The ruins were endless.
Kael had wandered for what felt like hours, torchlight pushing back the darkness only a few feet at a time, revealing crumbling walls, collapsed hallways, and broken statues that stared with empty eyes. His footsteps echoed too loudly, reminding him that he was alone. Every corner turned brought fresh tension—what if Rowan's party had regrouped and followed? What if monsters lurked in the shadow, waiting for his weakened state?
But nothing came. Only silence and whispers, faint as though the stone itself breathed.
He paused to open his status window, weary eyes flicking over the numbers.
[Status Window]Name: Kael ArdentLevel: 8Class: None (Unassigned)HP: 210 / 520MP: 40 / 310STR: 14AGI: 17VIT: 16INT: 13WIS: 12LCK: 10
Unspent Attribute Points: 5
Special Title: Bearer of the Seal of Worlds (Sealed)
Fragment Acquired: 1/12 – Chronos Shard
Abilities:
Temporal Shift (Lv.1) – Slow time briefly. High MP cost.
The numbers were ugly. His HP was bleeding low, his MP nearly dry, and his gear was nothing special. Yet one line on the window kept drawing his gaze:
Bearer of the Seal of Worlds.
He touched the bracelet again, feeling its cool metal pulse faintly with each heartbeat. Power was inside him, undeniable and immense, but it was chained, locked behind fragments he had yet to find. The thought thrilled and terrified him in equal measure.
He closed the window and leaned against a cracked pillar, exhaustion dragging at his limbs. For a moment, he let his thoughts drift to the real world. To his small apartment, the glow of his VR module, the hum of the city outside. No one out there would understand what he had just endured. To them, this was a game. But the pain of Rowan's betrayal, the heat of blood spilling in combat, the searing burn of the bracelet fusing to his skin—none of it had felt like pixels. It had felt real.
He whispered to himself, barely audible. "This isn't just a game anymore."
The ruins trembled faintly, a sound rumbling through the stone like distant thunder. Kael's hand snapped to his sword, senses sharpening. He raised his torch high, peering into the vast chamber ahead.
At its center lay a broken statue of a knight, shattered from the waist up, its sword snapped in two. Around it, glyphs pulsed faintly, the same script he had seen on the walls earlier. The air grew colder as he stepped closer, his breath forming wisps in the dim light.
Another notification flickered before him.
[System Notification]Hidden Dungeon: "Vault of the Forgotten" discovered.Difficulty: ???Warning: Recommended Party Size: 5+Proceed with caution.
Kael's lips twisted. A party of five. He was barely surviving on his own. Yet something inside him refused to turn back. This was why he had been chosen—why the Seal had bound itself to him.
He tightened his grip on his weapon. "Fine. Let's see how far I can go."
The moment his boot crossed the glyphs, the chamber erupted. Shadows peeled off the walls like living ink, swirling together until they coalesced into forms. Figures cloaked in darkness, their eyes glowing red, blades and claws glinting in the gloom.
Kael's system window chimed rapidly.
[Enemies Detected]Shade Guardians (Lv. 12) x5
Five enemies, all stronger than him. His throat tightened.
The first lunged, blade arcing downward. Kael parried instinctively, sparks showering as steel clashed. The impact rattled his arms, nearly tearing the sword from his grip. The second Shade slashed at his flank, and Kael twisted aside, the blow grazing his arm and slicing through his cloak.
His HP dropped.
"Damn it—!"
He rolled backward, heart pounding. He couldn't win in a fair fight. He had one option.
[Ability Activated: Temporal Shift Lv.1]MP Cost: 120
Time fractured. The Shades froze mid-motion, shadows rippling like distorted water. Kael surged forward, striking twice, three times, slashing across their torsos before the ability snapped back. The world roared into motion, and two of the Shades staggered, their health bars cut in half.
But his MP plummeted to zero. His vision blurred, exhaustion dragging at his body like lead weights.
One of the Shades screeched, its blade slamming across his chest. Kael staggered back, his HP screaming red.
"Not… yet…"
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself upright. Desperation sharpened his instincts. He ducked under another slash, drove his sword upward, impaling the Shade through its chest. It disintegrated into black mist with a howl.
Four left.
His lungs burned, his arms ached, his HP bled dangerously low. He darted between pillars, forcing the Shades to chase him one by one, striking quick, retreating faster. His movements were sloppy, desperate, but fueled by sheer will.
Another Shade fell. Then another.
Finally, with one last upward slash, the last Shade dissolved into darkness, leaving only silence in its wake.
Kael collapsed to his knees, chest heaving, sweat dripping down his face. His HP hovered at a sliver, his sword chipped and trembling in his hands.
And yet… he was alive.
The chamber rumbled. The shattered statue at the center glowed faintly, cracks spreading across its surface. A shard of crystal floated upward, radiating pale blue light.
Kael's eyes widened.
Another fragment.
[System Notification]You have obtained the Second Fragment of the Seal: Aether Shard.Ability Unlocked: Essence of Renewal (Lv.1) – Accelerates healing and restores HP over time.
Warmth spread through Kael's body, mending his wounds, knitting flesh together. His HP ticked upward, the bleeding halted, the exhaustion ebbing slightly. Relief nearly buckled his knees.
He whispered, awed, "It's real. Another one…"
The Seal on his wrist pulsed brighter, two sigils glowing now where only one had before. The power coursing through him felt different this time—gentler, steadier, yet no less immense.
He looked around the chamber, the silence heavy once more. Rowan's betrayal still burned fresh in his chest, but this—this power—was proof. Proof that he had been chosen, that his path mattered.
Kael rose slowly, gripping his sword tighter.
"Twelve fragments," he murmured. "If I have to bleed for every single one, so be it."
The ruins groaned faintly, as though answering him. He extinguished his torch, the glow of the Seal lighting his way forward.
For the first time since stepping into this world, Kael felt not just like a player—but like someone destined to change everything.