Chapter 5 – The Door That Swallowed Time
Part 1: The Forest That Feeds on Legends
Tap. Tap. Crunch.
My boots sank into moss-black earth. Every step into the Cartivat Wilds felt heavier. The deeper I moved, the more unnatural the world became. This wasn't just a forest.
It was a graveyard for heroes.
The trees stood like obsidian titans. Towering. Twisted. Etched with veins of mana that pulsed crimson and blue beneath their bark. Thump... thump... Almost like heartbeats. The deeper I went, the quieter the world became. Not silent—watching.
Branches curved overhead like claws. Roots shifted beneath the ground. The entire forest was alive. But not in the way nature lives. This place remembered.
And it hated humans.
---
A flicker of light shimmered across a distant tree trunk. I paused.
There it was.
The Crescent Mark.
Just like the previous hero had written.
"When the sky turns black and the wind dies, seek the crescent mark. At its roots lies the trial path. A place outside time."
I knelt beside the roots. Rustle...
Buried beneath dirt and glowing fungus, there was a stone plate. Circular. Ancient. In the center—a hand-shaped indentation.
No hesitation.
I placed my palm down.
CLUNK.
The ground vibrated. Rumble... CRACK!
The earth beneath me opened like a blooming maw. A spiraling staircase unfolded in reverse, leading down into endless blackness.
---
The Entrance to Eternity
As I descended, torches ignited one by one. Fwoosh. Fwoosh. Fwoosh.
The walls were covered in runes I couldn't read, but instinct whispered they were warnings. Or maybe… farewells.
Thud. My foot touched the final step.
Ahead stood a massive obsidian door. Ten meters tall. Shaped like a pair of curved wings sealing something sacred—or dangerous.
The moment I stepped forward...
BOOM.
The door exploded with light.
A cyclone of silver and gold mana engulfed me. My limbs locked. My breath stopped. My body felt like it was being disassembled cell by cell.
"Name yourself."
The voice came from everywhere. Inside my skull. Behind my heartbeat. It was feminine. Ancient. Calm.
"Yuu Yuhin," I said, as the air tore at my coat. "From another world."
"Do you seek death? Or transformation?"
"Both," I answered.
The cyclone screamed. My vision collapsed. WHOOSH. CRACK. FLASH.
Then—silence.
---
Dimension of the Goddess
When I opened my eyes, I stood in an endless white field.
Skyless. Shadowless. Timeless.
In the distance stood a lone tree, taller than a mountain. Its leaves shimmered like glass under moonlight. At its base was a small house, built in traditional Eastern style. A curved rooftop. Red sliding doors. Paper lamps. A quiet breeze.
I stepped forward, and my entire body tensed.
BOOM.
A pressure crashed down around me like gravity multiplied tenfold.
Crack. The ground split beneath my feet. My knees buckled.
A golden light formed in the air before me.
She appeared.
---
A woman walked out of the light, barefoot across the fractured stone. Her hair flowed behind her like threads of starlight—white, silver, violet. She wore a long robe that shimmered with galaxies. Her eyes… were not human.
One was sapphire blue. The other, gold.
She looked ageless. Not beautiful in a mortal way—but in a way that made time kneel.
> "Welcome," she said, her voice soft, yet echoing with endless weight.
"You have entered my Dimension, Yuu Yuhin. I am Nylith, Goddess of Origins."
Pulse…
The air behind her bent. Light distorted. Space unraveled and folded. I couldn't move.
She raised a hand—and the pressure vanished.
Fwoosh.
I stood upright again.
---
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked calmly. "This wasn't part of the map."
She smiled slightly.
"You followed the path of a dead hero. I placed it there, long ago. You were never meant to find it... unless you were ready."
"Ready for what?"
"To carry what no mortal has ever survived."
She stepped closer. Her eyes gleamed.
"In one year's time, a Cataclysmic Beast will awaken. One born from the shattered soul of a fallen god. It is beyond my reach to stop. I am bound by divine law—I cannot interfere in mortal affairs directly."
"But I can prepare someone else."
I narrowed my eyes.
"You need a weapon."
"No," she replied. "I need... a witness."
---
"A witness?"
She circled me now, voice melodic.
"Someone who sees death not once—but a hundred times. Someone who learns by bleeding. Not from destiny... but from choice."
"You are not the chosen one, Yuu Yuhin. You're just the one who kept walking forward."
She stopped in front of me.
"You will train here for twenty years. Time outside will pass slowly—one year only. Your body will not age. But you will die. Often."
