"The gods were never kind. I simply chose to stop kneeling."
The wind howled over the Obsidian Chapel, an abandoned temple hidden beneath the west wing of the Academy. Long sealed, long cursed. Students were forbidden to speak its name. Professors pretended it never existed.
Which meant, of course, Kael had to be there.
He stood before a blackened altar flanked by statues whose eyes had been gouged out. The chamber smelled of soot, iron, and time.
[System Alert: Forbidden Structure Detected]"Temple of the First Betrayer"Relic of the Dark Era. All gods erased its existence.Warning: Entering may permanently alter your system alignment.
Kael placed his hand on the altar.
The stone burned cold.
And it opened.
🔥 The Descent – Trial of the Forsaken Flame
Steps unfurled into the earth, carved in obsidian and carved by something inhuman. As Kael descended, the walls pulsed with veins of dying fire. Varnak followed silently, skeletal fingers twitching with unease.
"You should not be here, Master. This place was sealed with divine chains."
"Then I'm in the right place."
They reached the final chamber—a colossal, circular tomb lined with seven cracked thrones and a chained, shattered altar in the center.
Upon it: a burning skull, encased in ash, whispering.
"Who… dares… seek my curse?"
Kael stepped forward.
"Raven Ashfall. Or Kael Blackpine. Whichever name burns brighter."
The skull laughed, and ash spiraled violently.
[System Notice: Tier II Villain Evolution Available]— Requirement: Survive the Trial of the Forsaken Flame— Reward: Forbidden System Upgrade + Relic Skill + Access to Tier II Shop
Warning: 87% fatality rate. Soul may be partially consumed. Memory damage possible.
Kael didn't hesitate.
He stepped into the flame.
🔥🔥🔥 Trial Begins — The Seven Sins of Power
The fire swallowed him.
He fell—not physically, but through time and identity.
Each "layer" of the trial stripped him down.
I. The Sin of Regret
Kael relived the moment his mother was executed.He stood in the crowd again.But this time, his legs were frozen—just like back then.
"You could've saved her," a voice whispered.
"I didn't have power," he replied.
"You had choice."
Kael screamed—and kept walking.
II. The Sin of Mercy
He saw the prince begging at his feet, bloody and broken.
"Spare me," Lorian wept.
Kael raised a blade—and hesitated.
"That hesitation," the skull hissed, "is your rot."
Kael struck.
III. The Sin of Doubt
Kael stood before Aeyla.
"If she begged for forgiveness… would you forgive her?"
"No."
"Liar."
Fire ripped through his spine—but he didn't fall.
IV–VII (Greed, Pride, Wrath, Betrayal)
Each sin burned. Each tested a version of himself he might have become.
But Kael emerged, scorched, broken—and awake.
💀 Return to the Chamber
His body collapsed before the altar.
But his mind returned—stronger.
The skull pulsed with approval.
"You bled. You broke. And still you wear no crown."
"Then give me one."
Ash swirled upward—forming a crown of bone and flame that didn't rest on Kael's head but burned into his soul.
[Villain System: EVOLVED — Tier II: Sovereign of Ruin]New Features Unlocked:— Tier II Shop Access— Relic Skill: King's Brand(Mark territory. Any death within it empowers you.)— Passive: Fire That Remembers(All pain suffered fuels your next spell. Stacks once per injury.)— **Command Limit Increased: May now summon 3 undead elite followers (1 acquired: Varnak)._
Forbidden Blessing Fragment (1/7) Resonated.The flame has recognized your will. You are no longer a puppet of fate.
Kael stood slowly.
Eyes burning red-gold.
The skull crumbled.
The chamber collapsed.
But he walked through fire and ruin—untouched.
🌑 Hours Later — Tomb Gate
Varnak knelt.
"You walked through godfire and returned with it in your eyes."
Kael said nothing.
He raised a finger.
Marked the ground with his new brand.
And whispered:
"Let this be my throne. And let the world know… kings do not rise by blessing."
"They rise by surviving damnation."