The streets leading to Shahbag were a chaotic mess of abandoned cars and screaming pedestrians. A massive pillar of golden light pierced the clouds right above the Bangladesh National Museum, turning the evening sky into an eerie shade of amber. To the common people, it was a terrifying miracle. To Aryan, it was a death warrant for half the city.
"Move!" Aryan hissed as he navigated through the crowd on a stolen rickshaw, pushing the pedals until his muscles burned. Behind him, two invisible presences trailed in the darkness—the Shadow Rat and the Ghoul Soldier.
[Time Remaining: 01 Hour 12 Minutes.]
[Warning: Mana saturation in the area has reached 40%. Normal humans are beginning to hallucinate.]
Aryan hopped off the rickshaw near the TSC intersection. The air here felt like thick syrup. He saw people kneeling on the ground, clutching their heads, screaming about monsters that weren't there yet. This was the 'Mana Fever'—the precursor to a massive Gate opening.
"System," Aryan whispered, "Inventory."
A dark ripple appeared in the air. He reached in and pulled out the rusted iron rod he had used earlier. However, as it touched his hand, the Chronos Archive glowed.
[Fragmented Mana Crystal detected. Would you like to forge a 'Basic Shadow Blade'?]
"Do it," Aryan commanded.
The crystal he looted from the Ghoul shattered into dust, coating the iron rod in a layer of obsidian energy. The rod transformed into a sleek, black dagger that seemed to vibrate with hunger.
[Item Created: Shadow Fang (Rank F - Growth Type)]
[Effect: Increases Agility by +5. Small chance to inflict 'Fear' on enemies.]
Aryan reached the Museum gates. The security guards were already dead, their bodies shriveled as if their life force had been sucked out. In the center of the courtyard, the golden pillar was fading, revealing a swirling vortex of violet and black energy—a Gate.
And standing in front of it was the source of the golden light. It wasn't a monster, but a man in a white suit, his eyes glowing with an artificial golden hue.
"An Apostle?" Aryan's blood ran cold. In his past life, the Apostles were humans who sold their souls to the Void-Beasts in exchange for early power. They were the traitors of humanity.
"Oh? A survivor who hasn't succumbed to the fever?" The man in white turned, a cruel smile on his face. "You smell... different. Like someone who shouldn't be here."
"I could say the same about you, traitor," Aryan spat, gripping his Shadow Fang.
"Traitor? No, I am a pioneer," the man laughed. He snapped his fingers, and from the shadows of the museum's ancient statues, three 'Stone Golems' rumbled to life. These were Rank E monsters, far stronger than the Ghoul.
[Quest Update: Defeat the Apostle's Sentinels.]
[Penalty for Failure: Soul Consumption.]
"Rise," Aryan commanded, his voice echoing with the authority of an Archivist.
From his shadow, the Ghoul Soldier and the Shadow Rat emerged. The Ghoul roared, its jagged claws extending, while the rat grew in size, its fur bristling like needles.
The battle began in a flash. The Ghoul Soldier lunged at the first Golem, its claws clashing against stone with a shower of sparks. Aryan moved like a blur, his new 'Shadow Fang' slicing through the air. Thanks to the +5 Agility boost, he felt lighter, faster.
He slid under the legs of a Golem and stabbed his dagger into its glowing core.
[Critical Hit!]
The Golem exploded into rubble. But the Apostle wasn't impressed. He raised his hand toward the Museum's main building.
"Did you know, Archivist? This museum holds the 'Zainul Abedin' collection. Art is just captured soul. Let's see how you handle a masterpiece."
The man in white chanted a dark incantation. Suddenly, the shadows from the paintings inside the museum flew out, merging into a singular, horrific entity—a 'Ink-Stained Horror' (Rank D).
Aryan's eyes widened. A Rank D monster? At Level 4? This was a suicide mission.
"System! Give me something!" Aryan roared as the Ink-Horror swung a massive, liquid arm at him.
[Ding!]
[Hidden Condition Met: Facing a Boss-tier enemy while underleveled.]
[Temporary Skill Unlocked: 'Archive Overdrive'.]
[Description: For 60 seconds, you can use any skill from a 'Future' page of the Archive. Price: 90% of your current Mana.]
"Use it!" Aryan screamed, dodging a strike that shattered the concrete behind him.
The black book flipped its pages rapidly, stopping at a page that was glowing with blood-red light.
[Skill Selected: 'Shadow Domain - Execution Ground'.]
In an instant, the entire museum courtyard was plunged into absolute darkness. Thousands of shadowy spears erupted from the ground, impaling the Ink-Horror and the remaining Golems. The Apostle's smile vanished as he was lifted into the air by a shadowy hand.
"Wait! Who are you?!" the Apostle screamed in terror.
Aryan stood in the center of the darkness, his eyes now entirely black. He walked toward the Apostle, the Shadow Fang dripping with violet ichor.
"I am the one who remembers the end," Aryan said, his voice sounding like a thousand souls speaking at once.
With a swift motion, he slit the Apostle's throat.
[Level Up! Level 4 -> Level 7.]
[You have defeated an Apostle of the Void.]
[Archive Point gained: 2000.]
But as the darkness faded, Aryan collapsed to his knees, coughing up blood. The 'Overdrive' had nearly destroyed his mana circuits.
Suddenly, the Gate behind the dead Apostle began to crack. Instead of closing, it expanded. From the depths of the vortex, a massive, skeletal hand—larger than a truck—reached out and gripped the edges of the Gate.
A voice, ancient and terrifying, boomed from the other side.
"So... the Archivist has awakened early. How interesting."
Aryan looked up, his vision fading. The skeletal hand started pulling a being of immense power into the world. It was a 'Calamity Class' beast.
"No... not yet..." Aryan gasped.
The screen flickered one last time before he lost consciousness.
[Final Warning: The 'First Calamity' has evolved. Entity 'The Lich King of Bengal' is descending.]
[Estimated survival rate: 0.01%]