I didn't flinch.
"Then let's begin."
---
She raised her hand.
A rift opened in the air. ZRRRM.
From it crawled a creature—massive, black, and steaming. Its skin rippled with armor-like plates. Its jaws held twin rows of obsidian teeth. Its eyes glowed white with madness.
A four-armed, serpent-tailed monster nearly three stories tall.
"Your first opponent: Abyssal Warden of the First Circle."
It roared—a sound like a collapsing star. ROOOAAAAAARRR!!
The ground fractured benea
th it. CRACK—BOOOM!
And before I could fully react—
It moved.
WHOOOOM—THUD!
A claw struck my ribs. I flew. SKRAAAAASH!
Stone shattered. Blood hit my throat.
My first thought wasn't pain.
It was calculation.
______
Part 2: First Death, First Evolution
The Abyssal Warden lunged forward, four massive claws glowing with flaming black aura. Its shadow fell over the field as its roar tore through the sky.
RRROOOAAARR!!
Yuu barely raised his sword before the impact struck.
CRACK!
The first claw slammed into his ribs. His entire body lifted from the ground, spun, and collided with a stone pillar.
BOOM!
SKRRCH!
Dust exploded into the air. Blood splashed across the broken tiles.
Yuu rolled across the battlefield, coughing. A second claw tore through the air.
SWISH—SLASH!
It carved into his side, sending a spray of red across the blackened earth.
The monster raised all four arms. The blades ignited with violent black flame. Mana surged outward, distorting the air.
Yuu's breath caught.
"So this is... it."
The claws came down.
SKRRRRAAASH!
---
[YUU DIED]
Darkness.
Silence.
His soul floated in a void without form, without sound. He couldn't feel his body. Couldn't feel pain. Only... fading.
Then something touched him.
A hand. Warm. Radiant. Unshakable.
"You're not done yet."
The voice pierced the void like moonlight in deep water.
"I didn't bring you here to shatter so quickly."
Light surged through him.
FLASH!
His soul snapped back to existence.
Yuu gasped, eyes flying open.
He was lying in the same arena, whole again—but his body trembled with remembered agony.
The Goddess stood above him, arms folded, her star-patterned robe glimmering softly.
"You lasted longer than most," she said with a calm smile.
Yuu forced himself up. "You saved me."
She gave a slow nod. "Your soul left your body. I pulled it back before it faded beyond reach."
"Why?"
"Because you agreed to train," she said. "Not to die."
---
That Night – The Goddess's House
The traditional house under the divine tree was lit softly. Yuu sat at the low table, bruised and bandaged. The scent of jasmine tea filled the quiet air.
The Goddess entered, barefoot, holding a second cup. She sat beside him with practiced grace.
"Most mortals scream before they die," she said casually. "You were oddly quiet."
"I calculated the outcome," Yuu replied. "There was no way out."
She grinned. "You assumed I'd revive you?"
"I trusted you were watching."
"Careful. You keep saying clever things like that and I might fall for you."
Yuu sipped the tea, unfazed. "You won't."
She raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"Because gods don't fall for mortals. And I don't fall for someone who plays games with death."
A pause.
Then she laughed softly, placing her chin on her palm.
"You're dangerous. I like that."
---
The Next Morning
The arena reset. The Abyssal Warden returned. This time, Yuu moved sharper.
He dodged the first claw.
Whoosh—CLANG!
Struck the creature's ribs with precision.
SKRRAAK!
Purple blood sprayed. The beast shrieked.
Its tail whipped around.
CRACK!
Yuu's leg shattered. He fell hard, sword clattering.
BOOM!
A second strike crushed his chest.
---
☠️ [YUU DIED – 2] ☠️
In the void, the cold crept faster.
But again, her voice pulled him back.
"You're not finished yet."
His lungs filled with air.
He opened his eyes.
The Goddess knelt beside him.
"That's two," she whispered. "Only fifty-eight more to go."
---
The Spark
Later that day, as he stood once more across from the Abyssal Warden, Yuu's hand began to glow.
A faint blue shimmer pulsed in his palm. Not fire. Not lightning. Just raw mana—his own.
The Goddess watched from the edge of the field.
She smiled.
"Now we begin."
____
Part 3: Stance of the Broken Soul
The air was thick with mana. The black arena cracked under Yuu's boots.
Opposite him, the Abyssal Warden stood motionless—waiting. Watching.
Yuu didn't wait this time.
He ran forward.
CRACK!
