"Prove yourself, Outcast God."
The voice wasn't human. It echoed from deep inside the tunnel, a low growl that shook the ground. The air thickened. Dominic swallowed "Gulp", wiping sweat from his brow as he stepped through the stone gate.
Then—
The cave roared to life.
[TRIAL OF DIVINE RECKONING: INITIATED]
ENEMY: 1 – DEMON BEHEMOTH (S-RANK)
REWARD: 5% System Sync | 5% Nexis Power | Skills & Traits | 10 Years Qi | 2000 MP | 5000 HP | Divine Power +3000 | All Elements & Aura Unlocked | Unique Trait | Gold: 100,000
Dominic stopped walking.
"Wait wait wait—S-Rank?!" he gasped. "No... nononono. System, what the hell?! Are you trying to kill me?!"
[This is your first Dungeon Trial.]
"Yeah, and my last at this rate!"
The moment his voice echoed off the walls, the entire dungeon shook.
Chains clattered.
A pair of crimson eyes opened in the darkness.
Then—something massive stepped forward.
Its body was monstrous. Hulking. Like a bull fused with a scarab and a nightmare. Thick black exoskeleton armor. Twisting horns. Spiked limbs. A face like a split skull… and a name glowing above it in red light:
BEHEMOTH — S-RANK DEMON
Bound by Chains of Judgement
"Are you... the Outcast God?" the monster spoke, its voice like steel scraping stone.
Dominic's legs trembled. He took a deep breath.
"And what if I am?" he said—pretending to sound calm.
The Behemoth didn't answer. It charged towards Dominic and hit him.
BOOM.
The impact cracked the cave floor. Dominic dove to the side just in time, slamming into a pillar and coughing hard. Pain screamed through his back.
"F-Fuck! That thing moves like lightning—" he muttered, rolling away as a claw tore through the space he was just in.
"System! Do I get a weapon or something?! A stick? A dagger?! A lightsaber?!"
[Anything can be used as a weapon.]
"That's not helpful!" he shouted.
He scrambled behind a stone column and spotted long chains bolted into the walls—glowing faintly. The chains that bind Behemoth…
An idea sparked.
"Alright. Screw this. Improvisation it is."
He dashed toward the chain and grabbed it—but Behemoth was faster.
BOOM!
The monster appeared right in front of him, slamming Dominic straight into the wall. The boy coughed blood. His vision blurred.
"I'm going to die…" he wheezed.
Behemoth raised its massive claw.
"Then die forgotten."
But before the blow came—Dominic rolled, grabbed the chain, and flung it at the beast's face. It struck with a crack, reeling the demon back.
"So this is what adrenaline feels like..."
A second wind surged inside him.
He wrapped the chain around his arm, ran forward, and swung it again.
Clank! Smash! Roar!
Each hit was wild—no form, no style—but there was rage. Purpose.
"COME ON, YOU UGLY BASTARD!"
Behemoth roared and lunged. Dominic barely ducked, then jumped on its back, wrapping the chain around its neck. The monster thrashed, smashing the walls, scraping him along the stone.
Blood poured from his lip.
He couldn't breathe.
His vision flickered.
He was going to die.
But then…
A voice echoed in his mind.
"Anything can be a weapon."
He looked at his hands.
At himself.
"Wait…" he whispered. "It's not the chain. I'm the weapon."
A strange warmth surged in his chest.
Suddenly, Behemoth roared and launched him through the air—but as Dominic hit the ground…
Time… slowed.
His eyes flickered blue. Light rippled from his body.
Lightning sparked across his fingers.
"What… is this?" he muttered.
Behemoth charged for a final strike.
Dominic rushed forward with unnatural speed—grabbed the monster's face with one hand, eyes glowing brighter.
He didn't punch.
He didn't swing.
He willed energy into his palm.
"Time to shut up."
BOOM.
A blinding light exploded as Dominic drove his hand into the demon's skull, piercing it clean. Lightning erupted. Divine power crackled.
The world fell still.
Behemoth collapsed, eyes lifeless, crumbling into black ash.
Silence.
Dominic stood over the fading body, breathing heavily.
"What… the fuck… just happened?" he whispered.
His heart raced.
Hands trembling.
He was alive.
He won.
But he didn't understand how.
Then—
A soft ding.
[CONGRATULATIONS – TRIAL COMPLETE]
[REWARD CALCULATION IN PROGRESS...]
Light enveloped him. He gasped as his body lifted slightly off the ground.
Particles of gold and silver spiraled around him like a divine aura.
"W-What is this…?"
He clenched his fists as warmth surged through every cell. His wounds closed. His muscles grew tighter. Clearer. His senses sharpened.
He was levitating—a god ascending.
[SYNCHRONIZATION: 5% COMPLETE]
[NEXIS POWER AWAKENED]
[SKILLS, TRAITS, DIVINE ENERGY UNLOCKED]
[INVENTORY UNLOCKED | SHOP UNLOCKED | AURA UNLOCKED | ELEMENTAL COMPATIBILITY: ALL]
[UNIQUE TRAIT AWAKENED: ???]
[QI: 10 YEARS INSTALLED]
[GOLD: +100,000]
[STATUS UPDATED]
Dominic slowly descended, feet touching the ground.
"No... way…"
He looked at his glowing hands, at the faint aura now shimmering around his body.
This wasn't normal. This wasn't just adrenaline or instinct.
It was something else.
"System…" he said, still stunned. "Explain. What just happened? That last moment… I felt like time stopped. My body... changed."
[You unconsciously tapped into the Nexis Core.]
"Unconsciously? I didn't even know what I was doing!"
[The power within you responded to survival. As your synchronization grows, you will access more abilities. But using the Core prematurely places immense strain on your body.]
"No kidding…"
He slumped against a stone.
"How many of these 'trials' are there?"
[19 more. each guardian will be stronger as you progress]
"S-Rank each?"
[Yes.]
"...I'm so fucked."
Then the ground trembled again.
A new path opened from the dungeon wall.
The system interface glowed one more time:
[Trial Complete. Exit Unlocked.]
[Next Step: Prepare. This is only the beginning.]
Dominic looked down at his hands, then up at the path.
This was real.
And he was no longer the same boy who entered this cave.
🔥 End of Chapter 6
Cliffhanger: Dominic's first trial nearly cost his life — but also changed him forever. 5% Nexis power unlocked… but nineteen more deadly trials await. Will he survive long enough to return home?