The air grew heavier with every step Kael took.
The faint light of the crystals above them flickered, dimming into a cold blue. The hum of the dungeon—usually deep and distant—had gone completely silent.
Kael paused.
"Lysara," he whispered, "something's wrong."
The spirit hovered beside him, her silver glow pulsing faintly. "Yes… I feel it too. The dungeon has stopped breathing."
She wasn't wrong. The walls no longer shifted or whispered. It was as if time itself held its breath. The silence was so complete that Kael could hear the faint beat of his own heart.
Then the system's voice broke through, trembling with static:
[Warning: External Entity Detected.]
[System Integrity: Breached.]
Kael's sword flared instinctively. "External? You mean… something from outside the dungeon?"
Lysara's eyes widened. "No… something not born of it."
The world around them shuddered. A crack split open in the air itself — not in the ground, not in the wall, but in reality. Through it poured a blinding golden light that made Kael shield his eyes.
From the tear stepped a tall, winged figure clad in white armor. Its face was hidden behind a flawless silver mask, and in its hand was a spear made of condensed sunlight.
The aura it carried wasn't just strong—it was divine.
Even the dungeon walls recoiled from its presence, their runes fading as if in fear.
Lysara's voice trembled, something Kael had never heard before.
"A Herald…" she whispered. "The gods have sent one already."
Kael gritted his teeth. "So they do fear me."
The Herald's mask turned toward him. When it spoke, its voice wasn't one—it was thousands, echoing in unison.
"Human anomaly detected. Unauthorized descent beyond divine limit. Termination required."
Kael raised his sword. "Try me."
---
The Battle Begins
The Herald didn't move at first—it simply vanished.
A blink later, the ground beneath Kael exploded as the divine spear slammed down, a streak of golden light splitting the air. Kael barely dodged, rolling aside, his shoulder grazed by the burning energy.
"Fast," he hissed, tightening his grip on his sword.
[White Ember Blade – Resonance Activated.]
His sword flared white, clashing against the spear as the Herald reappeared mid-swing. The sound of their weapons meeting wasn't metal—it was like thunder striking crystal.
Lysara floated back, chanting faintly, sending waves of silver energy toward Kael.
"I'll amplify your body! Don't let that spear touch your heart—it burns the soul itself!"
Kael nodded. His body felt lighter, sharper, as Lysara's spirit power merged with his.
The Herald lunged again, and Kael countered. Sparks of gold and white scattered through the air, each spark burning tiny holes into the stone walls.
"You shouldn't exist," the Herald's many voices spoke as they fought. "Humanity's rebellion was erased. The gods decreed it so."
Kael's blade cut through a wing, scattering light—but it reformed instantly.
"I don't care what they decreed!" Kael shouted, slashing again. "If they made this world, I'll remake it!"
---
Divine Judgment
The Herald raised its hand.
"Then face judgment."
A circle of golden runes appeared beneath Kael's feet. Before he could react, pillars of light erupted, trapping him.
[System Alert: Divine Domain Activated.]
[All external skills disabled.]
Kael's heart pounded. His sword dimmed. His muscles grew heavy. It was like being buried alive in light.
Lysara screamed, "Kael! Don't let it overwrite your essence!"
He gritted his teeth. "Not… giving up… now!"
The Herald descended, spear aimed directly at his chest.
"The gods will not allow another rebellion," it intoned.
But as the spear thrust forward, Kael moved.
He dropped to one knee and slammed his hand on the ground.
[Soul Resonance – Forced Sync Initiated.]
The world around him warped. Lysara's form flickered, then merged with his body in a surge of silver light.
For a moment, Kael's eyes turned silver-white. His voice echoed with two tones—his own and hers.
"Then I'll make my own domain."
The divine light cracked.
White fire burst outward, pure and wild. The Herald staggered back, its runes unraveling.
[System Update: Temporary Authority Override.]
[New State: Half-Spirit Synchronization.]
Kael rose slowly, his sword blazing with both white and silver flame.
"You talk about judgment," he said, stepping forward, "but you don't understand what it's like to live in chains."
He swung his sword, and the wave of energy that followed shattered the golden pillars.
The Herald screamed—not in pain, but in disbelief. Its perfect armor cracked, golden fragments falling like glass.
---
The Voice Within
Even as the Herald stumbled, it began to chant.
"O Seraphion, Lord of Flame, grant me your gaze…"
The air trembled. Kael's instincts screamed danger.
Lysara's voice echoed inside his mind. "He's summoning divine consciousness! If Seraphion looks through him, we're finished!"
Kael clenched his teeth. "Then I'll cut off his prayer."
He charged, flames trailing behind his feet. But the Herald finished the chant. The air split open again—only this time, not with light.
With presence.
The dungeon seemed to bend around the new arrival. A colossal eye—brighter than the sun, yet cold—appeared above them, watching through the rift.
Kael froze. His heart skipped. He didn't just feel power; he felt existence itself staring into him.
