Pain hit him like a truck.
Kael's body slammed against the cold dungeon floor, the impact rattling his bones. Every muscle screamed in protest as his veins seemed to ignite with fire, his bones feeling fragile as if they might snap like twigs under the pressure. His heart thundered in his chest, the rapid pounding echoing in his ears, each beat like a drum signaling his inevitable doom.
[Initializing Gatekeeper Protocol.]
[Warning: Physical body incompatible.]
[Adjusting.]
He gasped for air, the world spinning around him. His vision blurred as his blood glowed faintly purple beneath his skin, pulsing in time with the ancient runes carved into the dungeon's door.
[System Reboot Successful.]
[You have awakened: Gatekeeper.]
The pain suddenly ceased, as though a switch had been flipped. In the silence that followed, Kael lay still for a long moment, trying to steady his breathing, trying to make sense of what had just happened. His senses were heightened, too sharp. He could feel everything—the blood coursing through his veins, the faintest movements in the air around him, the way the world had shifted just beyond his understanding.
He opened his eyes.
The air shimmered before him, distorting like heat rising from the ground. Reality itself seemed fractured, cracked at the edges, the faint glow of cracks in space and time visible to him alone. Shadows flickered unnaturally, stretching like dark tendrils across the floor. He could see... another layer of the world, twisted and folded, like some forgotten dimension that existed just behind his own.
"What... the hell am I?" he whispered, his voice unsteady, his breath shallow.
[You are no longer bound to standard ranking systems.][You are no longer human in the traditional sense.][Welcome to your Trial.]
Kael's stomach twisted as the dungeon around him shifted once more. The walls seemed to warp, stretching and bending, the hallway elongating as though it were an elastic fabric. The torches flickered erratically, casting a sickly light over the place. Something was watching him—something waiting.
[First Trial Initiated: Survive the Echo Beast.][Reward: Riftblade Core + Shadow Assimilation Skill.][Failure = Erasure.]
A growl rumbled through the air, low and unsettling. It vibrated through Kael's chest, sending shivers down his spine.
The Echo Beast emerged from the shadows.
Tall, skeletal, its body encased in jagged, obsidian armor, its glowing blue heart visible through its exposed ribcage. The creature's face—if you could call it a face—was an abyss, a shifting void that screamed, its blackness moving with unnatural speed. It was a thing of nightmares, and Kael's stomach churned at the sight of it.
Kael's pulse quickened, his legs freezing as the reality of what he was facing settled in. He could run, but there was no escape. The dungeon had locked him in, and there was no other choice but to fight.
[Skill: Battle Instinct acquired (temporary).]
His body moved before his mind could catch up. A strange clarity settled over him. His legs shifted, taking an offensive stance, his arms raised, ready for the inevitable attack. His movements were smooth, almost instinctive, as if his body already knew how to fight.
The Echo Beast lunged.
Kael's heart jumped into his throat, and he threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the beast's massive claws. He rolled across the stone floor, pain blooming in his ribs from the impact, but he pushed through. He scrambled to his feet, eyes locked on the creature.
But when he struck, his fist landed on its obsidian armor—and the impact was like punching stone. His hand felt numb, pain shooting through his arm. The Echo Beast didn't even flinch.
"Give me something, anything!" Kael shouted, desperation creeping into his voice.
[Request acknowledged.]
A blade materialized in his hand, formed from light, crackling with violet energy. The Riftblade.
Kael didn't hesitate. He swung the sword with all his strength, aiming for the beast's exposed ribs. The blade sliced through the air with a sharp hum, but when it hit the creature's armor, it barely left a mark. The sword vibrated with the impact, and Kael felt the energy draining from it.
The Echo Beast roared, a sound that shook the very foundations of the dungeon, and then it charged again.
Kael barely had time to react. Its claws swung like a tidal wave, and he rolled beneath them, the massive limbs missing him by inches. But as he surged forward, trying to land another strike, the beast moved with terrifying speed. One swipe of its claw caught him across the chest, sending Kael crashing into the stone wall. His breath was knocked out of him, pain exploding in his side.
"I can't... I can't keep up..." he muttered, struggling to stay conscious.
[Skill: Shadow Assimilation unlocked.]
Kael's body surged with an unfamiliar power. The shadows around him seemed to call to him, swirling with a magnetic force. He could feel them, pulling him in. Without thinking, he vanished, his form dissolving into the darkness, slipping between dimensions like a phantom.
For a moment, the Echo Beast swiped at the air where Kael had been, confused. The shadows flickered, then disappeared altogether.
Kael reappeared behind the beast, breath ragged, his chest burning. The Riftblade crackled with new energy in his hands, but before he could strike, the beast turned toward him. Its hollow face screeched, a sound so primal it rattled his very bones. It was faster now, its movements more fluid, as if the darkness itself had empowered it.
Kael swung, but the beast was too quick. It caught his arm mid-swing, its claws tearing into his flesh, and in a single motion, flung him across the room. The world spun as Kael hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his skull. He struggled to get up, blood dripping from his wounds.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
He could feel the Riftblade flickering in his hand, the energy waning. He wasn't strong enough. But he had to be. He wasn't going to die here.
[Skill: Echo Step unlocked.]
Suddenly, Kael felt the shadows surge around him, pulsing with power. A wave of energy passed through him, his vision blurring as he stepped into the void. He reappeared directly above the beast, the Riftblade raised high, its power coursing through him. He swung it down with all his might.
The sword cut through the beast's armor with a resounding crack, the blade leaving a glowing trail in its wake. The creature howled, its form cracking and splitting apart. The blue light of its heart flickered as the beast staggered back, its skeletal body disintegrating in front of Kael's eyes.
But it wasn't dead. Not yet.
Kael's knees buckled beneath him, his breath ragged, his energy drained. The creature was still standing, its shriek of rage tearing at his ears. He had wounded it, but the fight wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
"I'm not finished," Kael muttered, determination lighting his blood. He gripped the Riftblade tighter, his will unbroken.
In that moment, a final surge of energy coursed through him. Kael knew he had to finish this.
With a primal roar, Kael dove forward once more, and in one fluid motion, he thrust the Riftblade directly into the heart of the Echo Beast. The creature shrieked, its form exploding in a burst of shadow and light. The last remnants of it scattered into dust, vanishing from existence.
For a long moment, there was silence.
[Trial Complete.][Reward Granted.][You have unlocked: Riftblade Mastery + Shadow Fusion.]
[Level Up!][You have advanced to Level 1. Progressing... 2... 3... 4...][You have reached Level 20.]
Kael collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. His body ached, and blood dripped from countless wounds, but he felt something else—a surge of power, like nothing he had ever felt before. The system's notifications flashed before his eyes, and he saw them:
Level 1Level 2Level 3...Level 20.
His heart raced, and for the first time since his awakening, he allowed himself a small smile. The power he felt was incredible, but he knew the hardest challenges were still to come.
"I've only just begun," Kael whispered, pushing himself to his feet, the Riftblade still glowing faintly in his hand.
And deep in the shadows, something—someone—was watching. Waiting.
End of Chapter 2