Dust rained from the ceiling as the beast tore itself free from the rubble. Its body, once whole, was fractured—its left horn snapped, half its chest caved in—but the golden fire in its eyes blazed brighter than ever.
Kael's legs trembled beneath him. Every nerve screamed for him to flee, yet something in his chest pulsed with heat, steady and commanding. The Codex's power had not faded. It throbbed in rhythm with his heart, as if urging him forward.
The reforged black blade in his hand hummed softly, its runes glowing in the dim cavern. When he tightened his grip, a strange sensation spread into his arm—like the weapon was alive, breathing with him.
Devour. Ascend.
The words rippled through his mind, neither a command nor a suggestion, but an inevitability.
The Guardian roared, the sound bouncing off the cavern walls until it seemed as though the entire dungeon screamed with it. Its claws scraped against the stone floor, sparks showering with each step.
Kael forced himself upright, jaw clenched. "If I run, I die. If I fight… I might still die." He spat blood, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "But at least it'll be on my terms."
He charged.
The Guardian swiped down, claws like scythes cleaving the air. Kael ducked low, the wind of the strike nearly knocking him off balance, and drove his blade upward. The edge carved into the beast's forearm, black steel biting through rune-etched flesh. A howl erupted as dark ichor sprayed, hissing like acid as it struck the ground.
For a heartbeat, Kael's chest surged with triumph. He had wounded it—something no one else had managed. But then his legs buckled, pain lancing through his stomach wound. His vision blurred, knees hitting the ground.
The Guardian loomed above him, raising its claw for the killing blow.
Do you wish to survive?
The Codex's voice rang again, cold and absolute. Symbols flashed before his eyes—lines of glowing text only he could see.
[Eternal Codex: Devour Path Initiated]
Target: Guardian of the Forgotten Depths
Confirm?
Kael's lips curled into a desperate grin. "Do it."
The blade in his hand flared with black light. As the Guardian's claw descended, he thrust upward with everything left in him. The sword pierced through the beast's chest, straight into the core glowing within.
A scream split the cavern—not from the beast, but from Kael himself as raw energy surged into his body. Fire and lightning burned through his veins, every muscle convulsing. He felt as though he were being torn apart, rebuilt, and torn again all in an instant.
The Guardian's golden eyes dimmed. Its body shuddered once, then collapsed, dissolving into smoke that poured straight into the Codex.
[Essence Devoured: Guardian of the Forgotten Depths]
[Cultivation Advanced: Embers Stage – Rank 1]
Kael fell to his knees, gasping for breath, sweat and blood dripping into the dirt. Yet beneath the exhaustion, he felt something new—strength. His wound no longer bled as freely, flesh knitting faster than it should. His senses sharpened, every sound in the cavern painfully clear.
He raised his hand. Faint sparks danced across his fingers, flickering embers born from the Guardian's essence.
A laugh escaped his throat, ragged and disbelieving. "I… survived."
For the first time in his life, Kael felt power that was undeniably his. Not borrowed, not forced, not mocked. His.
But before relief could settle, the Codex whispered again.
One step taken. Infinite remain. The forsaken path has begun.
Kael's smile faded, replaced by something harder, sharper. He remembered Renn's smirk, the way the gate had slammed shut, sealing his fate. He remembered the sneers, the whispers, the years of being nothing.
His grip tightened on the sword. "You abandoned me." His voice was low, trembling not with fear, but with rage. "You thought I was worthless."
The runes along the blade pulsed, as if feeding off his anger.
"I'll show you all what a forsaken can become."
The cavern was silent now, save for his ragged breathing. The Guardian was gone, but its corpse left behind a glowing fragment—a crystal pulsing faintly with golden light. Kael approached and picked it up. Warmth seeped into his palm, the Codex instantly reacting.
[Guardian Core Obtained]
Would you like to devour?
Kael hesitated, staring at the shard. He could feel the power within, dangerous and wild. His instincts screamed to take it, to consume and grow. But he also remembered the searing agony of the first devour, how close he'd been to losing himself completely.
He clenched his fist. "If this is the path I've been given, then I'll walk it. No matter the cost."
He lifted the core to his chest. Light exploded, and Kael's scream echoed once more, carrying into the depths of the dungeon and beyond.