POV: Kael DarkflameLocation: Trial Gate A, Tier-2 Arena Network
He hadn't even had time to rest.
After Astra's revelation and the glimpse into Soren Veyr's past, Kael returned to his quarters to find a new notification glowing on his system interface:
Trial Notification – Personal Override
Arena Assignment: [REAPER GRAVEYARD – CLASS SYNC PATHWAY]
Sync Level Detected: 11%
Trial Type: Soul Echo CombatThreat Tier: UnknownSystem Support: Restricted
Objective: Survive for 12 minutes.
"Not… normal," Kael muttered, staring at the swirling vortex in front of him.
No stone gates. No instructors. No glowing archways.
Just an endless pit of shadow, suspended by silver chains… and a whisper in the back of his skull:
"They failed. You walk over their bones."
"Don't fall where they did."
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POV: Instructor Rayle – Control Chamber
"She's thrown him into the Graveyard," he growled, eyes wide. "That arena hasn't been accessed in centuries."
Selene stood behind him, her arms folded.
"And yet it responded to him."
Rayle whirled on her. "What if it kills him?"
Selene's voice was quiet.
"Then he was never the Reaper."
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POV: Kael – Inside the Graveyard
He dropped into blackness.
And landed not on stone, but shattered weapons.
Scythes.
Dozens of them.
Rusting, broken, decayed.
The field stretched endlessly—half buried in ash, lit only by a cold, dying moon above.
Each scythe had a name etched into its shaft.
Raiketh. Varu. Kelan. Thel Veyr.
All dead.
System Message – Ghost Signal Detected
Welcome, Successor
Initiating Soul Echo Sequence…Opponent 1 of 3: [REAPER SHADE – Raiketh of Ice]
Core Stability: SoulboundEstimated Power: Ascendant (suppressed)
Objective: Reap him.
Kael turned just in time to see a mist gather, forming a humanoid figure with glowing frost eyes and an ancient scythe that hummed with despair.
Raiketh's voice echoed across the field:
"You carry his blood."
"Then prove you're not another failure."
Kael raised Broodfang and dropped into stance.
"Gladly."
Combat Initiated – Soul Echo Trial
❗ System Limitations Active➤ Skill list: Locked➤ Passive traits: Locked
➤ Only Reaper Core Authority usable
Kael narrowed his eyes.
That meant no dodge boosts, no scan support.
Just instinct and shadow.
Raiketh lunged — frost erupting from every step, turning the field into a frozen battlefield.
Kael stepped sideways just in time, shadow blooming under his boots.
No system means no crutches.
He swung Broodfang, meeting Raiketh's strike in a blinding clash.
Shadow against frost.
Steel against memory.
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POV: Kael (Internal)
His arm burned. Raiketh was fast. Faster than Kael had expected for a soul echo.
But… not perfect.
He's bound by how he died.
Kael let the blade pass close and used the momentum to drive his scythe under Raiketh's guard, carving deep into the shade's ribs.
Instead of blood — echoes poured out. Faint screams. Distant prayers.
Raiketh staggered.
"So you do learn."
Kael surged forward, now weaving shadow glyphs with each strike — not for power, but for memory.
He saw it now.
Raiketh had died freezing alone in the northern gate, surrounded by monsters he could not outrun.
He died with regret.
Kael whispered:
"You were strong."
"But you forgot why you swung the scythe."
He thrust Broodfang into Raiketh's chest—
And the echo shattered.
System Update – Soul Sync Improved
Soul Echo Defeated: Raiketh
Legacy Memory Absorbed: 3%Total Sync: 14%
Partial Skill Gained: ❄ Frozen Cleave (Rank F)
Next Echo: Varu of Chains
The next one rose without warning.
Tall, wrapped in black barbed wire, eyes missing.
Varu didn't speak.
He just threw a chain.
Kael caught it—
And screamed as it began to pull at his soul.
System Note
You must kill what you might become.
You must learn their sins.
Kael ripped the chain from his chest, blood seeping through his shirt. Shadow oozed from the wound instead of red.
He steadied himself.
"Let's dance, Varu."
End of Chapter 24