---
Michael – Entering Layer 9
Michael stepped into the ninth layer expecting another grotesque beast.
What he got… was silence.
No screams.
No fire.
No flesh walls.
Just darkness. Cold, clean stone. A layer that didn't move. Didn't greet him.
It just waited.
---
"What is this… this pressure in my head…" Michael muttered to himself with strain, holding his skull.
His legs wobbled.
[Rest Protocol Activated – Demon Trait: Consciousness Seal]
- The host's mind has exceeded safe limits. Sealing consciousness for automatic recovery.
Thuud.
He dropped.
Unconscious.
And the quiet welcomed him.
---
Inside His Mind
Michael floated.
No thoughts.
No words.
Just empty white.
"Where am I?" he thought to himself with low clarity.
"Why… is there nothing here?"
There was no pain.
No fear.
No reason to fight.
Just rest.
Forced rest.
---
Mavel – Meanwhile, in the Human World
Mavel was slouched on his bed, watching Michael's vitals flatline on the system dashboard.
"Seriously? The guy's brain sealed itself 'cause he's too tired?" Mavel muttered to himself with disbelief.
"Tough guy, my ass."
Then—ding.
[Daily Reward Acquired – Memory Display (A-Rank)]
→ Allows the user to project or record memories onto any screen, device, or storage medium.
Mavel's eye twitched.
Then he grinned.
"Wait… does that mean I can upload this to WTube?"
He slapped his hands together.
"YESSS. Finally. I'm about to go viral off my clone's trauma."
---
Upload Session
He opened his garbage laptop.
Username: Animator Zero
Password: DefinitelyNotTheRealGuy69
----
The system helped him format a video from his memory:
Layers 1 through 5.
Brutal. Cinematic. Glorious.
But… the souls?
Gone.
Erased.
The system automatically edited them out.
[For Public Viewers: Soul-Liberation Visuals Have Been Filtered for Narrative Clarity]
"Guess it didn't want the world asking too many questions," Mavel thought to himself with casual indifference.
---
What the video showed:
Michael beating the hell out of monsters
Bosses exploding
Cool fire effects
Dramatic music synced by the system
No talking souls. No blessings. No Heaven. No deeper lore.
Just raw flame and fists.
---
[Upload Complete]
Title: Michael vs. Gatekeepers | Ep 1 | Fan Animation
Channel: Animator Zero
Tags: #Action #Fantasy #IndieAnimation #FireKing #Gatebreaker
---
WTube Comments Section (Highlights)
@VoidHeroX – "This is an INDIE ANIMATION?!! 😭🔥"
@Doge3331 – "He had to cook… and he fed us all."
@HxH57994 – "The choreography is insane. Studio WHERE?"
@VisualGlitch – "Real talk… how's this not trending?"
@FangirlOfTheFlame – "Okay but the MC is lowkey hot??"
@DeepLoreHunter – "Only 5 layers in and I'm hooked. This man MOVES."
@ArtIsFire – "I'm getting real 'King in exile' energy from this dude."
@Infernale – "Flame punch through the Judge? Chef's kiss."
@AnimatorZero (Mavel) – "Thanks for the love y'all! Ep 2 coming soon 🔥"
@CultOfTheBurned – "Praise be the Flamewalker 🙏"
@SkepticChan – "This ain't 'animation.' This feels too damn real."
@SoulSeeker69 – "He's not defeating the monsters. He's erasing monsters. That's it."
@TheoryDropper – "Each boss has a 'sin' vibe. Coincidence?"
@StudioHopeful – "Can we PLEASE hire this man??"
@Edgelord97 – "Dark. Fast. Angry. Just how I like it."
@NotSuspicious – "Where's Layer 6 though?"
@WCastNews – "This could be the next big indie hit."
@RealCloneTheory – "This isn't fiction. Look closer."
@GodsEyeFan – "Something about his fire felt… holy."
@HeavenlyWhispers – "We need to watch this. Now."
@RageInked – "When he said nothing and still killed everything? Peak."
@Studio_W – "Who is Animator Zero? LET ME FUND YOU."
@NobodyKnowsMe – "This changed me spiritually."
@SleepyKnight – "If this is Episode 1, I'm not surviving Episode 2."
@AntiAIWatcher – "NOT AI. This is straight-up demoncore."
---
Viral Status
Views: 842,000 in under an hour
Likes: 122,947
Subs: 3,566 and counting
Comments: Exploding
Mavel refreshed the page.
"What the actual f—"
He sat back, arms wide.
"I just dropped fire… without lifting a finger."
---
Meanwhile… Layer 9
Michael's body remained motionless.
But the shadows around him… grew curious.
The system whispered from the void:
"The world sees him now."
"But they do not see the whole truth."