The moment the Abyssal God revealed himself, Kael's entire body trembled. Fear gripped him instinctively, his breathing uneven as the presence before him pressed down like an overwhelming force. Even the sacred river around him reacted violently—the water boiled, steam rising as if unable to withstand the mere existence of the being before him. Yet despite the fear that crawled through every part of his body, Kael did not retreat. His eyes sharpened, his expression turning serious, as if preparing himself to face whatever came next.
The figure before him slowly formed, incomplete yet suffocating in presence. Its voice echoed directly within his soul. "So… you are the one who received my essence." The voice paused briefly, then continued, "Before you die, you deserve to know my name. I am Noctyra… the God of the Abyss." Kael's heart pounded violently, but before he could react further, Noctyra spoke again, his tone cold and absolute. "And now… I will take your body."
In that instant, Noctyra attempted to force his way into Kael's consciousness, pushing violently as if to claim the body as his own. But something unexpected happened. He failed. Again and again, he tried to take control, yet each attempt was rejected. Kael's body trembled under the pressure, but it did not break. After several attempts, Noctyra suddenly stopped… then laughed.
"HAHAHAHA… how amusing." His voice echoed with disbelief. "How can a body as weak as yours… contain me? You are nothing. Weak. Pathetic. There is nothing you can do."
Despite the fear, Kael clenched his fists and forced himself to speak. "If that's true… then why are you inside me?" His voice was unsteady, but his gaze did not waver.
For a moment, Noctyra fell silent.
It was a question even he could not fully answer. His condition, his injuries, the failure of the ritual… all had led to something beyond his expectations. Yet instead of anger, a different thought emerged.
A proposal.
"Very well," Noctyra said slowly. "I will make you an offer."
Kael remained silent, listening.
"I will teach you. I will guide you to power beyond anything this world can offer. You will rise through the ranks, step by step, until you reach the peak… the Transcendent Realm." His voice lowered. "And when you reach that point… you will release me."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"At that level, your body will only be capable of restoring seventy percent of my soul. That is your limit. If you go beyond it… your body will be destroyed."
What he did not say—
was that seventy percent would be more than enough.
Enough to take control.
Enough to return.
Kael listened carefully.
He was not foolish.
Why would a god help him without reason?
What if this was nothing but deception?
What if he was simply being used?
After a long silence, Kael shook his head.
"I refuse."
For a brief moment—
Noctyra said nothing.
Then, without another word, his presence withdrew, sinking back into the depths of Kael's soul. The boiling river calmed, the heat fading as if nothing had ever happened.
Time passed.
A year went by.
Kael continued his life as a trainee in Velmora, following the rules, enduring the routine, never once breaking.
Then, one day—
Squad 2 held its annual competition.
A race.
The winner would be granted an audience with the Heir of Velmora and receive one reward of their choosing.
All trainees were required to participate.
Kael stood among them, uncertain.
Most participants were far stronger than him.
Some had already reached the Adept rank.
Compared to them…
he was nothing.
The race began.
At first, Kael struggled to keep up.
But something felt… strange.
The others—
slowed down.
They gave him space.
Opened a path.
It made no sense.
Yet before he realized it—
Kael crossed the finish line.
First.
The crowd cheered.
His teammates smiled.
Celebrated him.
But deep within his heart—
Kael felt uneasy.
Something was wrong.
The next day, Kael was summoned.
He was granted permission to meet the Heir of Velmora.
The palace was breathtaking.
Elegant.
Overwhelming.
Kael had never seen anything like it.
He was led into a room.
Alone.
Waiting.
Unbeknownst to him—
This was not a reward.
It was a trap.
Since the disappearance of the Abyssal God…
The balance of the world had been broken.
Mana no longer flowed naturally.
Growth had stagnated.
Most Immortals could not progress beyond the Spirit Binder rank.
Even the Heir himself—
after over a thousand years—
had only reached the Law Seeker stage.
Desperation had changed him.
His solution…
was simple.
Consume others.
Devour their essence.
This was the true purpose of the trials.
Only a small number were allowed to pass—
so they could be controlled.
So they could be harvested.
The trainees knew.
Rumors had spread.
But none dared to resist.
And Kael—
was the perfect prey.
Suddenly,
a force gripped him. Invisible yet overwhelming, it locked onto his very existence. Kael screamed as his entire body felt like it was being torn apart, as if every part of him was being ripped away piece by piece. Something was being pulled from within him—his very soul, dragged out by an unseen power. This was the Heir of Velmora, Eryndor Valen. Yet in the next moment, something unexpected occurred. Instead of his soul being extracted, a golden energy began to emerge from his body. It was mana—dense, radiant, and unnatural. The force pulled harder, attempting to extract it completely, but no matter how strong the pull became, the golden mana refused to leave. It was dragged outward, only to snap back into Kael's body again and again, as if bound by something unbreakable.
Deep within his soul, a voice echoed.
"Rise."
At that instant, Kael's body erupted with power. The golden mana surged violently, spinning through every part of him, refining and condensing at an incredible speed. His entire existence began to change, his level rising beyond what should have been possible. In a single moment, he broke through into the Core Vessel realm—a level that would normally take centuries to achieve. The force binding him shattered instantly, and Kael collapsed to the ground before forcing himself to move. His body was heavily injured, but instinct drove him forward. He had to escape.
He ran, ignoring the pain, pushing his broken body until he finally reached home.
Far away, within the palace, Eryndor Valen watched everything unfold. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a slow smile appeared on his face.
"…Interesting," he murmured softly.
"For the first time in centuries… I have found something… worth devouring."