Roman's feet hit the ground, but there was no ground to speak of—only a void wrapped in endless, suffocating darkness. His breath caught in his throat. The silence was so thick it felt alive.
Then, the Shadow System awakened.
> "Task: Kill every beast within this dungeon.
Denial is not possible. Begin."
The voice vanished, and fire-lamps flared to life one by one, faintly burning in the void. The weak flames revealed a nightmare.
From the blackness, hordes of distorted demons emerged. Their bodies were twisted masses of hands, faces, and limbs bound together in mockery of humanity. Their screams carried words that stabbed into Roman's soul.
"You killed us, Ronald!"
"Now we will kill you!"
"Devil! Ruthless monster!"
Some dragged stone-like bodies with flames spilling from their mouths. Others grew wings of bones, their screeches vomiting arrows of molten acid that burned Roman's flesh. Dragon-headed demons towered above, spewing fire. Their number was beyond a hundred.
Roman staggered backward, skin sizzling and melting as the acid clung to him. His voice broke.
"Why am I here?! I don't want this! I… I don't—"
A claw ripped through his arm, severing it clean. He fell, screaming.
> "System Notice: Defeat the monsters. Endless pain will continue until the task is complete.
Beginning full body healing."
Flesh re-knitted. Bone regrew. His arm returned.
An endless cycle of death and rebirth.
"No… no, I won't die here!"
Roman roared, forcing his shattered will to focus. He drew on his Yin-Yang core, aura bursting from within. A wave of black and gold light surged outward, obliterating several monsters—but only a few.
Gritting his teeth, he raised his trembling hand and condensed his very life force into a weapon. A sword of pure mana formed—black and gold flames spiraling around its edge.
He charged.
What followed was four hours of carnage. The mana-sword carved through horrors, but every swing cost him blood and strength. When the sword faded, Roman unleashed spells from every element he had mastered—Water Dragon, Blazing Meteor Shower, Mercury Torrent—desperation fueling each spell.
At last, the last demon fell.
Roman collapsed in a pool of his own blood, body mutilated—missing a leg, an eye, his breaths shallow. His vision dimmed.
The system stirred.
> "Gate One complete. Healing initiated. Prepare for Gate Two."
Light swallowed him whole.
When his eyes opened, he was no longer in the dungeon.
He stood in a palace. His palace. Bright marble floors, guards in his insignia, banners of his reign. But the reflection in the mirror chilled him—he no longer saw Roman Crowell.
It was Ronald. The tyrant.
"No… this… this can't be…"
The guards bowed. "Long live the King!"
Heart pounding, he pushed through the hall and entered the throne room. Inside were three figures: a man, a woman, and a girl.
The man lifted his head from the throne table, eyes burning.
"You stole my body. You trapped my soul."
The boy standing nearby—delicate, trembling—was none other than the real Roman Crowell.
The woman turned, her face familiar from the portrait in the duke's office. Roman's breath caught.
"Y-you… you're Roman's mother…"
Her voice was filled with fury. "Imposter. Return my son."
And then—
"Ronald… my beloved… why did you kill me?"
The third woman turned. His heart shattered.
"Ruth…"
The lover he had failed.
"No… no, I… I didn't mean to! I was forced—I… I don't know how it happened!"
They all shouted at once.
"Imposter!"
"Give my son back!"
"Why did you let me die?!"
He backed into a corner, trembling. Tears blurred his eyes. "I'm sorry… I don't know why this happened… I should have died instead…"
Time froze.
The world stilled, the three figures frozen mid-accusation. A voice unlike any he had heard before whispered from the void.
> "You are my chosen warrior. Ronald… Roman… Conquer this trial, and be free."
The voice faded, and time resumed. But the anger of the three was gone—replaced with silence. They looked at him one last time, smiled faintly, and vanished.
Before relief could come, the palace shook.
From the shattered ceiling descended a colossal Titan, a monster made of pure malice. With one wave of its hand, Roman was sliced in half. Agony. Regeneration. Again. Again.
"No more…!"
Roman's body erupted with blinding golden light. His aura expanded, limitless, scorching the very air. Behind him, a massive Titan formed—an exact reflection of himself, but forged from his pure will and golden core.
"Let's end this."
The Roman-Titan mirrored his movements, grasping the enemy Titan by its head and leg. With a thunderous roar, it ripped the monster in half, spraying the palace with light instead of blood.
Roman fell to his knees, panting.
The system's voice returned.
> "Gate Two cleared. Congratulations, Roman Crowell.
Hidden God Power unlocked: 10%.
Prepare… for the Third and Final Gate."
The world shattered.
And Roman was swallowed once more.