'Status.'
The moment I thought of the word, a blue transparent screen shimmered into existence in front of me, flickering softly like a faint hologram.
---
Name: Caelum Morgan
Title: None
State: Normal
Trait: None
*Additional Abilities have not been unlocked.*
Strength: 3
Agility: 2
Stamina: 1
Energy: 4
Perception: 8
Mana: 10
---
'Huh…' I blinked at the screen, lips twisting into a half-hearted smile.
'Well, that's pathetic.'
'Sigh...'
'What do you expect from a newborn, I guess…'
Just then, another set of messages appeared.
[ Newbie rewards have been added. Would you like to open them? ]
'Huh? Sure, show me what I got.'
[ Congratulations! The curse placed by Gareth Vernhild has been completely removed. ]
[ Additional rewards have been granted. ]
[ Congratulations! You have awakened: Absolute Darkness. ]
I froze.
'…What?'
A curse?
I narrowed my eyes. That... that was from my past life. So why is it still showing up?
[ Host, the curse placed by Gareth Vernhild was bound to your soul, not your body. It has followed you across lifetimes. ]
Tch.
Figures...
Curse placed by that bastard Gareth. After all, he's a Transcendent—a realm beyond mortality.
Of course it would cling to my soul.
I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my tiny temples.
'I need to work hard… I'll come back to haunt you, Gareth. Just you wait.'
I took a deep breath, pushing down the irritation crawling in my chest.
'Simon,' I called out, 'what exactly is Absolute Darkness?'
[ Host, Absolute Darkness is your elemental affinity. It is the purest, most refined form of darkness—far superior to both shadow and common dark affinities. While dark affinity allows basic manipulation of dark energy, and shadow affinity enables stealth and deception, Absolute Darkness goes beyond both. It embodies the concept of entropy, devouring, and nullification. It can erase light, distort space, and even affect spiritual beings. This affinity is extremely rare and feared, as few can wield it without losing themselves. Only those with a soul strong enough to resist the void can master it. ]
'…Damn,' I muttered, eyes wide.
'That's… overpowered.'
As if responding to my thoughts, another window popped up.
[ Quest Added ]
Objective: Become a Novice+ Rank Swordsman before the age of 10.
Reward: +100 Stat Points, +100 EXP
---
'Simon, what are stat points and EXP points?'
[ Host, stat points are free points you can manually assign to any attribute, such as Strength or Perception. They let you grow faster in specific areas based on your choices. ]
[ EXP points are experience points. You earn them through training, fighting, or completing quests. EXP is used to level up your skills or overall level. ]
---
"I see…"
I stared at the floating screen, a small smile forming on my lips.
"Well then—let's start working hard."
**********
Somewhere in the abyss, where light dared not tread and time stood still, a throne rested in silence.
Shadows coiled like serpents around the jagged stone pillars, writhing with each breath of the void.
The air was heavy—soaked in a stifling darkness that seemed to whisper secrets only madness could comprehend.
The ground was cracked obsidian, pulsing with veins of crimson as if the land itself bled.
Thunderous silence reigned, broken only by the faint echo of ancient power humming beneath the surface.
At the heart of this desolate darkness sat a figure on the throne, his silhouette shrouded in shadows deeper than night.
Cloaked in something not quite cloth, not quite smoke, the figure's form radiated ancient malevolence.
His presence twisted the air, bending the very fabric of reality in rippling waves around him.
Then, from the blackened distance, another form emerged. Cloaked in tattered remnants of battle-worn robes, the second figure strode forward, every step a declaration.
"So... you came."
The voice from the throne rumbled low and ancient, more sensation than sound.
"I will kill you," the challenger growled, eyes burning like twin suns defying the darkness.
A dry chuckle echoed through the abyss.
"Such arrogance."
The figure on the throne rose, darkness peeling away to reveal a towering presence.
His feet touched the ground with weightless might, and the abyss responded.
Without another word, they clashed.
Steel rang against void-forged claws.
Spells collided with waves of pure annihilation.
Each movement from the throne's figure distorted space itself, while his opponent wielded speed, precision, and a burning conviction to bring him down.
Every strike the challenger delivered was followed by a retaliatory blow that shook the void.
Fragments of the arena tore apart, collapsing into nothingness, devoured by the oppressive power radiating from their battle.
Planes split, time fractured, and still they fought.
The challenger fought not just with skill, but with his very life force, each attack drawing on the flame of his soul.
Then it happened.
The figure from the throne shifted—his form bulged, twisted, and cracked with impossible pressure.
With a guttural roar that drowned the void, he transformed. Black wings erupted, tearing the sky.
Scales darker than night shimmered with cursed brilliance. Horns curled like thrones of bone, and his eyes—gleaming with timeless hatred—pierced through all.
A dragon.
With one beat of its wings, space trembled. Reality recoiled.
The challenger stood bloodied, bones shattered and soul dimming, yet he raised his sword.
"Ozeroth..."
he muttered, calling the creature's name as if cursing it. Blood dripped from his lips, but the fire in his eyes had not extinguished.
"Even in death, I will kill you."
The dragon let out a soundless snarl—one that tore through worlds.
"I have had enough of your insolence. In front of me, You will die."
They collided once more.
Blades of light against claws of nothingness.
The challenger burned through his remaining life force, each movement now desperate, each attack a final note in his requiem.
He carved across the dragon's scales, gouged its wings, split its fangs—yet it wasn't enough.
The space around them caved.
Entire stars, realms, and memories were consumed in their final clash.
The challenger struck with one last scream—his sword piercing through the beast's eye.
A roar followed, shaking the fabric of death itself.
Then silence.
The shattered husk of the challenger fell first—broken, lifeless, and still.
The dragon, marred and heavily wounded, crashed beside him.
Cracks ran along its scaled form, darkness bleeding from its wounds.
For a long moment, the void remained still.
Then, from the smoldering ruin, the monstrous creature stirred. One massive claw grasped the cracked earth.
It rose—wounded, breath ragged, but undefeated.
The challenger's corpse lay at its feet, his soul extinguished.
The beast loomed over the fallen warrior, his form shrinking back into the cloaked figure from the throne. He looked down with unreadable eyes.
"Sigh... I wasted too much energy," he muttered, voice low, touched by pain. "I'm injured. Too injured."
He staggered slightly, gazing into the distance of the void.
"At this rate... I will die."
A long pause.
Then
Somewhere, far from the ashes of ruined realms and broken timelines, the world spun on.
Stars twinkled peacefully in the sky above a vast empire that never once imagined a war between beings capable of shattering dimensions.
Life bloomed, unaware that something ancient… something injured… had begun its descent.
Inside a grand estate cloaked in silence, a baby stirred in his crib.
Caelum Morgan.
Eyes fluttering open, the child whimpered softly.
The air around him felt colder than it should.
The dim light flickered, shadows stretching unnaturally long across the walls.
An invisible pulse echoed once, then twice—like a heartbeat from something deep within the void.
And then, everything returned to normal.
The baby closed his eyes again, unaware of the gaze that now followed him.
Far above, in a dimension unseen, the cloaked being stood at the edge of reality, watching. Waiting.
"Not yet…" he whispered.
"You're not ready."
He lifted a hand and etched something into the air—symbols that burned with violet flame before vanishing into Caelum's body like falling ash.
"A seal, for now. Grow, vessel… Grow strong. I will return."
And the darkness receded once more, leaving only silence.
--------------
A/N :- Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!