The underground cavern of Floor 6 thundered with chaos. The echo of steel, claws, and roars merged into a single storm of sound, shaking the roots of the earth above.
Kane's blade met the massive axe of the Goblin Chieftain, sparks flashing as the hulking green-skinned monster pressed forward with primal ferocity. The Chieftain's yellow eyes glowed with malice, each swing fueled by its brutal strength. Kane, chest heaving, forced his body into overdrive, parrying, deflecting, retaliating—his skills flowing like instinct.
On the opposite side of the cavern, Reina's group faced the Wolf Alpha Lord. The beast was a nightmare of black fur and glowing crimson eyes, its body rippling with muscle and predatory grace. Each time the twins, Elysia, and the toys attempted a coordinated strike, the wolf adapted—dodging their patterns, snapping at openings, and striking with cunning precision.
The rabbit construct darted forward, clashing with the Alpha Lord in a display of sheer speed. Their collisions sent shockwaves across the battlefield, blurring to the eyes of everyone except Reina, who stood frozen in both fear and determination.
And then it happened.
From the shadows, a shape emerged—a Goblin Assassin. Its dagger gleamed faintly, dripping with venom. In the heat of the duel, Kane barely sensed it before it was too late.
"—Kane!!"
The Assassin struck with deadly precision. Kane's reflexes saved him from a lethal blow, but the distraction cost him.
The Goblin Chieftain's fist, like a boulder, slammed into Kane's chest. The impact ripped the air from his lungs and hurled him several meters across the battlefield, crashing into the rocky floor with bone-rattling force.
"Gah—!" Blood sprayed from his mouth as he coughed, pain stabbing through his ribs. His sword clattered across the stone, echoing like a death bell.
For a heartbeat, silence fell.
Then Reina's scream tore through the cavern.
"BROTHER!!"
Her small body trembled violently as tears streamed down her face. Her sobbing voice was raw, almost primal. The sound resonated in the hollow of the dungeon like a command from the depths of fate itself.
Something snapped.
The toys—the rabbit, the robot, the wooden soldiers—halted mid-motion. Their eyes, once mechanical glows, flared like burning coals. Elysia staggered, clutching her chest, as an unfamiliar sensation erupted within her.
It was rage.It was grief.It was fury born from seeing Reina cry.
[System Notice: Emotional Override Detected]
Trigger Condition Met – Berserk State Activated.
All units linked to 'Child of Fate' gain +70% to all stats. Mental stability compromised.
The toys roared in mechanical, distorted voices, lunging at the Wolf Alpha Lord with newfound savagery. The rabbit blurred forward, faster than the beast itself. The robot slammed its fists down like hammers, breaking stone. The soldiers fought as if immortal, uncaring of damage.
The Wolf Alpha Lord, so cunning moments ago, now found itself overwhelmed. Blood splattered the cavern floor as the berserk constructs tore into it relentlessly.
Meanwhile, Kane struggled to rise, his vision blurred, but when he saw Reina crying… his world collapsed inward.
Something deeper than pain consumed him.
The mask of composure he had worn since the day the apocalypse began—the forced smiles, the steady leadership, the hidden scars of grief and sorrow—fractured under the weight of Reina's tears.
The system flared before his eyes:
[Warning: Warlord's Rage Limit Exceeded]
Profession Trait – 'Bloodfire Berserk' has activated.
Control Lost. Entering Catastrophic Rage Mode.
Kane's veins pulsed with fire as every skill he knew ignited at once, flowing into his body in a chaotic surge. His aura burned crimson, the ground cracking beneath his feet as he stood again.
"Chieftain… I'll kill you."
His voice was guttural, barely human. His eyes glowed blood-red.
The Goblin Chieftain snarled, lifting its axe to prepare for the final clash—only to find itself immediately under siege.
Kane unleashed everything.
"War Cry!" The dungeon quaked as the roar shattered the air.
"Warlord's Wrath! Execution! Iron Will!" His body was a storm of strength and vengeance.
"Fire Bolt! Water Jet! Earth Spike! Wind Slash! Ice Shard!" Spells tore through the battlefield, uncontrolled, raw, devastating.
The Chieftain howled in fury, swinging desperately. But Kane, no longer bound by limits, tore through him. His sword carved, his magic shredded, his wrath obliterated.
The Goblin Chieftain screamed one final time before Kane's blade ripped through its torso, cleaving it apart in a brutal, merciless execution.
The boss fell.But Kane didn't stop.
He continued hacking, slashing, and roaring even as the Chieftain's body dissolved into ash. His rage didn't recognize victory. It only sought destruction.
The system buzzed.
[Main Quest Updated: Final Boss Defeated.]
[Emergency Quest Generated!]
Reina gasped as a glowing blue window appeared before her trembling eyes.
[Emergency Quest: Chain of Blood]
Objective: Calm Kane Wylder before his Rage consumes him.
Condition: Kane is lost in Catastrophic Rage. If uncontrolled, he will become a new Boss-class entity.
Time Limit: 10 minutes.
Hint: "Child of Fate bears the thread to his heart."
