As Dark stepped through the portal, he was momentarily blinded. The world on the other side was pure light—blinding, yet strangely not painful. The air felt weightless, shimmering with a faint golden hue. Towering spires floated in the distance, connected by bridges made of glimmering energy. The sky above was a kaleidoscope of shifting colors, and every sound carried a faint echo, as if the world itself was alive.
It was beautiful, perfect, even. But something was wrong.
Dark: (thinking, narrowing his eyes) It's too perfect. Nothing is this good without something lurking underneath.
The ground beneath him wasn't stone or grass but a shimmering surface that shifted between liquid and solid, pulsing faintly with every step he took. The place felt alive in a way that unsettled him. His instincts screamed at him to stay on guard.
Dark: (thinking) If this is what "World 2" looks like, I've either hit the jackpot or walked straight into a nightmare.
To his left, a figure stood—calm, composed, and waiting. It was humanoid but radiated a presence that felt entirely foreign. Clad in flowing silver robes that shimmered with iridescent light, the figure's face was obscured by a glowing mask. In its hand was a staff, faintly pulsing with energy that felt ancient and unknowable.
Dark approached cautiously, gripping Kyuketsu tightly in his hand. His crimson eyes locked onto the figure.
Dark: Hello there, NPC.
The figure turned to him, tilting its head slightly as if amused. Its voice was calm and precise, carrying a weight that seemed to echo in the air around them.
Esdo: Good evening, new traveler. Welcome to Exodus.
Dark: (thinking) Exodus? Sounds dramatic.
Dark: (aloud) Thanks. So, what do I do in here?
Esdo was silent for a moment, though the faint glow of his mask seemed to flicker, as if reacting to something. His voice remained calm, but there was a faint undertone of disbelief.
Esdo: (thinking) This player's level... beyond infinite. His prestige and rank... beyond infinite. And he's asking me what he does here? Does he not know what he's capable of?
Dark: (thinking, narrowing his eyes) Eh? Is this an NPC? Feels too real.
Esdo turned to him sharply, as if responding to the thought itself.
Esdo: No. I am not an NPC.
Dark took a step back, his grip tightening on Kyuketsu.
Dark: (startled) You can read my thoughts?!
Esdo nodded slowly, his mask tilting down slightly as though observing Dark more closely.
Esdo: Your thoughts echo too loudly in this place, Shadow Walker.
Dark: (thinking) Shadow Walker? That's the first time I've heard anyone else say my rank aloud.
Dark: (aloud) Who are you?
Esdo: I am Esdo, level 54.8UdE. Rank 2 Ascension.
Dark frowned. The numbers didn't make sense to him—neither did the rank. But the way Esdo said it carried a weight that made even him hesitate.
Dark: (thinking) UdE? What kind of number even is that? And "Ascension" doesn't sound like something I should ignore.
Dark: Hm. You're quite strong.
Esdo's glowing mask tilted slightly, as if suppressing a laugh.
Esdo: And you? What is your level, traveler?
Dark: Almost level 1,000,000. Rank Shadow Walker.
For the first time, Esdo froze. The glow of his mask dimmed, and the faint hum of his staff stilled. His voice dropped to a whisper.
Esdo: (thinking) This can't be. He's supposed to be infinite... This is him. The same Dark that broke Nen. The one who shattered the System. Forced Cosmic to delete it. And now he's here?
Esdo straightened, his voice returning to its calm but cautious tone.
Esdo: Very well. Welcome, Shadow Walker. I suspect your journey in Exodus will be... enlightening.
Dark remained silent for a moment, his grip on Kyuketsu tightening. Esdo's calm demeanor and the weight of his words didn't sit well with him. This place—this "Exodus"—reeked of something deeper, something hidden beneath its perfection. He wasn't here to play games, and he wasn't about to trust anyone so easily.
Dark: (thinking) Enlightening? He says that like it's supposed to mean something.
Esdo tilted his head again, almost as if sensing Dark's doubt. The faint glow of his mask flickered slightly, and his voice took on a tone of amusement.