His foot exploded off the stone tile as he launched into a dash.
The Warden reacted immediately—roaring and sweeping its claws in a wide arc.
KRAAAK—BOOOOM!
Yuu slid under the swing. The wind from the strike carved a trench through the arena wall behind him.
He slashed upward—blade glowing faintly blue.
SKRRRRAK!
His sword bit into the Warden's side. Purple blood burst like ink.
The monster howled.
It retaliated with both upper arms, crashing down.
THWAM—THWAM!
Yuu twisted, dodging one—
—but the second struck his shoulder.
CRUNCH!
His arm bent the wrong way. His sword fell.
SHHHHRRRAK!
The beast drove a claw into his abdomen, lifting him off the ground. Blood rained down like mist.
Yuu screamed—then twisted himself off the claw midair.
SLCHK!
He hit the ground on one knee, gasping, clutching his torn side.
The monster lunged forward.
BOOOM—BOOOM—BOOOM!
Each step cracked the arena.
Yuu stared at it, blood leaking from his lips.
"If I die now… again… I'll die without progress."
He closed his eyes—just for one second.
And remembered.
---
Flashback: Rei's Training
"Your stance collapses when you're under pressure!"
"Then pressure me more!"
"You're standing like a businessman, not a warrior!"
Rei's voice echoed like steel on steel.
"A true stance starts in the soul."
---
Present – New Stance
The Warden struck down with all four arms at once.
DOOOOOM!!
Yuu exhaled.
And moved.
His foot angled. His knees bent lower. His center of gravity shifted—not for balance, but for flow.
CRASH!!
The ground exploded where he had stood. But Yuu wasn't there.
He was already behind the monster.
His eyes glowed faintly blue.
His sword reappeared—formed from pure magic.
The Goddess, high above, smiled.
"Now he moves like a killer."
---
[New Skill: Phantom Step – Fluid Displacement Stance]
Yuu's entire body moved like water—bending through pressure, never resisting it directly.
He leapt upward, spun midair, and brought his sword down.
SLAAAAAAAM!
The blade dug into the beast's shoulder. Purple flesh split wide.
The Warden shrieked and thrashed, knocking Yuu aside.
BOOM!
He hit the stone, rolled, coughed blood.
"Still too slow—!"
---
Third Death
The Warden roared, slamming all four limbs down.
KRRAKADOOM!!
Yuu tried to dodge. He was too late.
SPLAAASH!!
One claw crushed his chest. His spine shattered. Blood exploded from his mouth.
He fell limp.
---
[YUU DIED – 3]
His soul floated again, trembling.
He had fought better. He had landed real damage.
And still…
Still not enough.
---
Revival
She caught his soul with both hands.
"You're adapting fast," the Goddess whispered. "Let's raise the bar."
FLASH!
---
After Resurrection – First Attack Name
Back in the arena, Yuu opened his eyes. His hand twitched.
The mana inside him moved—not randomly, but in response to his will.
He stood slowly.
And whispered:
"Sky Sever."
A blade of wind magic shaped itself along his sword edge.
The Warden turned—too late.
Yuu swung.
SSSSHHHHHHRAAAAAAK!!
A massive arc of compressed wind burst from his sword and tore across the battlefield.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
It carved through the beast's midsection, blowing it back twenty meters. Blood sprayed into the sky. The ground cracked in jagged lines beneath their feet.
The Goddess's eyes gleamed.
"Finally… he's begun."
—
Part 4: The Beast That Shattered the Sky
---
The sky above the Dimension rippled with mana.
The black arena had not fully recovered from Yuu's last battle. Giant claw marks still cut deep across the floor. Pools of dried monster blood shimmered faintly in the distorted sunlight.
Yuu stood at the center, breathing slowly, sword in hand.
"Three deaths," he muttered, eyes locked on the far wall. "Each more painful than the last."
His muscles still screamed from yesterday's injuries, even though his body had been restored. His soul remembered.
And now… a new monster stepped forward.
The ground trembled.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Trees cracked in the distance. Pillars shook.
From the far gate of the endless realm, a beast emerged. Twenty feet tall. Four tusks curved outward like siege spears. Its hide was black-scaled and rippling with crimson mana veins. Its eyes glowed like eclipsed suns.
It wasn't the Abyssal Warden.
This was something else.
The Goddess stood above, her expression unreadable.
"You wanted to grow stronger, didn't you?"
Yuu raised his blade. "What is it?"
