"They gave me death, and I returned with hunger."
Aether
After the Trial
Blood dried on Aether's torn jacket. He sat beside a river outside the ravaged village, rinsing wounds no potion could heal.
Children peeked from behind trees, whispering about the man who devoured fire and silenced heaven.
Villagers had started calling him:
"The Monster Who Protected Us."
He hated it.
But for the first time… he didn't correct them.
Memory of Nahida
That night, under the ghostly blue of a twin-moon sky, Aether sat alone, holding a broken pendant—the only thing left of Nahida, the Elven Princess.
His vision blurred.
"If only I was stronger back then…"
He clenched the pendant.
Suddenly, a soft voice spoke behind him.
"You're stronger now. But are you still trying to carry everything alone?"
It was Aira.
She had appeared silently, no divine light, no celestial aura—just a girl with silver hair and tired eyes who once called him an enemy.
She sat beside him.
They said nothing for a while.
Until she reached out and gently took the pendant from his hand.
"You don't need to forget her… but she wouldn't want you to drown in guilt either."
Aether's eyes widened.
"You've changed."
Aira smirked.
"So have you. You used to flinch when I stood this close."
"I was scared."
"Of me?"
"No. Of losing someone again."
Aira didn't answer. She just leaned her head on his shoulder.
Something Broken
Suddenly
SYSTEM WARNING
Host power output exceeds permissible boundary.
Authority Limit Broken.
Aether is no longer bound by Level Cap.
System Evolution Initiated…
Aether's mind exploded with new visions.
Numbers, power ranks, devouring paths—breaking the chains of the old world's structure.
The SSS-tier system that ruled Earth and other realms could no longer contain him.
Unlocked New Class: Abyss Sovereign
Passive: "Void Growth" – Your power increases with every broken rule.
Insight: You can now see hidden code behind reality.
Aether whispered:
"I'm not part of your game anymore."
Celestial Court in Chaos
Back in the Court of Eternal Light, chaos reigned.
"He broke the system?!"
"SSS-class suppression failed!"
"He's rewriting reality!"
The Grand Arbiter slammed his gavel.
"Send the Archons. And if needed—summon the Void Reaper."
But another voice interrupted.
It was soft… but terrifying.
"You do that, and you'll unleash me too."
Beelzebubb had arrived.
Wearing a grin that promised the end of worlds.
Later, in the ruins of a star temple, Aira confided in Aether.
"I once served the High Lords… because they saved me. But I never asked who they destroyed to do it."
"So why now?"
"Because… I see the monster inside you… and I'm not afraid. I see someone who still loves, still feels pain."
She placed her hand over his heart.
"Even if your power devours gods… this still beats like a human's."
"You're not afraid I'll consume you too?"
"Maybe I want to be consumed."
They kissed.
Soft. Real. Broken.
Two people haunted by the past—trying to feel alive again.
The Raid on the System Core
Determined to break the chains once and for all, Aether targets the System Core—a mechanical-organic fortress in the Zero Layer between time and space.
Together with Oroboros and Aira, they infiltrate the zone.
Dungeon Triggered: Realm of Rules (Level 300+)
Boss: The Architect – Manifestation of Order
In the labyrinth of codes, mirrors, and paradoxes, Aether fights literal concepts: Gravity, Time, Memory, and Law.
He eats Time. Breaks Gravity. Destroys Law.
But Memory hurts.
He sees Nahida again.
"Why are you forgetting me?"
He screams.
Aira grabs his face.
"Look at me! You're not losing her. You're gaining us."
Together, they destroy the Architect.
Dungeon Clear: System Core Fragment Devoured
Effect: The entire power-ranking system is now unstable.
Broadcast: "Aether, the God-Eater, has broken the chain of fate."
All Overlords and Realms are alerted. New bounty placed: INFINITE.
The Legend Begins
Everywhere in the lower realms, people whisper:
"Did you hear? Aether devoured a god."
"He broke the system. The levels. The tiers."
"He fights for us."
The oppressed start rising.
Peasants. Betrayed hunters. Cursed contractees.
They follow his symbol—a black serpent eating stars.
Beelzebubb's Warning
In a void outside reality, Beelzebubb appears to Aether.
"You're close… too close."
"To what?"
"To replacing me."
Beelzebubb grins, but there's a flicker of sadness.
"When that day comes… I wonder, will you still be Aether?"
"I'll be better."
Beelzebubb fades.
"Then devour everything… my child."