"So," a voice whispered from the void. "The rebellion's spark lives again."
It was calm, cruel, and strangely… curious.
Kael couldn't move. His body refused to obey. The pressure was like standing beneath an ocean of stars.
Lysara's voice cried out within him. "Don't look into his gaze, Kael! He can read your soul!"
But Kael didn't avert his eyes. He glared back. "You're Seraphion, aren't you? The god who betrayed humanity."
The voice chuckled—a deep, rolling sound that made the dungeon shudder.
"Betrayed? No. We ascended. Humanity was flawed. You desired too much."
Kael's fury ignited. "And you feared us because of it!"
The eye's glow intensified. "You will die as your kind did before."
[System Warning: Divine Will Overload – Immediate Collapse Imminent.]
The Herald, still half-shattered, raised its spear. "Your death honors the gods."
Kael's body screamed with pain—but Lysara's power flared again.
"You can't overpower a god, Kael… but you can defy him."
Kael took a deep breath. "Then watch me."
He planted his feet, raised his sword, and forced his remaining strength into it. The flame turned white-silver, brighter than ever before.
He slashed—not at the Herald, but at the sky itself.
The blade cut through light, through air, through existence. The rift shattered, and Seraphion's eye blinked out in shock.
The Herald staggered, screaming as divine energy backfired through its body. Kael didn't hesitate—he rushed forward and plunged his sword through its chest.
"Tell your god," Kael whispered, "that humanity doesn't kneel anymore."
The Herald's form exploded into golden shards, dissolving into ash and light.
Silence followed.
---
Aftermath
Kael fell to one knee, panting. His sword dimmed, the flames fading until only faint embers remained.
Lysara reappeared beside him, her glow weaker but still serene. "You did it… You actually defied a Herald."
Kael gave a weak grin. "Then what does that make me?"
She smiled faintly. "A problem the gods can't ignore."
As the golden dust settled, something remained — a glowing crystal shard, hovering where the Herald had fallen.
Kael reached out and took it. The shard pulsed once and sank into his palm.
[Divine Key Fragment Acquired – 1 of 7.]
[New Trait: Divine Resistance Lv.1]
He stared at his hand. "So this… was their power."
Lysara nodded. "Each Herald carries a piece of the divine essence that locks the dungeon's core. You've taken the first step toward the Throne."
Kael stood, exhaustion fading under a new resolve. "Then we keep going. Six more fragments."
Lysara's expression darkened slightly. "The next ones won't be so easy. The gods won't send another messenger. They'll send… monsters."
Kael smirked. "Then I'll send them back to their heaven in pieces."
---
The Gods' Council
In the realm above, Seraphion's divine eye reformed, flickering with irritation. His radiance dimmed slightly as he turned to the other gods assembled in the Sanctum.
"He destroyed my Herald," Seraphion said coldly.
The other gods murmured in shock. One—a being wreathed in blue flame—spoke. "A mortal shouldn't have that power. Unless…"
"Unless the dungeon itself aids him," Seraphion finished. "It seems the seal weakens faster than we thought."
A goddess with silver hair leaned forward. "Then he must not reach the seventh floor. Send the Beasts of Eden."
Seraphion's eyes glowed. "No. Let him climb. Let him taste hope. When he reaches the middle floors, we'll show him what despair truly means."
The hall fell silent. Seraphion turned back toward the mirror, watching Kael's faint image walking through the ruins.
"Rise as high as you wish, little human," he whispered. "The higher you climb, the harder the fall."
---
A New Dawn in the Dungeon
Kael and Lysara stopped near an underground waterfall. The glowing water cascaded into a lake of light, illuminating the cavern in a tranquil blue.
Kael dipped his hand in the water, washing away the blood and dust. His reflection stared back—older, sharper, eyes filled with quiet fire.
He whispered, "The Herald said something… about 'divine limit.' What do you think that means?"
Lysara hovered over the water. "It means the gods built a barrier—one that prevents mortals from reaching the true heart of the dungeon. If you crossed it, you broke a law older than heaven itself."
Kael chuckled. "Good. I'm getting used to breaking laws."
Lysara's expression softened. "Kael… you're walking a path that no one has survived. Even your ancestors failed."
He stood, sheathing his sword. "Then I'll finish what they started."
The sound of the waterfall echoed like applause from the ancient walls.
As they walked deeper into the glowing caverns, the system's voice returned—quieter, steadier now.
[New Path Unlocked: Floor 5 – The Fields of Echoes.]
[Difficulty: Divine.]
[Advisory: Proceed at your own risk.]
Kael smiled faintly. "When has risk ever stopped me?"
Lysara looked at him, a hint of pride in her ghostly eyes.
"Then let us descend, Rebellious One. The gods are watching… and so are the forgotten."
And with that, the human and the spirit stepped forward once more—toward Floor 5, toward greater horrors, and toward the truth that had been buried since the dawn of creation.
---
To be continue...