The Kingdom's Soldiers – Those Who Still Believe
As Damian and his companions prepared to descend into the depths of the temple,a group stepped in to block their path.
The kingdom's elite soldiers.
They believed in the research—believed the experiment was meant to protect the kingdom.
There had been no formal order.They stood there of their own will.
"You can't enter.""The kingdom's shamans reviewed this carefully.What grounds do you have to deny it?"
Their eyes held no doubt.To them, Damian and his party were outsiders—obstacles to a sacred mission.
But Damian and his companions knew the truth:
This experiment was not sealing the rifts—it was opening them.
"We have to get inside,"Damian said firmly.
The soldiers drew their swords.They weren't going to step aside.
"We can't allow it."
An Unavoidable Battle – Subduing Without Killing
Damian's group had hoped to avoid violence.These weren't enemies—just people who believed in the wrong cause.
But time was running out.The summoning was about to begin.
A swift, non-lethal battle ensued:
Ian disrupted their formation, neutralizing key commanders.
Cain used ranged attacks to restrict movement and cover his allies.
Rean employed sleep magic to minimize casualties.
Kaio unleashed divine shockwaves from the center of the fray.
They moved with precision and control—subduing the soldiers without killing.
"Sorry, but we don't have time for this,"Damian said, deflecting a blade with practiced ease.
One by one, the soldiers fell unconscious or incapacitated.
The Sealed Underground – A Place Out of Place
As they descended into the hidden levels of the temple,the atmosphere changed entirely.
This was not a naturally formed space.
Unlike the ancient structures above,this place was made of metal—an artificial design.Strange glowing symbols lined the walls—symbols not written in any language of this world.
"What is this…?"Rean placed a hand on the wall.It shimmered under her touch—alive.
"A temple made of metal?"Cain muttered in disbelief.
"Not just metal,"Kaio said, expanding his magical senses."This material reacts to both divine and arcane energy. It's… something else."
This was not a ruin from their world.
"Maybe this is what Those Who See Beyond were really after,"Damian said quietly.
The temple above had merely been the entrance.This was the true sanctum.
Out of Place – The Arrival of Golems and Harpies
As they ventured deeper,a mechanical sound echoed from the walls.
THOOM.
The ground trembled.
Metal golems emerged from the walls—massive, moving guardians of the temple.
Above, the flutter of wings—
Harpies.
"Harpies?"Ian narrowed his eyes."That's… wrong."
The golems: guardians of this underground sanctum.
The harpies: creatures that didn't belong here at all.
"This isn't just a rift… it's a link to another world,"Rean said through gritted teeth.
There was no time to ponder.
The guardians attacked.
Battle Inside the Temple
Damian struck at the joints of the golems, targeting weak points with mobility.
Ian lured harpies to the ground, disrupting their flight.
Kaio used divine magic to cripple their wings.
Rean cast wide-range spells to control multiple enemies.
Cain picked off targets with pinpoint precision.
Together, they fought as one—and after a tense battle,the guardians fell.
"This is supposed to be a temple?"Ian panted.
As silence fell,a massive door creaked open before them.
From within—a blinding light poured forth.
Something was being summoned.
The Summoning Nears Completion
At the center of the temple,Those Who See Beyond stood waiting.
They had waited for this moment.
Their experiment had not failed.It had gone exactly as planned.
They had never intended to seal the rifts.They were calling something forth.
"It's almost ready,"one of them whispered."We will witness the truth."
From the center of the ritual,a shape began to form.
A colossal figure made of light—it radiated a presence akin to divine power.
But Damian knew—this was no god.
"This isn't a summoning... this is reality being rewritten."
Those Who See Beyond weren't calling a deity.They were rewriting the laws of the world.
And the process was nearly complete.
****
Chapter : The Fabricated God – A Decision Faster Than Light
Faster Than Light – Cain's Arrow
A decision in an instant.A reaction without hesitation.
Cain didn't waver.The moment he pulled the bowstring,the world seemed to slow around him.
"Target locked."
His fingers subtly adjusted the angle—his breath steady, eyes sharp.
Three arrows, in one motion.
They tore through the air,each tracing a perfect arc.
"Gah—!""Aagh!"
Several members of Those Who See Beyond collapsed with a scream.
It was too fast.They had no time to respond.
But—
It was already too late.
The Summoning Completes – And Despair Follows
Those Who See Beyond didn't flinchas their own members fell.
Their purpose was already fulfilled.
At the center of the temple—at the core of the light—
Something had been born.
"It's done…!""We've finally summoned a god!"
They rejoiced.
But—
As the being began to rise,their joy twisted into horror.
This was no god.
The Unpredictable Entity
At first, the form was vague.A blur of light and motion.
But slowly—it solidified, adapting to this world's laws.
Those Who See Beyond believed they could control it.That through the ritual, it would obey.
But it moved—on its own.
"Stop!""We summoned you!"
They tried to bind it with their magic—but the being turned.
It looked at them.
👁️ There was no intelligence.👁️ No emotion.Only instinct.
And then—
It reached out.
💥 Annihilation.
They vanished.No scream, no struggle.
As if they had never existed at all.
Damian's Choice – An Empty End
Damian drew his sword.
He knew.
"This is my burden to end."
The thing moved again—and so did he.
His blade sliced through the air—
⚔ One clean strike.
The entity shuddered.Then—
It disappeared.
Suddenly.Without warning.As if it had never been real.
