As the crowd cheered for Gabriel and his team, Dave Blake stood off to the side, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His gaze never left Gabriel, and every cheer that erupted for his former classmate felt like another dagger in his pride.
They had all attended Green Leaf Academy together—Gabriel, Tigram, and himself. But while Gabriel had risen to the top, and even Tigram had carved out a name for himself, Dave had always been left in the shadows, eclipsed by their talents. He hated it. He hated the way Gabriel always seemed to be the hero, always the one who got the praise, the admiration. In the academy assessment, Gabriel had outclassed him, but this time, Dave vowed it would be different.
A representative from East Vale Academy, a well-respected institution but not one of the Nine Greats, approached Dave earlier, offering him a position. It was an acknowledgment of his skill, but not enough. He had declined, much to their surprise. Dave had higher ambitions, ones that involved surpassing Gabriel, not settling for second or third best.
He remembered the last day of their student assessment at Green Leaf Academy vividly. Gabriel had performed flawlessly, taking down beasts with precision and skill, earning the highest marks. Tigram had followed closely behind, his raw power unmatched by most. But Dave, despite his efforts, had come in third. It wasn't a bad result—but in his eyes, it was a failure. And now, watching Gabriel receive offers from Heaven Orarion University, the jealousy that had long simmered inside him began to boil over.
"They always look at him like he's something special," Dave muttered to himself, his voice dripping with resentment. "They don't see what I can do."
Dave's class—Squire—was strong, but it wasn't flashy. It didn't have the immediate appeal of Gabriel's class, and it lacked the raw destructive power of Tigram's Barbarian. But that didn't mean it was weak. He'd honed his skills, especially his infinity Edge technique, pushing it to its limits, mastering every nuance of the ability. And while others might not have seen it, he knew that he was capable of far more than anyone gave him credit for.
As the crowd continued to cheer for Gabriel, Dave's thoughts turned dark. He'd spent years trying to catch up, always feeling like he was one step behind, and now, with the martial arts assessment bringing them all back together, it felt like the gap had only widened.
"Not for long," he whispered, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
His mind drifted to his talent, Infinity Edge, the technique he had poured everything into. He had pushed his body and mana reserves to the brink to master it. The skill was devastating—ten lightning-fast slashes, each more powerful than the last, and if the final strike landed, the damage was overwhelming. The only downside was the mana depletion that followed, leaving him vulnerable for a short time after the attack. But Dave had learned to manage it, to use his Parry skill to buy himself time until his mana recovered.
"Gabriel might be the crowd's favorite now," Dave thought bitterly, "but when I show them what I'm capable of, they'll forget all about him."
He could almost picture it—the moment when he would step onto the battlefield and face Gabriel. They had never had a proper fight, not one where Dave could show what he had become. He wasn't the same boy who had lagged behind in the academy. He was stronger now, faster, more determined. And he would prove it, no matter what.
As the vice-principal of Heaven Orarion University finished his conversation with Gabriel, Dave's hands clenched tighter. The man hadn't even glanced in his direction. No one from the Nine Great Universities had.
Dave took a deep breath, trying to steady the anger that threatened to consume him. There would be time. He just needed to be patient, to wait for the right moment. And when that moment came, he would show them all.
Off to the side, one of his old classmates, Alec, approached him cautiously. "Dave," Alec began, his voice uncertain, "are you… alright? You've been standing there for a while, just watching."
Dave didn't turn to look at him. "I'm fine," he replied coldly. "Just waiting."
"For what?" Alec asked, genuinely curious.
"For the moment when Gabriel's fall begins," Dave muttered under his breath, though Alec didn't hear him.
Instead, he said louder, "For my chance."
Alec gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, if anyone can make a name for themselves, it's you, Dave. I saw your fight earlier—you're incredible."
But Dave wasn't interested in flattery from someone like Alec. His gaze remained locked on Gabriel, his mind already planning their inevitable confrontation. He wasn't just going to beat Gabriel. He was going to break him, to prove once and for all that he was the better fighter. And when that day came, no one would ever look at Gabriel the same way again.
"They'll know who the real champion is," Dave thought with a dark smile.
As the stadium's cheers continued to echo in the background, Dave Blake stood alone, consumed by a rivalry that only he could feel—a rivalry that had festered for far too long.
------
Two weeks ago
Dave Blake had always been driven by one goal: to surpass Gabriel. His entire journey from Green Leaf Academy had been colored by his envy, and the thought of standing in Gabriel's shadow gnawed at him constantly. Two weeks before the martial arts assessment, after their graduation, he embarked on a solitary mission, determined to find a way to close the gap between them.
Little did he know that the path he sought led to something far more dangerous and powerful than he could have imagined.
---
The Abyssal Crypt of Karthos was a forgotten realm, buried beneath layers of ancient ruins and guarded by fearsome undead. Few ventured there, and even fewer returned. Dave had heard whispers of the place—a labyrinth of dark magic said to contain relics from a bygone era. He wasn't interested in the relics. He sought something more elusive, a spark of power that could turn the tide in his favor. But what he didn't know was that the crypt held the key to a hidden class long lost to history—the Knight of Ruin.
The journey to the crypt was arduous, with treacherous paths and beast-infested forests. Dave traveled alone, his face grim, his eyes set with unrelenting determination. For two weeks, he had scoured the empire for any hint of power, pushing his body to its limits. This crypt was his last lead.
