Twenty hours had passed. Kael looked like a ghost. His clothes were in rags, and his body was a map of scars. But his movement was fluid, his eyes sharp. He had killed dozens of monsters on his way to the heart of the Abyss.
Finally, he saw it. The Altar of the Lost.
It was a massive stone platform surrounded by floating blue flames. Standing in front of the altar was a boss monster—a Dread-Knight. It was a towering suit of rusted armor animated by a vengeful spirit, wielding a jagged greatsword.
[Target: Abyssal Dread-Knight (Elite)]
[Level: 10]
[Danger Level: High]
"A Zero... at the Altar?" a hollow, metallic voice echoed from the armor. "The Gods have sent me a pathetic gift."
The Dread-Knight swung its sword. The air itself seemed to tear. Kael rolled to the side, the blade missing him by an inch and shattering the rock behind him.
Kael knew he couldn't take a direct hit. He had to use the one thing the Gods didn't have: Desperation.
As the Knight swung again, Kael didn't dodge. He moved in. The massive sword pierced through Kael's side, pinning him to the ground.
"I have you," the Knight hissed.
"No," Kael spat out a mouthful of blood, grabbing the Knight's armored arm with a grip like a vice. "I have you."
[Condition Met: Near-Death State!]
[Berserker Mode: ON]
[All Physical Stats Tripled for 10 seconds!]
With a roar that shook the canyon, Kael used his newfound strength to rip the Knight's helmet off. Inside was nothing but blue fire. Kael plunged his obsidian dagger into the center of the flames and twisted.
"For every 'Zero' you've killed..." Kael growled. "Die!"
The flames exploded. The armor collapsed into a pile of junk.
[Quest Completed!]
[Rewards: 5000 XP, Title: 'Abyss Survivor', Item: 'Vanguard's Broken Blade']
[System Update...]
[New Skill Unlocked: 'God-Slayer's Eye' – Allows you to see the weaknesses of any being, including Gods.]
Kael stood amidst the wreckage of the Elite monster. He picked up the rusted, heavy blade. It was heavy, but to him, it felt right.
He looked up at the sky. He could feel the eyes of the Gods watching him now. They were no longer looking down in pity. They were looking down in fear.
"Chapter one of my life is over," Kael said, pointing his broken blade at the heavens. "Chapter two is your destruction."