Pain.
That was the first thing he felt after the system activated.
A surge of raw energy coursed through his veins, threatening to tear him apart. His vision blurred, muscles spasming, bones creaking.
[Daily Quest: Survive the Trial of Shadows][Condition: Remain alive for 10 minutes][Failure: Death]
The statues began to move again.
But something changed. His senses sharpened. The air slowed. He could see the arc of a blade moments before it struck.
He dodged—barely. His body screamed, but he moved.
He ran, jumped, rolled, clawed his way between the statues, dodging death by inches. Each breath was agony. But with each second, he felt something... awaken.
Minute by minute, he survived.
Until the system chimed:
[Trial Completed.]
[Reward: +2 stat points. New Trait: Pain Tolerance Lv.1]
He dropped to his knees, gasping. Around him, the statues froze again.
But it wasn't over.
[Optional Quest: Embrace the Mark of Ascension][Reward: ???][Warning: Failure results in permanent damage.]
"Screw it," he spat. "Give it to me."
Symbols lit the altar. Black flames rose, consuming his arm.
He screamed—not just in pain, but in release.
[Mark Accepted. Skill Acquired: Shadow Inversion Lv.1][Current Rank: None. Evolving...]
When he rose again, something was different.
His aura.His stance.His eyes—no longer dull, but burning violet.
But the change wasn't only physical.
The system's interface began to display new sections:
[Hidden Trait Unlocked: Bloodline Resonance][Analyzing Lineage...]
[Result: Descendant of the Lost Sovereign. Accessing dormant genetic potential.]
A window opened:
[Do you wish to awaken your ancestral might?][Warning: This path is irreversible and dangerous.]
He hesitated only for a moment.
"Yes. Unlock it."
A tidal wave of memories—none of them his—crashed into his mind. Armies kneeling before a crimson-haired king. Planets burning. Titans falling. The power of his ancestor—The Last Sovereign—raging within him.
[Bloodline Fragment Activated: Sovereign's Core Lv.1][Effect: Boosts all shadow and command-based abilities by 20%. Unlocks potential future evolutions.]
Sebastian screamed as the altar's runes branded his chest. But he stood tall after.
Not broken.
Transformed.
He walked out of the chamber, alone.
But alive.
And changed.
The system didn't let him rest.
[Daily Quest: 100 Pushups, 100 Situps, Run 10km][Reward: +3 Random Stat Points]
Every day, without fail, it pushed him. And if he failed?
[Penalty: Dungeon of Shadows – Survival for 6 hours]
The first time he failed, he was pulled into a hellish realm filled with grotesque creatures that fed on fear.
He didn't fail again.
As the week passed, his body transformed.
Stronger muscles. Sharper vision. Reflexes beyond human.
His stamina increased, and even his mind adapted to process the overwhelming data from battle.
And then came his first real mission since the awakening: entering a D-rank gate with a temporary team.
They mocked him at first, calling him dead weight.
But when the monsters emerged—twisted hounds with iron jaws and acidic blood—Sebastian moved.
Precise.Cold.Deadly.
He used Shadow Inversion to teleport behind enemies. Each movement was surgical, efficient. His blade found joints and vitals with unnerving ease.
He didn't waste energy.
He didn't hesitate.
By the end of the fight, the others stared at him in disbelief.
"Who... are you?" one of them asked, trembling.
He didn't answer.
But the system did.
[Title Acquired: Survivor of the Black Temple][Title Effect: +5% resistance to spiritual pressure. Enemies are 10% more likely to hesitate before attacking.]
[Reputation: Rising]
And then something unexpected happened:
[System Message: Hidden Quest Available][Quest: Form your Dominion][Objective: Recruit the first follower by proving your strength to a worthy individual.]
He turned, blood dripping from his blade, and walked away.
But the whispers had begun.
"That's him... the one from the black temple."
"He shouldn't be alive."
"Did you see his eyes?"
Sebastian Alvarin had taken his first step.
Not just as an Ascender—
—but as the heir of shadows.
And the world would remember his name.