Too Late – The Others Arrive
Moments later, the kingdom's shamans reached the temple.
What they saw stunned them:
🔹 Those Who See Beyond — gone.🔹 The inner sanctum — scarred and strange.🔹 And Damian — standing alone, sword in hand.
"It's over."
That was what they believed.
"Damian destroyed it.""The threat is gone."
They sighed in relief.The kingdom would know peace once more.
But—
Damian looked down at his blade.
"It didn't vanish. It fled.""This isn't over."
It hadn't been destroyed—only transformed.Or worse, it had found a new form to inhabit.
But no one questioned it.
"Peace has returned," they said.
And only Damian knew—
This was not the end.
But for now—
"…Fine. Let's call it finished."
He slowly sheathed his sword.
****
Chapter : The Schism of the Paladins – Interpreting the Will of God
1. The Paladins Once United… Now Divided
Amid war, growing fractures, and theological chaos,the once-unified paladin order had splintered.
They no longer walked a single path.Now, two factions stood opposed:
⚔ The Punishment Faction – The Hardliners
"The only way to fulfill the divine will is through our swords."
They claimed the fractures and temple anomalies were causedby outsiders—Damian included—and the meddling of shamans.
They preached rigid order,believing that divine law could only be upheld through strength.
Their doctrine:
"To protect the order of the Sun, blood must be shed."
🛡 The Protection Faction – The Moderates
"We are not interpreters of divine will. We are its instruments."
They feared hasty decisions and sudden upheaval.
They opposed escalating tensions with Solistiumand argued that judgment must wait until the divine will became clear.
But they lacked organizational strength.Their voices were often drowned out by the zealotry of the hardliners.
2. Hatred Toward Damian – The Hardliners' Verdict
After the collapse of the summoningand the annihilation of Those Who See Beyond,the punishment faction saw it not as salvation—but as blasphemy.
"It was a gift from the divine—and Damian ruined everything!""If he hadn't interfered, we would have communed with God!"
To them, Damian wasn't just a foreigner.He was a threat to the Sun's ordained order,a heretic who had stolen their one chance at transcendence.
Their conclusion was clear:
"Damian must be punished."
3. The March of the Paladins – A Collision with Damian
In Solistium, Damian remained.
He was investigating the remnants of the fracture,tracing the echoes of what had happened.
When—
CLANG.CLANG.
The sound of heavy armor echoed through the streets.
Figures emerged, clad in divine plate—their eyes burning with suspicion and fury.
"Outsider."
The voice that called out to him was heavy—and absolute.
"You interfered with the divine plan.You will answer for defiling the will of the Sun."
Damian looked back in silence.
This anger—this logic—was foreign to him.
But he understood:
To them, reason no longer mattered.They were prisoners of belief.
Their swords began to glow.Holy energy surged.
The judgment had begun.
***
Chapter : Paladins vs. Shamans – A Clash Beneath the Sun
1. When Gods Collide
"There is no forgiveness for those who defile the will of the divine."
The paladins raised their swords.
Holy light surged around their blades,swelling with righteous fury.
"Eliminate the outsider!"
Just as they lunged forward—
"Wait."
A quiet voice echoed through the air.
Whoosh—
Golden and crimson hues merged,and the shamans, bearing the light of the sun, stepped between them.
A high shaman of Solistium stood before the armored knights,his voice calm but unyielding:
"You may speak of the divine all you like.""But this is Solistium.""And here, if judgment is to be passed—we shall be the ones to decide."
2. Shamans vs. Paladins – Same Power, Different Faith
Both wield holy power—but the way they interpret and channel it diverges deeply.
Paladins channel divine strength through their bodies and blades.Shamans attune themselves to nature,drawing harmony from the world around them.
This difference defined the battle.
⚔ Paladins
Close-quarters combat centered on sword and shield.
Use divine blessings to reduce damage and heal mid-battle.
Excel in formation-based group warfare.
🌀 Shamans
Utilize totems to manipulate the battlefield and disrupt enemies.
Blend holy energy with elemental magic for long-range attacks.
Focus on enhancement and field control, not healing.
First Clash – Light Meets Lightning
One paladin charged in:
"Blade of Sacred Radiance!"
Holy energy surged to the tip of his sword—then burst forth in a blinding arc.
But the shaman had already acted.
"Storm Ward!"
A totem of lightning crashed into the ground.
CRACK!
The paladin's sword struck the field of lightning—and exploded mid-air in a roar of divine and elemental fury.
The shaman extended his hand,already weaving a new incantation.
3. Kaio Enters the Battlefield
At that moment—
A warrior wreathed in red holy light burst into the fray.
"Paladins... do you truly believe your god is the only one?"
Kaio had arrived.
His warhammer blazed with sacred fire.He was a shaman—yet fought like a paladin.
🔥 Kaio's Battle Style
Berserker Mode: Maximizes power and speed.
Frontal Assault: Clashes directly with paladins.
Totem Sync: Amplifies ally buffs mid-battle.
His entrance began to shift the tide.
"I do not impose the sun's will—but I do not deny it either."
Kaio tore through the paladins with brute force and precision.
He embodied the threshold between shaman and knight—and that shook the paladins to their core.
Turning the Tide
With Kaio's lead,the shamans began to push back the paladins.
Light and nature clashed,and for the first time,the zeal of the hardliners began to waver.
The balance of battle was shifting.