She answered without hesitation:
"Titan-Fanged Apex Gorebeast. Rank S. Likes to dismember challengers slowly. Don't let it catch you."
---
First Clash
The Gorebeast roared.
RRRAAAAAUUUGHHH!!!
The air split open from the pressure. CRACK! Magic veins lit up the walls of the Demansion.
It charged forward, every step shaking the ground like an earthquake.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Yuu moved. Dash—slide—side-step. He skated beneath the first stomp. The impact obliterated a 10-meter-wide crater behind him.
BOOOOM!!!
The beast's tusk came swinging like a scythe. Yuu flipped backward, kicking off the shockwave and landing just outside its range.
He extended his palm.
"Sky Sever!"
A blade of compressed air burst forth—razor-thin, nearly invisible.
SSSSHHHHRRRRKK!!
The Gorebeast roared as the arc tore across its chest. Blood splattered in a steaming spray. But it didn't falter.
Instead, it growled.
Then… smiled.
"...It's enjoying this," Yuu whispered.
---
Yuu's Analysis
Observation: Left tusk is slightly cracked.
Weak Point: Exposed rib line during recovery breath after charge.
Limit: Can only fire Sky Sever three more times before mana crashes.
His fingers twitched.
Adapt or die.
---
The beast roared again—then rolled into a spiral attack, its body twisting like a cannonball.
WHOOOM—BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
Stone shattered. Air pressure collapsed. Yuu was caught in the aftershock.
KRAK! His ribs bent. He screamed, barely able to block the second tusk that slammed into his shoulder.
CRUNCH!!
His arm broke.
He flew backward, struck the far wall.
CRAAACK!!!
Blood flew from his mouth.
---
Death #4
He stood—barely—just in time to see a claw crush him from above.
SLAAAAAAM!!!
The arena caved in around him.
---
[YUU DIED – 4]
---
Resurrection
In the void again, pain gave way to cold.
She was waiting.
Hands glowing with white fire.
"You need to stop blocking. Start redirecting."
Her words rang with divine pressure.
"Next time, don't survive. Win."
---
Yuu gasped awake.
---
Rematch Begins
He stood with new balance. His feet lighter. His core stronger.
The beast was already charging again.
Yuu waited this time.
Waited...
Then moved.
Phantom Step: Shadow Curve.
He vanished—reappeared beside the beast's jaw—then slashed upward with pure mana force.
CLAAAANG!!!
The tusk snapped. CRACK!
The Gorebeast howled. Blood geysered upward.
Yuu flipped midair.
"Sky Sever."
Another wave of wind-blade cut through the monster's shoulder.
The beast fell to one knee, roaring in rage.
Yuu exhaled, steady.
---
Then the air changed.
The Gorebeast's body began glowing with red energy. Its heartbeat thundered across the field.
Thump. Thump. THUMP.
Veins of magic pulsed.
It entered Frenzy State.
---
Death #5
It moved too fast.
Yuu blinked—
And found a claw through his abdomen.
The beast roared into his face as it lifted him and slammed him into the ground repeatedly.
CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—BOOM!!
Blood flew in all directions.
Yuu didn't scream.
He just stared up at the sky…
And smiled.
"Still… learned something…"
CRUSH.
---
[YUU DIED – 5]
---
Goddess, Later That Night
Yuu woke up on the porch of the divine house.
His tea was already waiting.
The Goddess sat beside him, legs tucked under her, humming.
"You smile when you die now," she said, sipping.
Yuu chuckled weakly. "I smiled because I figured it out."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
He lifted a finger. Drew three lines in the air.
_____
Part 5: Shattered Stone, Anchored Soul
The dawn inside the Dimension was cold.
The wind didn't move. The sky didn't shift. It was a silent, suspended moment in time—designed only for the next battle.
Yuu stood in the center of the arena once more, body still recovering from the fifth death. His robes were torn, his hands calloused. His breathing was deep, sharp, deliberate.
The stone arena, once smooth and royal, had been fractured beyond recognition.
Cracks ran like spiderwebs across its foundation.
Scorch marks stained its edges.
Blood from beasts—and from Yuu himself—still soaked the jagged tiles.
But today… there were two gates open.
Not one.
He narrowed his eyes.
"They're not giving me a break," he muttered.
The Goddess appeared above, leaning on her elbow from a floating throne of stars.
"After five deaths, you're past 'rest' status."
She flicked her fingers.
From the right gate, the Abyssal Warden emerged once more—its glowing arms already coated in flame.
