Like they could see through him.
Kael tensed. "You're alive?"
She blinked, coughed blood, then whispered, "Don't... touch me."
Then she passed out again.
Kael knelt, studying her. The blood loss was serious, but the wound wasn't fatal. Whoever she was, she'd fought like hell. Her blades were engraved with celestial runes—very old ones. Dangerous.
He spotted a pendant around her neck. It shimmered faintly, inscribed with symbols... ones that mirrored his Mark—but inverted.
He reached to touch it.
Her eyes snapped open.
In a flash, she had a dagger at his throat. Her other hand trembled, still gripping her side.
"Who are you?" she hissed.
Kael didn't flinch. "The one who didn't leave you to die."
She stared at him.
Something shifted in her expression—subtle, unreadable.
"You're marked."
He nodded. "And you're bleeding."
She lowered the blade. Barely.
"Kael Arin," he offered. "And you are?"
She leaned her head back, exhaling shakily. "Lyra... Veyrin."
Kael moved to help her sit up.
Lyra flinched. "Don't."
"Right," he muttered. "So we're doing the dying-alone-in-the-dark thing."
She smirked faintly. "Better than dying beside a stranger with a ruin mark."
Kael leaned back, arms crossed. "Not a fan of ruin?"
Her smile faded. She looked away. "It devours everything it touches."
"Maybe," Kael said quietly. "Or maybe it devours only what deserves to burn."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Lyra spoke, eyes half-closed.
"You should leave. If they find out what you are… they'll kill you."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Who's 'they'?"
But she was unconscious again.
And from deep in the tomb, a new sound echoed—metal scraping stone. Heavy steps. Not Shadow Echoes. Something worse.
Kael stood, gripping his blade.
He looked down at Lyra, then at the shadows creeping from the hallway.
He should run.
But he didn't.
Instead, he planted his feet, ready to fight again.
Because something told him this girl—whoever she really was—was tied to all of this.
And maybe, just maybe…
He didn't want to survive this place alone.