The world watched through broken screens. From ruined cities and half-rebuilt strongholds, people gathered to see the United Guilds' live feed.
In the center of the Obsidian Arena stood a man in chains.
Kael Storm.
The Solo Monarch. The Copyblade. Humanity's Last Hope.
Now, accused of killing his comrade to steal his skill.
---
ONE WEEK EARLIER
The air in the Void Crown Citadel was thin and rotten. Magic here wasn't calm—it hissed and twisted.
Kael walked first, sword in hand. Five fused techniques, each humming in his weapon.
Behind him was Riven Calden, the Thunderborne Executioner. Same class. Same level. Solo. Unaligned.
"Too quiet," Riven said, lightning crackling off his shoulders.
Kael nodded once. "We're being watched."
Far behind them, the guilds followed. Seven of them. Seventeen rankers. Eldan Greystorm. Veyra of the Black Bloom. Goro Tenfang.
People Kael knew. People he'd fought beside. People he no longer trusted.
---
THE SETUP
They reached the Citadel's Heart. The structure looked like a crown of bones, pulsing with black light. Destroying it could shut the entire dungeon network forever.
Kael and Riven had solved the runes weeks before. Quietly. No guilds involved.
Now those same guilds came to take credit.
Riven stopped at the gate. "If this works, it ends everything."
Kael's eyes stayed on the Heart. "Which is why they won't let us leave."
---
THE AMBUSH
They activated the seals. Five runes. Five lights.
Then movement. A dagger flashed—Goro's. Aimed for Kael.
Kael dodged. The blade hit Riven.
Eldan followed with a curse strike, paralyzing Riven's spine. The man dropped, shaking.
"What… the hell…"
Veyra stepped forward. "Sorry, Riven. You were never supposed to make it out."
Serik from Iron Fang stabbed Riven through the heart.
Riven gasped once, looking at Kael. "Don't trust them. No matter what face they wear."
He died there.
---
THE FALL
Kael screamed and triggered his skills—nothing.
Eldan threw a black relic that sank into Kael's chest.
> [ Cursed Artifact: Soul Leech Activated ]
[ Skill Tree — Burned ]
[ Stat Core — Nullified ]
Every power he had vanished.
They beat him, not with strength but with setup.
They chained him, gagged him, and dragged him out.
---
THE AFTERMATH
The world saw what the guilds wanted them to see.
"Kael Storm murders ally to steal skill."
Edited footage. Fake audio. Manufactured guilt.
The crowd believed it.
His home burned.
His mentor, Helk, beheaded.
His sister, Mira, burned alive before a crowd.
His childhood friend Elen—crucified on a guild's wall as a "traitor sympathizer."
Crowd didn't even spare his dog.
Every name became a scar.
---
THE EXECUTION
Back to the arena. Back to chains.
The crowd screamed for death.
A masked ranker stepped forward to execute him—someone Kael once trained.
Kael raised his head.
"You'll follow me soon."
The blade came down.
Then—
---
SYSTEM AWAKENING
> [ Fatal Trauma Detected. Despair Index: MAXIMUM. ]
[ Legacy Core: Copyblade Identified. ]
[ Forbidden Merge: Devourer Codex Initiated. ]
[ Absorbing hatred. Reconstructing soul. ]
Chains broke.
Kael stood.
The air twisted. Rankers watching began to scream as their power drained from their bodies.
> [ DEVOUR: Soul Anchor. Flamecaller. Blinkstep. Gravitas Fang. Absorbed. ]
Kael looked at the stands—the same people who cheered for his family's death.
He smiled once.
"Now you'll see consequence."
The arena exploded in fire and shadow.
The seven guild leaders died first. The rest followed.
---
DYING AGAIN
Kael's body was crushed under the ruins, burned and torn apart.
But the System still ran.
> [ Regression Eligibility Met. Devourer Core:
100% Saturation. ]
[ Initiating Temporal Shift. ]
His voice was faint. "Riven… Mira… Helk… I'll make it right."
> [ Regression Successful. Welcome, Kael Storm. ]