When he finally arrived, the crypt entrance loomed before him, a gaping maw of darkness. The eerie wind that whistled through the stones carried with it a sense of foreboding. Yet, Dave didn't hesitate. With his sword at the ready, he stepped inside, his breath slow and steady as he descended into the depths.
The crypt was a maze of shadow and silence, the only sounds being the occasional drip of water and the rustling of bones. Hours passed as Dave navigated its winding corridors, slashing through undead that sprang from the walls with bone-chilling *swoosh* sounds, his blade cutting through the air.
Baam!
His sword clashed against a skeletal warrior's rusted shield, sending sparks flying. He grunted and followed with a swift slash, Swoosh! The bones shattered into dust.
Deeper and deeper he went, unaware that he was drawing closer to something ancient and malevolent.
It wasn't until he reached the crypt's heart, a vast chamber filled with towering statues of forgotten knights, that he felt it—a pulse of dark energy. At the center of the chamber stood a lone pedestal, and on it, a blackened sword that radiated a faint, ominous glow.
His breath caught in his throat as he approached the sword, drawn to it by an invisible force. He reached out, fingers brushing the hilt, and the moment his hand closed around it, the crypt seemed to shake.
BOOM!
A shockwave of energy burst from the sword, knocking Dave back. As he struggled to his feet, the statues lining the chamber stirred, their stone eyes glowing red.
Dave barely had time to react before the first statue lunged at him with a massive stone blade.
SWOOSH!
He dodged, rolling to the side and pulling his sword into a defensive stance. But these weren't ordinary opponents. Their strength was inhuman.
He entered his Parry stance, focusing on the oncoming blow.
CLANG!
His sword connected with the statue's, deflecting it perfectly.
Swoosh!
His counterattack was swift, his blade finding its mark and chipping away at the stone figure's chest.
Crack!
The statue staggered, but it didn't fall.
The battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, the chamber filled with the echoes of clashing blades and crumbling stone. Dave's body screamed in protest, his mana draining rapidly as he blocked and retaliated again and again. But he wouldn't give up. Not here. Not when he was so close.
"Infinity Edge!" he shouted, his talent activating as energy surged around him. With a burst of speed, he dashed forward, his sword carving through the statues in a flurry of strikes.
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
Each slash chipped away at the stone warriors, his body moving faster than his mind could follow.
The final statue fell, and Dave dropped to one knee, panting heavily. His mana was nearly depleted, and exhaustion weighed heavily on him. But as the dust settled, the pedestal at the chamber's center began to glow once more.
A deep voice echoed through the crypt. "You have proven yourself worthy, Squire. Take up the mantle of the [Knight of Ruin], and let your power be your downfall and your salvation."
Dave's eyes widened. He hadn't known—hadn't even suspected—that his class held a hidden potential. But here, in the depths of the crypt, he felt the truth of it. The sword in his hand thrummed with power, and as the voice faded, he felt a surge of energy unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
The [Knight of Ruin] was a class of destruction, fueled by the user's own ruinous potential. With it came new skills, darker and more dangerous than any he had wielded before.
---
[RuinousAssault: The caster charges forward with a burst of speed, slashing through multiple enemies in a wide arc. The attack deals massive physical damage and ignores 20% of enemy defense. Each enemy struck restores a portion of Dave's mana, allowing him to recover after using Infinity Edge.
Damage: 300%x Skill level x [ {Physical Attack + ManaDepleted/10} x {1 + PhysPen}]
Mana Restoration: 10% per enemy struck (up to 50%)
Mana Cost: 0
Cooldown: 15 seconds]
[Vanguard's Retribution: A defensive stance that temporarily increases Dave's block chance and retaliatory damage. If an enemy attack is successfully blocked during this stance, the next strike delivers a devastating counterattack, dealing additional AoE damage based on the blocked attack's force.
Block Chance: 40%
Counter Damage: [400% x Patk x Skill Level] + [50% of the blocked attack's damage]
Duration: 10 seconds
Mana Cost: 150
Cooldown: 30 seconds]
[Eclipse Blade: A finishing move that consumes the rest of Dave's mana to unleash a powerful vertical slash imbued with dark energy, significantly enhancing his attack. The more mana consumed, the greater the damage. Eclipse Blade synergizes with Infinity Edge, creating a devastating final blow after a fully charged combo.
Damage: 500% x Skill Level x [ {Physical Attack + ManaDepletion/5} x {1 + PhysPen}]
Additional Effect: 10% increased damage if activated within 10 seconds of Infinity Edge
Mana Cost: All remaining mana
Cooldown: None]
Enhanced Talent for Knight of Ruin:
[Infinity Edge (Advanced) : Now with the class advancement, Infinity Edge benefits from a bonus effect. After the final 10th slash, Dave creates a shockwave that deals 50% of the total damage to nearby enemies, spreading the destruction.
Shockwave Damage: 50% of total Infinity Edge damage
Shockwave Range: 10 meters around Caster
Cooldown: None]
---
The crypt began to collapse around him as Dave rose to his feet, the sword now his. The walls shook, the ground cracked, but Dave felt only a surge of triumph.
Swoosh!
He dashed out of the crumbling crypt, the new power coursing through him.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Dave emerged from the Abyssal Crypt of Karthos with a new purpose—and a power that could finally put him on equal footing with Gabriel. Perhaps even more.