Esdo: You're suspicious. Good. Suspicion is the first step toward survival here.
Dark narrowed his eyes but said nothing. Instead, he glanced around the surreal landscape again. It still shimmered with a deceptive beauty, but the longer he stood there, the more wrong it felt. The air was too still, the light too constant. There were no signs of life apart from the strange, glowing spires in the distance.
Dark: (thinking, irritated) This place is a trap. I don't know what kind yet, but it's a trap.
Esdo: (calmly) You're partially correct. This world does test those who enter it. But it's not a trap—it's an opportunity.
Dark's gaze snapped back to him, his crimson eyes narrowing.
Dark: (flatly) Opportunity for what?
Esdo: (pausing briefly) For truth. For growth. For answers. If you're strong enough to find them.
Dark scoffed, his fingers tightening around Kyuketsu's hilt.
Dark: Sounds like a lot of words that mean nothing.
Esdo: (chuckling softly) Perhaps. Or perhaps you're simply not ready to hear them yet.
Dark: (thinking, frustrated) This guy talks like Cosmic. Cryptic nonsense wrapped in a smug tone.
Dark: (aloud, sharply) Alright, cut the riddles. What's next? What am I supposed to do here?
Esdo remained still for a moment before raising his staff. The energy around it pulsed faintly, and the air between them seemed to ripple. A glowing path appeared on the ground, stretching into the distance toward one of the towering spires.
Esdo: Follow the path. Reach the spire. Your trial will begin there.
Dark glanced at the path, then back at Esdo.
Dark: (dryly) That's it? Walk down a glowing road and hope for the best?
Esdo: (calmly) That's it. Unless you'd prefer to stay here and keep asking questions.
Dark stared at him for a moment longer, then turned toward the path. He didn't trust this guy—didn't trust this place—but sitting around wasn't going to get him any answers. With a final glance over his shoulder, he stepped onto the shimmering road.
The moment his foot touched it, the world around him shifted. The air grew heavier, and the light seemed to dim slightly. The spire in the distance now loomed impossibly high, its surface covered in twisting, glowing glyphs. The path beneath him pulsed faintly with each step, as if responding to his presence.
Dark: (thinking, focused) This is definitely a trap. But at least it's better than standing around.
He moved cautiously, his senses on high alert. The surreal beauty of the world seemed to grow more oppressive with every step, as if the light itself was watching him. The silence was deafening, broken only by the faint hum of the path beneath him.
Then, without warning, the ground ahead of him shattered. A massive figure erupted from the glowing surface, its body made of jagged, crystalline shards that refracted the light around it. Its hollow eyes glowed with a fierce, golden light, and its movements were unnaturally smooth, like liquid glass.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: TRIAL GUARDIAN ACTIVATED.]
[NAME: LUMINESCENT TITAN.]
[LEVEL: ???.]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME.]
Dark: (thinking, smirking faintly) Of course. Wouldn't be a proper trap without something trying to kill me.
The Titan raised one massive arm, its crystalline surface shimmering as it swung down toward him. Dark activated Phantom Dodge, flickering out of the way just as the ground where he'd stood exploded in a shower of glowing shards.
Dark: (thinking, focused) Big, strong, and stupid. Let's see how you handle this.
He dashed forward, Kyuketsu humming faintly in his grip. The blade cut through the Titan's arm with a burst of shadow energy, but instead of crumbling, the severed pieces reformed instantly, snapping back into place.
Dark: (thinking, annoyed) Figures. Nothing's ever that easy.
The Titan retaliated, its movements faster than he'd anticipated. A crystalline fist slammed into him, sending him flying backward. He hit the ground hard, skidding across the glowing surface before coming to a stop.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: DAMAGE TAKEN. HEALTH DECREASING.]
Dark pushed himself to his feet, glaring at the Titan as it advanced toward him.
Dark: (thinking) Alright. Time to stop playing around.
He gripped Kyuketsu tightly, the blade's dark aura intensifying. Shadows began to swirl around him, coiling like serpents as he focused his energy. The Titan paused, as if sensing the shift in power.
