The first gate cracked open with a hiss of static. From it stepped a knight cloaked in crumbling armor, his sword formed from raw command lines.
> Legacy Construct: Valor Knight.EXE
> Class: Tank
> Difficulty: Medium
It charged, shield first.
Kazen sidestepped. The weight behind the strike cracked the frozen floor beneath them. He struck back, but the construct absorbed it with an impenetrable defense.
"Can't brute force this…"
He dashed behind the knight and activated Echo Breaker.
> Skill Effect: Bypasses learned defenses
> Result: Critical Hit
The blade pierced through the armor, unraveling lines of corrupted data. The construct dissolved, and the second gate opened immediately.
This time, a lithe, cloaked assassin glided forth, twin daggers dripping with poison code.
> Legacy Construct: Shade Dancer
> Class: Rogue
> Difficulty: High
It vanished instantly.
A shadow lunged behind Kazen.
He blocked—but not fast enough. His system integrity dropped.
> HP: 72%
> Status: Infected - Code Drain (2%/sec)
Kazen gritted his teeth and rewrote a portion of his defense matrix.
> Rewrite: Enable Auto-Cleanse Protocol
> MP Cost: 34
> Infection Removed
He dropped a pulse flare—a flash of light that revealed the hidden attacker just long enough to counter.
Soul Slash met the assassin's chest. The code shattered.
> 2/3 Waves Cleared
The third gate split down the middle. Silence followed.
Then the air distorted.
A figure walked out—exactly like Kazen. But older. Wiser. With scars drawn across his code like war marks.
> Legacy Construct: Alpha Kazen
> Class: ???
> Difficulty: Unknown
Kazen's eyes narrowed. "What…?"
Patchling's voice trembled. "That's a version of you that didn't survive. A failed sync timeline. A dead path."
The construct said nothing. It simply raised a sword and moved forward like fate itself.
Kazen fought back. This time, it wasn't like the Mirror—it was raw instinct vs future regret.
Alpha Kazen anticipated every tactic. Redirected his strikes. Matched his system speed.
"You weren't strong enough to finish the path," the echo said. "Why do you think you will be?"
Kazen's blade cracked. His breath came ragged.
Then he smiled.
"Because you gave up. I won't."
He poured everything into one strike—Soul + Lightforge + Rewrite—a full spiritual override.
> Custom Skill: Reforge Soulstrike
> Effect: One-time purge of failed code
> Risk: 40% system feedback
> Hit: Confirmed
Alpha Kazen shattered. Slowly. Like a reflection fading in ripples.
> Trial Complete
> Reward Unlocked: Root Domain Coordinates (Level 1 Access)
> Sync Progress: 70%
The Codebreaker clapped slowly.
"You passed. You faced what you were—and what you could become."
Kazen stood tall. "Now show me where the gods sleep."