Reis sat upon a jagged stone at the edge of the plain, his breath ragged, his chest rising and falling like a man who had just emerged from a sea of blood and steel.
Before him, the corpse of the Tree Guardian began to crumble, the layers of golden armor shattering into radiant fragments, drifting upward before dissolving into golden ash carried away by the wind.
He clutched his torn shoulder with a trembling hand, the sting of pain burning deep into his bones, yet his eyes never strayed from the sight before him.
The knight who had once loomed like an unbreakable wall was now turning into nothing, reduced to golden dust scattered by the breeze as though he had never existed at all.
The silence that followed his final scream was unsettling. The plain was drowned in a muted sorrow as the guardian's ashes drifted slowly, drawn toward the colossal golden Erdtree looming on the horizon.
Reis exhaled slowly, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand, and whispered hoarsely:
"It's finally over".
Yet even as he spoke, a deeper truth gnawed at him. This was no ending, only a beginning, and the Tower had not spared him from such a battle only to release him from greater trials ahead.
A cold wind swept through the stones, carrying the fading ash with it, while Reis remained seated, pressing against his wound, staring at the golden void left in the guardian's fall.
The system opened a new window, larger than any before:
[Congratulations Player: Zereis Van Valeria].
[You have cleared: The Beginning of Elden Ring].
[First Tower Performance Rating: SS].
[Fastest Recorded Kill: Tree Guardian].
More windows followed in sequence:
[Unique Achievement: Shattered the Beginner's Nightmare].
[Achievement Reward: +5000 Coins].
[Bonus Reward: Skill – Iron Will].
[Legendary Reward: Two Soulstone Shards].
Then the windows froze, until one appeared, glowing with a radiant golden light unlike any he had seen before:
[Rare Ability Menu Unlocked].
[Choose One Ability Only: Final Decision].
The list appeared:
[Void Eye: Reveal weaknesses and hidden powers of your foe].
[Death Reversal: Reflect a fatal strike once within a set time].
[Ability Thief: Steal any ability through direct touch].
[Shadow Blades: Command shadows, forging them into weapons or an army].
[Time Reaver: Steal seconds from an enemy's life to slow them and increase your own speed].
Reis stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the golden window blazing before him.
It was no mere choice, but a true crossroads that would shape everything yet to come.
The system's window felt like the Tower's final test of resolve, a silent trial forcing him to weigh each power carefully, for whichever path he chose would seal away all others forever.
His eyes caught the first line: "Void Eye".
He imagined what it would mean to bear an eye that pierced every hidden secret, every weakness cloaked in armor, in skill, or in lies.
The thought of knowing exactly where to strike, how to strike, wasting no effort, no hesitation, it was intoxicating.
But then his gaze slid to the second: "Death Reversal".
A cold current swept through him.
To reflect a fatal strike, to turn certain death into a weapon, to snatch back life at the very edge of its fall, this was no ordinary skill, but a hidden second life waiting in the dark for the final moment.
Then slowly, his eyes fell upon the third:
"Ability Thief".
His heart pounded. The mere thought of placing a hand upon an enemy and tearing away the essence of their power, making it his own without limit, with nothing but a single touch.
Such strength could topple the balance of every battle, perhaps even the entire world.
Next, his eyes lingered on the fourth: "Shadow Blades".
A vision formed vividly in his mind. His shadows rising from the ground, bending to his will, coiling around his enemies, sharpening into blades that pierced, sliced, and strangled.
To command an army born of nothingness, to fight even when alone, this power felt like a summoning of something inhuman, terrifying.
Finally, his gaze rested on the fifth: "Time Reaver".
Here Reis paused. To steal seconds from an enemy's life, to slow them until they drowned in a mire of stillness, while he himself moved with doubled speed.
It was not raw destructive force like the others, but mastery over the very tempo of battle, bending the laws of the fight itself until his foe could not even comprehend what was happening.
Reis lifted his head, breath heavy, his eyes darting between the choices. Each one was enough to forge a legend of its own.
He felt as though the system was not granting him a reward, but handing him the keys to an entirely different future.
All he had to do was reach out and choose.
His fingers trembled as he stretched his hand toward the glowing window.
The five names gleamed, each one whispering to him, calling his soul.
He stared for long moments, his gaze flickering between "Ability Thief" and "Time Reaver". His breath caught.
The system began to count down, slow and merciless:
[Return to Gathering Hall].
[30… 29… 28…].
Reis inhaled deeply, then clenched his fist.
The decision had been carved into him from the start.
He extended his hand firmly and pressed the choice.
[Ability Chosen: Ability Thief].
The entire window shuddered before bursting into interwoven streams of light that cascaded around him, swallowing his body whole.
A strange chill coursed through his veins. For an instant, silence. Then a dormant force awoke within him, alien, powerful, and his.
The system unveiled a crimson window:
[Rare Ability – Ability Thief: Activated].
[Ability Level: 0/5].
[Description: Through touch, you may copy the abilities of your enemies, making them your own].
[Capacity: One ability at start. Capacity increases as you progress].
[Each ability requires five upgrades through Soulstone Shards].
A metallic chime echoed in Reis's ears. Then, in an instant, every window vanished.
Darkness surged in, wrapping around him in a heavy black radiance, swallowing the plain and everything upon it.
When his eyes opened again, there was no dirt, no mist, no sound.
Only an endless void of shadow.