The Nameless, Timeless Dimension.
No day, no night. No sound, no wind. Only absolute emptiness formed the stage for the destined meeting of two intertwined souls. Auren stood alone, surrounded by the void—until the presence of that figure broke the silence: Zhael.
Zhael, the Bringer of Calamity, now stood before him, as if no time had passed since the universe-shaking destruction. His body was neither real nor illusory. One side appeared like an ordinary human, the other blazed with ancient power, light and darkness mixed in silence.
Auren gazed at him; there was no fear in the man's eyes—only confusion, and a hint of... reverence.
Zhael stepped forward, each stride breaking the emptiness and creating a foothold of existence beneath his feet. He stopped just a few paces from Auren.
> Zhael:
> "I can feel it. The chaos in your soul. Vengeance. Regret. Death... and buried love."
>
Auren didn't answer. His heart was shattered, his body weary, and his mind couldn't fully process what was happening. However, he knew one thing: Zhael was more than just a legend. He was real. And now he was speaking to him.
Zhael raised his hand to the air—and instantly, a bloody history unfolded clearly. Worlds burning, humans screaming, gods betraying each other. And amidst it all, Zhael stood alone, covered in blood and loneliness.
> Zhael:
> "This world is not a place for those too weak to choose... or too strong to submit. I refused both. And for that, I was punished."
>
> "You... are a mirror of my choice."
>
> "The system chose you not by luck. But because you... are the only human mad enough to refuse the fate given to him."
>
Auren slowly raised his face.
> "What do you mean... I am the inheritor of your power?"
>
Zhael didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand, and from the darkness emerged a battlefield. Giant bodies fought, ancient entities killed each other. In the middle of that field, stood a young man—Auren—fighting them all alone.
> System:
> "Initiating Zhael's Legacy Trial:
> Objective: Survive until the end of the battle.
> Failure: Total soul annihilation.
> Reward: Access to Zhael's Core, Ancient Memories, and the Grand Truth."
>
The earth cracked. The sky burned. Time began to move erratically.
Auren now stood in the middle of a simulated world mirroring ancient warfare. A landscape more terrifying than hell itself.
Hundreds of entities emerged one by one—giants, demons, fallen angels, even shadows that could only be described as living nightmares. They all had one goal:
> "Destroy the Heir of Zhael."
>
And they all charged.
Auren, who was previously weak and faltering, now wielded a power that slowly ignited within him. It was as if remnants of Zhael's power began to merge. His eyes radiated a burning blue aura.
> "I will not submit... not now... not here... not as long as this world still beats!"
>
The battle began. Auren launched forward, his body enveloped in an aura of lightning, fire, and dark blue light. He split one enemy after another with speed and strength beyond human reason. His skills began to emerge one by one:
"Void Strike"
"Heavenly Collapse"
"Break Limit: Ultra Advance+"
"Blackfire Judgement"
But for every enemy defeated, three more appeared. His body bled. His breath hitched. But Auren kept standing. Like Zhael before him... he would not lose.
After three days and three nights in that world's time, only one voice remained:
> Zhael (echoing across the sky):
> "You survived... until the end."
>
> "Then receive... my last legacy."
>
The world shattered into pieces. Everything vanished.
Auren now stood in the middle of a boundless white room, and before him—a slowly pulsating ball of light. It was Zhael's Core. The essence of his power, memories, and his nature as a being that almost touched divinity.
> "One last question, Auren," Zhael's voice resonated.
>
> "Are you ready to bear this burden, even if the whole world will oppose you?"
>
Auren clutched the Core, and answered with a calm yet determined voice:
> "I have lost everything. The world may hate me. But I will make them remember one thing..."
>
> "That in the history of this world, there was once a human... who refused to submit."
>