From the left gate, the Titan-Fanged Apex Gorebeast stepped forward, the broken tusk still cracked from their last battle, its veins pulsing with hate.
"Two at once," Yuu said.
"Think of it as… field testing."
"You're serious?"
"I'm always serious when you're about to die."
Yuu exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
"Then let's begin."
---
Two Beasts, One Field
The Gorebeast moved first.
It charged, claws raised, bloodlust peaking.
Yuu responded.
He sidestepped—Phantom Step activated—and his body shifted just as the claw slammed down.
A crater exploded at his last position. Stone flew like shrapnel.
The Warden was already flanking him.
Flames crackled along its blades as it swung for Yuu's side.
He blocked with his sword.
Steel met bone.
Mana against raw force.
The impact sent him skidding twenty meters backward.
He caught himself.
"Both together is insane. Their pressure overlaps. Vision splits. Sound stacks. Movement lags."
His eyes narrowed.
"But I'm adapting."
---
The Calculation
He focused.
Abyssal Warden: open chest vulnerable during wind-up. Gorebeast: left hind leg limps. Movement curve disrupted.
Both create pressure. Together, they form predictable rhythm.
"If I anchor myself with gravity… I don't get pushed anymore."
He slid his foot forward.
Focused his aura.
And whispered:
"Gravity Veil."
The air around him warped. Tiles beneath his feet cracked inward.
Weight spiraled into him.
His stance no longer wavered.
His sword stopped trembling.
---
[New Technique: Gravity Veil – Aura-anchored defensive stance]
He didn't wait.
He moved toward the Warden first, using Sky Sever to scatter flame aura.
The slash of air disrupted the arc of its swing.
He dove through the opening, blade low.
Slashed upward through the monster's side.
Blood burst.
He spun, just in time to duck under the Gorebeast's charging bite.
The fang grazed his hair.
He activated Phantom Step—vanished midroll—reappearing behind the Gorebeast's spine.
He struck again.
Steel met scale.
It bled.
---
Then the Warden returned, blades glowing.
They clashed.
Yuu blocked with both hands.
The impact should've broken his arms.
But Gravity Veil held him.
The ground cracked deeper—but he didn't fall.
He pushed back.
For the first time… the Warden stumbled.
---
Escalation
The Goddess narrowed her eyes from above.
"They're holding back less. Your pressure is rising."
The Gorebeast entered Frenzy.
Its roars shattered stone. It slammed its fists into the field, turning half the arena into rubble.
Yuu kept moving.
His aura glowed faintly violet. He was beginning to resonate with the Dimension.
But he was tiring.
His lungs burned.
His mana core cracked.
Then the Warden charged him again.
He tried to dodge.
Too late.
The blade caught him in the ribs.
Crushed through.
The Gorebeast followed up, slamming him with full body force.
He went flying—hit the side pillar—broke it.
Blood poured from his mouth.
He dropped to one knee.
Couldn't breathe.
---
Death #6
Both monsters advanced at once.
Four blades. Two tusks.
Yuu lifted his sword one last time.
Then—
Everything went black.
His body was torn in half.
---
[YUU DIED – 6]
---
Revival – This Time Slower
Yuu's soul drifted longer than before.
The Goddess caught it, but didn't immediately revive him.
Instead, she let the darkness settle around him.
Then she spoke:
"You've figured it out."
"Almost."
"You lasted longer than expected. Longer than anyone before you."
He floated in silence.
She whispered:
"Then I'll give you the key."
---
Resurrection – Round 6
Yuu woke up slowly.
The world reformed.
His body was whole.
His eyes opened—glowing faintly with starlight.
He stood without speaking.
Drew his sword.
The monsters waited.
The air was quiet.
And the Goddess whispered above him:
"Now show me what you've become."
---
Yuu raised his blade.
He entered Gravity Veil.
Then layered Phantom Step.
Then shaped Sky Sever along the edge.
Three techniques. One motion.
He charged.
Both monsters lunged.
The earth cracked.
Manatore through the air like lightning.
Steel met bone.
Stone exploded.
The sky inside the Dimension turned white.
—
"Next time… I won't block. I'll redirect. And..."
His eyes narrowed.
"I'll anchor gravity to my aura."
Her smirk faded.
"…Yuu figured that out already?"
"Beginning to," he said, voice calm. "It's how the beast moved. It wasn't strength—it was weight distortion."
She stared at him for a long time.
Then whispered:
"Good. Because if you survive tomorrow, I'll teach you how to bend space."
—
End of chapter 5