Rewards upon Success:
Title: Anchor of Blood
Skill: Resonance of Bonds
Unknown Special Reward
Failure Consequence:
Kane Wylder permanently loses himself to Rage.
Party Annihilation.
"Brother…" Reina whispered, her small hands shaking as she reached forward.
Everyone else—Elysia, the twins, even the berserk toys—saw the quest window appear. And as they read the description, something strange occurred.
Their hearts ached.
They saw flashes—images, memories not their own—flickering across their minds. Kane standing alone in a ruined world. Kane burying his pain under smiles. Kane carrying a weight no one else could see.
The truth of his grief, his sorrow, his trauma… now pressed into their hearts like thorns.
"...all this time," Elysia whispered, voice breaking. "He's been smiling for us… while bleeding inside."
Reina stepped forward, tears streaming as her chest tightened. Her brother, the one who always protected her, was now drowning before her eyes.
And the system's cruel truth was clear: only she could bring him back.
The battlefield shook as Kane raged, his sword a whirlwind of steel and his magic detonating in chaotic bursts. Fire bolts erupted, ice shards whistled, and jagged earth spikes tore chunks of stone from the ground. His fury was so immense it felt as though the entire dungeon floor might collapse beneath the weight of his wrath.
The others tried to hold on.
"Contain him—!" Elysia shouted, her voice strained as she conjured barriers of light to divert stray spells. The twins gritted their teeth, using their new Fireball Barrage to blast incoming shards away from the group. The robot and rabbit—still in berserk mode—lunged desperately to intercept Kane's stray strikes, their metal and wood bodies breaking apart under the force.
And through it all… Reina cried, her small hands reaching toward him.
"Brother… come back… please…"
Her voice, trembling but unwavering, slipped past the storm of violence.
Inside Kane's Mind
He awoke in a vast, endless plain. The sky was painted in twilight, soft hues of violet and gold, stretching into infinity. Grass swayed gently in the wind, carrying the faint scent of spring.
And there—sitting with a gentle smile—was a woman.
"Kane…"
Her voice was warm, soothing, like a melody he hadn't heard in years. He blinked, disoriented, until he realized his head rested in her lap. The woman's hand stroked his hair with the tenderness of someone who had once been his entire world.
"...Mother?" His throat tightened.
She smiled. "You've carried so much, my son. Always protecting, always smiling for others. But inside… you are breaking."
Kane's breath caught. The words pierced deeper than any blade. His body trembled as his mother's eyes softened with sorrow.
"You think you have to carry it all alone. That if you show weakness, Reina will suffer. But Kane… you've forgotten something important."
Her hand touched his chest, right over his heart.
"You are not alone anymore."
Kane roared, his body thrashing violently. Spells erupted uncontrollably. A stray Earth Spike tore free from the cavern floor, breaking a stalactite loose above Reina's head.
"Reina, look out—!" Maya screamed.
The massive rock hurtled downward with lethal force. Reina froze, too slow to move.
But before anyone could react, Kane's body blurred—rage-filled or not, his instincts as a brother roared louder.
His crimson aura flared as he threw himself between Reina and the falling stone. The impact smashed across his back, splitting skin, blood spraying—but he stood unbroken, shielding her completely.
Reina gasped, eyes wide.
"...Brother."
Even in berserk madness, his body chose to protect her over everything else. The system flickered in response:
[Protective Instinct Overrides Catastrophic Rage – Anchor Detected.]
[Condition to Calm Kane: Strengthen the Anchor.]
Inside the Mind
Kane looked up at his mother, his chest aching.
"I… I can't stop. I keep seeing it all. The blood. The screams. The world we lost." His voice broke, raw. "If I lose control, Reina… she'll…"
"She'll save you." His mother smiled softly. "She's your anchor, Kane. Her tears reached you, even through the storm."
The twilight plain began to ripple, trembling under invisible pressure. Darkness coiled at the edges, the embodiment of his rage clawing its way inward.
"You can't silence rage by suppressing it. But you can let it be guided. Let her voice reach you, Kane. Let her be the hand that pulls you back."
Reina clutched her brother's arm, her tiny hands gripping desperately.
"Brother! Please! I don't want you to carry it all alone anymore!" Her voice cracked with sobs, but the words rang out clear, unwavering.
"You always protect me… but it's my turn now! I'll protect you! I'll stay by your side! So come back… come back to me!"
Kane's body shook, the crimson aura faltering. His sword slipped from his hands, crashing against the stone floor.
Elysia's eyes widened. "It's working!"
The berserk toys stopped their rampage, trembling as though sensing the shift. The cavern grew still as the weight of Reina's plea pierced through every heart.
Inside the Mind
Kane looked down at his hands. The blood, the rage, the grief—they trembled like chains around his soul.
And then he heard her voice.
"Brother… come back to me."
Reina's cry echoed inside the twilight field, stronger than the storm. His mother's form smiled warmly, fading like light at dawn.
"Go, Kane. She needs you. And you… need her."
Kane's chest burned, not with rage this time, but with warmth. The chains snapped apart. The darkness shrieked as it was dragged back into the void.
When his eyes opened again, they were no longer crimson.
They were clear. Human.