Dark: (coldly) Let's end this.
He activated Shadow Riposte, the shadows around him surging forward in a wave. They wrapped around the Titan, constricting its movements as Kyuketsu's blade glowed with a deep, crimson light. Dark lunged forward, slicing through the Titan's core in one swift motion.
The crystalline figure froze, its glowing eyes flickering before it shattered into a thousand pieces. The shards dissolved into light, leaving only silence in their wake.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: TRIAL GUARDIAN DEFEATED.]
[XP GAINED: +50,000.]
[REWARD UNLOCKED: PATH TO THE SPIRE.]
Dark stood there for a moment, breathing heavily as the shadows around him receded. The path ahead shimmered again, the spire now closer than before.
Dark: (thinking, smirking faintly) One down. Let's see what else this place has to offer.
With Kyuketsu in hand, he continued forward, the oppressive silence of the world pressing down on him once more. But this time, he welcomed it. This time, he was ready.
Dark pressed onward, the path pulsing faintly beneath his feet with each step. The closer he got to the towering spire, the more distorted the world around him became. The shimmering golden light flickered erratically, and faint cracks began to spiderweb across the once-pristine surface of the ground. A low hum filled the air, growing louder with every step.
Dark: (thinking, tense) Something's off. This place feels... unstable.
The shimmering path abruptly ended, leaving Dark standing before a massive, open clearing. At its center, the air rippled violently, as though reality itself was struggling to hold together. Slowly, a familiar figure began to emerge from the distortion.
Dark's eyes narrowed as the towering form of the Luminescent Titan materialized once again. Its crystalline body shimmered with blinding light, but this time, its movements were faster, more erratic. The golden energy within its core pulsed dangerously, sending waves of heat and pressure through the air.
Dark: (thinking, gripping Kyuketsu tightly) You again? Didn't I already break you?
The Titan let out a deafening roar, the sound vibrating through the ground as shards of crystal erupted from its body. The glowing fragments floated around it like jagged stars, radiating an intense heat. Dark could feel the power emanating from the creature—it was far stronger than before.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ENTITY REGENERATED.]
[NAME: LUMINESCENT TITAN - ASCENDED FORM.]
[LEVEL: ???.]
[STATUS: UNSTABLE.]
[WARNING: EXTREME VOLATILITY DETECTED.]
Dark: (thinking, irritated) Unstable, huh? Just means I need to hit it harder.
The Titan wasted no time. It raised both arms, slamming them into the ground with enough force to send massive cracks splintering outward. Pillars of golden energy erupted from the ground, forcing Dark to dodge rapidly, his form flickering as he activated Phantom Dodge.
Dark: (thinking, focused) Alright, big guy. Let's see if you've got any new tricks.
He lunged forward, Kyuketsu glowing with a dark crimson aura as he swung the blade in a wide arc. The shadows around him surged, wrapping around the Titan's legs and momentarily halting its movements. Dark aimed for its core, slicing through the crystalline surface with precision.
For a moment, the Titan froze. The golden light within its core flickered, and Dark prepared to deliver the final blow. But then, the core began to pulse violently, the light growing brighter and brighter.
[SYSTEM WARNING: ENTITY CORE DESTABILIZING.]
[IMMINENT EXPLOSION DETECTED.]
[RECOMMENDATION: EVACUATE.]
Dark: (thinking, panicked) Oh, come on!
The Titan's body began to crack and shatter, the golden light spilling out like liquid fire. The heat was unbearable, and the air around Dark warped as the energy reached critical levels. He activated Shadow Step, teleporting to the far edge of the clearing, but the explosion was already upon him.
A deafening roar tore through the world as the Titan's core detonated, unleashing a blinding wave of golden energy. The force of the blast sent Dark flying, his body slamming into the ground with enough force to crack the shimmering surface. His vision blurred, and the world around him dissolved into chaos.
Dark: (thinking, struggling) Damn it... not like this...
The light consumed everything, and for a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, slowly, Dark's senses began to return.
End Of Arc 3 Chapter 13.