The pain vanished. The severed arm returned. The wounds healed. Kael stood, looking at his intact body.
The Entity appeared before him.
"Congratulations. You succeeded. I watched you die three times, yet you did not give up. You did not break."
It began clapping slowly.
"This experience has made you mentally stronger. You learned the meaning of real combat—the meaning of a will that refuses to shatter."
Kael looked at his hands. They were trembling slightly. The memories were carved into his soul. Memories of death. Of pain.
But something else had changed. His eyes had grown colder. Harsher.
"I am… different. This experience made me more mature."
"Exactly. Now tell me—what do you want? What are the two special abilities?"
Kael did not hesitate.
"The first: Shadow Ability. Everyone I kill—I take their shadow with its full strength. It becomes my subordinate, a shadow soldier, with no limit."
"The second: Devour. Everyone I kill—I take one of their skills or physical traits, and a portion of their energy to raise my level."
Silence fell. Then the Entity laughed loudly.
"Hahahaha! What ambition! What immense greed!"
"I would never have given this—such overwhelming power to a human. I never thought I would do such a thing one day. But since this is a vast world, and you are alone… and since I promised you… and since you proved yourself worthy—very well. You shall have it."
Suddenly, Kael felt something warm enter his chest, engraving itself into his soul.
"I have granted you both abilities. Army of Shadows, and Devour."
The sensation faded. Kael took a deep breath. He felt something different—something new within him.
"There is more. I will leave the System to you. It will teach you the strongest refinement techniques—swordsmanship, magic, aura. And since you possess Devour, you can merge acquired skills and use any type of magic: darkness, light, wind, fire, lightning, water, earth, ice, nature."
"And also, the ability to summon spirits—even creatures of the underworld."
Kael nodded slowly. "Thank you."
"Very well. You are now ready for me to send you to the world of Aetherion."
Excitement ignited in Kael's chest for the world of Aetherion, while his eyes continued to watch the Entity with unwavering caution.
Then suddenly…!
The Entity laughed. "What? Did you think it would be that easy?"
Kael looked with slight surprise. "What? Is there another test?"
"No. The test was to ensure you were qualified. Now, we will make a pact."
Kael sighed. "Damn it. I knew it wouldn't be that simple. As they say—nothing in this world is free."
"Very well. What do you want?"
The space changed, revealing a massive image. A terrifying creature—its body a fabric of chaos, countless eyes, limbs moving in ways that defied logic. Power radiated from it, making reality tremble.
"You must kill a beast that will break through from the underworld in approximately sixteen years."
Kael stared at the image with focus.
"Alright. No problem. I'll do it."
"Are you sure? You may lose your life—and the lives of everyone you love! This is not just a monster. It is a calamity. The King of Chaos, Level 12, Rank 9!"
Kael let out a small, mocking laugh.
"And what's the point of surrender, fear, or running away? We all die someday. That is the law of life."
He looked directly at the Entity.
"Besides, your damn test made me no longer fear death. I've already died three times. What can a creature do to me that I haven't already experienced?"
"As for the death of those I love… I will make sure it doesn't happen. I will become strong enough to protect them. And I will make sure to kill it—and live."
The Entity stood silently. "Good. But who said you had to endure that test? You could have given up."
"You bastard!" Kael exploded in anger. "If I had, I would've lost tremendous power!"
Then he exhaled deeply. "Still… thank you. Because of that test, I became stronger."
"In any case—will you be evil, or good?"
Kael smiled a faint smile and said,
"Evil? Good? I don't care about that nonsense."
He walked slowly, speaking calmly:
"I will simply walk my own path and do as I please. Whoever harms me, I will repay twice over. Whoever does me good, I will return it as well. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—and the one who starts it is the most unjust."
The Entity laughed. "Heh… what a unique boy. Very well. I wish you luck."
It raised its hand, and space began to change.
"I will now send you to Aetherion. You will arrive near the weakest human kingdom—the Kingdom of Dawn. You will have a forged identity card, and some money to get started."
It extended its hand. A small card appeared in the air, along with a leather pouch that looked full of coins. They floated slowly toward Kael. He caught them.
"The money will last you a few weeks. After that—you're on your own."
"No problem." Kael examined the card. It bore his name—Kael—his age, nineteen years old, and citizenship from a remote village in the Kingdom of Dawn.
"One last thing. When you arrive, you will feel the System activate. It will explain everything—how to use your abilities, how to view your stats, how to learn skills."
"Understood."
"And remember—you are now in a world where power is everything. The weak are trampled. The strong rule. Betrayal, conspiracy, politics, war—everything is far more brutal than what you knew on Earth."
Kael smiled faintly. "A world like that… is exactly what I was looking for."
The Entity began to fade slowly.
"Very well, Kael. I wish you luck. I will be watching your journey—and I look forward to seeing how far you will go."
"I won't fall," Kael said with absolute confidence. "I will rise. I will become the strongest. I will build an empire. I will make even dragons kneel before me."
"We shall see."
The Entity vanished completely, and the white space began to collapse. The light became blinding—overwhelming—until Kael could no longer keep his eyes open.
He felt his body being pulled, twisted, hurled through something indescribable—like traveling through the very fabric of reality itself. The sensation was disturbing, repulsive, but brief.
Then suddenly, everything stopped.
The light vanished. The sense of motion ceased.
And when Kael opened his eyes…
He was standing on solid ground.
End of Chapter Four
Narrator's Note:
In that moment, Kael's true journey began. From an ordinary young man who died in his sleep, to a warrior with abilities no one else in this world possesses. An army of shadows. Devour. A system to teach him. And an eye that evaluates everyone.
But power alone is not enough.
In a world where betrayal is currency, conspiracies are an art, and power is the only law…
Will Kael rise to the top?
Or will the darkness he seeks to rule crush him instead?