Kael's footsteps echoed softly as he descended the crystalline stairway leading to the ninth floor. The air shimmered faintly, heavy with warmth — unlike the cold darkness above. Each breath he took carried the scent of rain and blooming flowers, impossibly out of place within a dungeon that had only ever known death and silence.
[System Notice: You have entered Floor 9 – The Sanctuary of Light.]
[Caution: Divine interference detected.]
He froze.
Divine interference? That phrase alone sent a chill down his spine.
Until now, the dungeon had been ancient, neutral — a test left behind by forgotten gods. But "divine interference" meant something was active. Something watching.
The stairway opened into a vast expanse of green plains beneath a golden sky. Rivers of light flowed like water, and in the distance, marble ruins floated midair, spinning slowly as if gravity itself bowed to some greater will.
Kael whispered in awe, "It's like another world…"
"Because it is," came a voice — clear, melodic, and layered with power.
Kael spun around, blade raised. From a shimmer of light emerged a figure — a woman in radiant armor of pure white, wings folded at her back. Her eyes glowed gold, and her expression was neither hostile nor kind — merely watchful.
"Who are you?" Kael demanded.
"A guardian," she replied softly. "One of the few remnants of what the gods tried to preserve."
He tightened his grip. "Then you're my enemy."
The angel smiled faintly. "Not necessarily. You are Kael, bearer of the Ancestral Memory — the one who carries rebellion in his soul. Tell me… do you even know what you're rebelling against?"
Kael hesitated. "I don't need to. The world above treats humans like insects. The dungeon hides truths the gods fear. That's enough reason to fight."
The angel's expression dimmed with something like sadness.
"Then you are still blind. The gods feared not humans, but themselves."
Before Kael could respond, she raised her hand — and light exploded outward. The plains twisted, the sky darkened, and suddenly he was standing in the middle of a battlefield made of shattered marble and fire. Above him, golden towers burned as winged warriors and humans clashed in chaos.
Kael staggered back. "What is this?"
"A memory," said the angel's voice, now echoing through the flames. "The war that ended the First Age."
---
The Lost War
He turned — and saw them.
Humans in silver armor, wielding weapons glowing with runes, standing shoulder to shoulder against beings of divine light. Their leader — a man with long white hair and eyes like molten gold — shouted orders.
Kael froze. He recognized that face.
It was the same man from his visions — the chained one, the voice that had guided him before.
"He led humanity's rebellion," said the angel, appearing beside him as the illusion played on. "His name was Arcten Vale — the first Infinite Rebel. He defied the gods to free mankind from servitude."
Kael's heart pounded. "Then why does no one remember him?"
The angel looked up at the burning sky. "Because the gods rewrote the world."
The words hit Kael like a blade to the chest. "Rewrote…?"
"Yes. They erased every trace of the Rebellion — rebuilt history itself. The world you know is their second attempt, built upon lies and buried corpses."
He looked down at the battlefield again. The rebels were losing. One by one, the humans fell. Arcten fought like a storm, cutting down angels with sheer will — until a divine spear pierced his chest. He dropped to one knee, blood glowing like light itself. Then, smiling, he raised his hand toward the heavens and spoke words that shook the world.
Kael strained to hear, and the angel whispered them aloud:
"If gods claim eternity, then I will claim infinity."
The sky cracked open. A blast of white energy erupted from Arcten's body, swallowing everything — gods, humans, light, and shadow alike. When the light faded, the war was over. Silence reigned.
The angel turned to Kael. "He sealed his soul within the dungeon — to ensure humanity would one day remember."
Kael whispered, almost trembling, "And I… carry his memory."
"No," said the angel, stepping closer, her golden eyes burning brighter. "You are his echo."
The ground trembled beneath them. Kael's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
"What are you saying?"
"His power, his curse, his will — they live through you. The Rebellion never ended, Kael. It only slept."
---
A Battle of Ideals
Suddenly, the air shifted. The illusion of the battlefield vanished, replaced by the golden plains again — but now the angel's wings spread wide, glowing brighter than the sun.
"If you truly carry his will, then prove it. Defeat me, and I shall grant you access to the core of this sanctuary — where the next truth lies."
Kael took a stance, his White Ember Blade glowing faintly in response. "So be it."
The angel moved first — faster than light. Her spear tore through the air, shattering the ground where Kael stood moments before. He rolled aside, slicing upward, his blade clashing against her spear in a burst of sparks.
The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the plains.
Kael grit his teeth — she was far stronger. But strength wasn't his path; growth was. Every blow, every wound, every near-death — the system turned all of it into power.
[Skill Activated: Adaptive Reflex Lv. 3 → Lv. 4]
[Skill Activated: White Ember Resonance]
Kael's sword blazed brighter. His movements grew faster — sharper. Each time her spear struck, his body remembered, adapted, evolved. The angel's eyes widened as she saw him change mid-battle, like watching evolution itself condensed into seconds.
"You… you've inherited his code," she whispered.
Kael lunged forward, his sword piercing through her light barrier. "No," he said, voice low but steady. "I've written my own."
The explosion of energy threw both of them apart. The angel dropped to one knee, wings flickering. Kael fell to the ground, gasping, his arm bleeding but his eyes blazing with fire.
They stared at each other — warrior to warrior, believer to rebel.
The angel smiled faintly, a tear slipping down her cheek.
"Perhaps… this time, humanity will not fall."
She raised her hand, and light enveloped Kael.
---
The Blessing of the Fallen
[System Update: Guardian Defeated.]
[New Blessing Acquired: Fragment of Divinity – "Light That Shouldn't Exist."]
A new warmth surged through him — not like mana, but something deeper. His soul burned and calmed at once, a paradox of life and death, light and darkness merging. For a moment, he felt infinite.
The angel's body began to fade into light.
"Remember, Kael," she said softly. "The gods are not your only enemies. The truth itself will fight you."
He reached out instinctively, but she was gone.
Silence fell again. Only the sound of wind — if it could be called that — moved through the shimmering air.
[System Message: Floor 9 Cleared.]
[Access to Floor 10 – The Shattered Bridge Unlocked.]
Kael stood alone amid the golden plains, breathing heavily. The light inside his sword flickered like a heartbeat. The words the angel had spoken echoed endlessly in his mind:
"You are his echo."
He clenched his fist. "If Arcten's rebellion failed, then I'll finish it. I'll break this world's script and write my own."
He took one last look at the fading horizon of light — and stepped toward the dark chasm that marked the entrance to the next floor.
---
The Watchers Awaken
Far above, in the divine realm beyond mortal sight, seven figures sat around a circular table made of pure starlight. Their faces were hidden behind masks — sun, moon, and storm alike.
One of them, voice cold and metallic, spoke:
"The echo has awakened."
Another replied, "Then the cycle repeats."
A third, voice trembling slightly, said, "Should we intervene?"
The first god shook their head.
"No. The last time we did, the Infinite War began. Let him walk the path — but if he reaches the Core…"
Lightning rippled across the divine sky.
"Then eternity itself will shatter."
---
To be continue...