The second Void Wraith collapsed in a mist of black ash, its scream cut short as Kael's hand pierced its core.
> [Enemy Slain: Void Wraith Lv. 5]
Exp Gained: +50
Essence Absorbed: +1
Skill Copied: [Shadow Glide Lv. 1]
Trait Upgrade: [Void Resistance I → II]
Humanity Decrease: -1%
Current Humanity: 45%
Kael stood amidst the corpses, void energy radiating from him in ripples that cracked the platform beneath his feet. His breath was steady. His blood, calm.
He was learning.
> "The more I kill, the more I grow. The more I grow… the closer I get to burning that bastard Lysar alive."
His hand trembled—not with fear, but eagerness.
He felt it in his bones. A transformation that was both terrifying and exhilarating. He wasn't just getting stronger.
He was changing.
---
🌌 [VOID REALM: CORE PLATFORM]
The black sky churned overhead. From its depths, a new rift opened—but it was different. Blue sparks and fragments of golden light licked its edges.
> [System Alert: Interdimensional Rift Detected]
→ Probability: 0.00003%
→ Class: Mythic Trial Gate
→ Danger Level: Unknown
A massive gate descended from the sky, etched in arcane runes and sealed with chains made of starlight. Kael's eyes widened.
He didn't understand what it was. But he felt the pull.
> "Is this… the next step?"
As if answering him, a panel blinked open.
---
💠 [VOID QUEST: Consume the Trial]
Objective: Enter the Mythic Trial Gate and survive.
Reward: Trait Evolution – Void Sovereign Seed
Penalty: True Death
Time Limit: 24 Hours (Realm Time)
> Warning: This quest will expose you to remnants of your former world.
Kael clenched his jaw.
> "So I'll get a glimpse of the world that betrayed me… Good. I want them to see me too."
Without waiting another moment, he stepped into the gate.
---
🌠 [SCENE SHIFT – MYTHIC TRIAL GATE: SHATTERED FLAME HALLS]
The moment Kael entered, the temperature soared.
He stood inside a ruined palace of obsidian glass and scorched marble. Flames licked the ground. Burnt banners of the Draven Clan fluttered in the dying wind.
> "This place… it's modeled after the old halls. Before the Fire Purge."
A growl echoed through the ruins.
Kael turned.
A beast emerged from the shadows—a massive firehound, its body stitched from magma, its eyes burning like miniature suns.
> [Trial Beast: Embermaw, the Flame Executioner – Lv. 20]
Type: Ancient Construct
Weakness: Void Energy
Condition: Aggressive
The beast roared, shaking the air with its fury.
Kael bared his teeth in a grin.
> "You look like Lysar's pet. Let me practice on you."
The hound leapt.
Kael met it mid-air—his body vanishing in a streak of shadow.
---
⚔️ [BATTLE ENGAGED]
> [Skill: Shadow Glide – Activated]
[Skill: Bone Spikes – Engaged]
[Trait: Evolution Through Defiance – Boosting Attributes]
[Unique Interaction Detected: Void vs Flame]
→ Bonus Damage +50%
→ Resistance Gained: Flame Tolerance I
He danced around the beast like a phantom, striking weak points, dodging flame strikes, and letting the Void devour chunks of the creature's form with each blow.
The beast let out a final, guttural roar—and then shattered into sparks.
---
💠 [Trial Beast Defeated]
> Exp: +500
Essence: +5
Trait Gained: [Flame Reaper's Heart]
Humanity Decrease: -3%
Void Sovereign Seed Progress: 25%
Kael knelt, clutching the burning organ pulsing in his hand.
> "I am no longer just a survivor," he whispered. "I am the beginning of an extinction."
---
🌌 [Outside the Void – Stormwatch Realm]
In a quiet chamber, a mirror cracked.
A sudden gust of wind swept through the Eastern Flame Courtyard.
A statue of the ancient founder—once a symbol of power—split clean in two.
Lysar looked up from his meditation, frowning.
> "...Why do I feel a chill?"