Blood splattered across the alley wall.
Zayn's bat had connected cleanly with Kai's jaw — or so he thought.
But the moment of impact felt… wrong.
Zayn stumbled backward, yelping in pain. His wrist was twisted at an odd angle, and his bat vibrated in his hand like it had struck steel.
"What the—?!"
[ Divine Skill: Karmic Echo (Lv. 1) Activated. Damage Reflected ×1.2 ][ Compensation: +12 Divine Credits Earned ][ Passive Triggered: Emotional Humiliation Detected – +6 Bonus Credits ]
Kai spat blood to the side, then slowly raised his eyes — glowing faintly gold under the moonlight.
"You should've brought flowers instead of a bat."
Marks rushed in next, swinging low. Kai side-stepped effortlessly, ducked under the attack, and elbowed the boy in the gut. A crack echoed through the alley as Marks hit the wall, groaning.
Judo froze mid-swing, suddenly unsure if he'd signed up for a fight — or a funeral.
"Run," Kai said.
He didn't have to say it twice.
Judo turned and bolted, slipping over wet concrete as his footsteps disappeared into the dark.
Far above, in a silent control room in Trystan Heights, Eron Valtier's screen went dark. The alley feed had cut out the moment Kai's eyes lit up.
"Interference?" he snapped.
"No," Dr. Sura Lang replied, adjusting her holographic lenses. "That wasn't tech. That was divine shielding."
Eron slammed his fist into the console.
"I want him brought in. I don't care what he is. That power doesn't belong to him."
Sura didn't respond immediately. Instead, she whispered into her comms.
"Activate Project Lazarus. We'll need something... experimental."
Meanwhile, at a quiet bar in Sector 9, a short woman with dreadlocks sipped black coffee alone. The neon lights outside flickered between green and blue. A small badge on her coat read: Investigator Ryn Mavik — Paranormal Crimes Division.
She'd received three pings in one night: divine energy readings, ancient trace signals, and a micro-seismic spike all centered on one boy.
Ryn narrowed her eyes.
"The last time a divine system woke up," she murmured, "an entire district vanished."
She slid her comm-chip into her ear."Mavik to HQ. I'm heading to Ashvale. Keep the Council out of this — for now."
Back in the alley, Kai leaned over a gutter, gripping his ribs. The rush from the system was fading now. Pain seeped in.
But something else stirred too.
A voice. Not external. Not like the system prompts.
This one was older.
Wiser.
And broken.
"You… are the first to awaken me in centuries. You carry the burden now."
Kai staggered backward, heart pounding. "Who—who are you?"
"I am the Remnant of the Forgotten One. The first god cast down by man and deity alike. You have bound your soul to mine. The Divine Reversal System is my curse… and your gift."
Kai clenched his jaw. "Why me?"
"Because only the truly humiliated… can be trusted with power."
The voice faded.
Kai's mind raced.
This wasn't just some system built to reward weakness — it was born from divine vengeance. Something deeper was going on. Something ancient.
And he was now in the middle of it.
At the same time, in the floating temple of Arkanos, five hooded figures gathered around a flickering portal.
An elderly monk with a scorched brand over his eyes raised his staff.
"The Cursed Heir has awakened," he announced grimly. "The one who reverses shame into strength. The last time his kind rose, ten kingdoms fell."
A younger monk leaned forward. "Do we kill him now?"
"No," the elder replied. "Not yet. First, we see if he survives."
Back in Ashvale, Kai walked the empty streets, his footsteps echoing against abandoned storefronts.
His stomach growled. He opened the system's menu mentally.
Divine Reversal System Interface
● Divine Credits: 31● System Rank: Initiate● Unlocked Skills:– Karmic Echo (Lv. 1) [Passive]– Credit Conversion [Locked]– Wealth Manifestation [Locked]
● Active Quest: "Prove Your Worth"Survive one full day without collapsing.Reward: Access to Credit Conversion Shop.
"Great," Kai muttered. "I get the gods' pity system… and it comes with homework."
He kept walking. Lights flickered in a building up ahead — an old diner.
It was closed, but he tried the door anyway.
It opened.
Inside, a tall woman in a dusty apron wiped down the counter. Her eyes were tired, but sharp.
"You bleeding or just broke?" she asked.
Kai hesitated. "Both."
She motioned toward a booth. "Sit. Talk later."
Unknown to him, outside, hidden in the shadows, someone watched.
A boy. No older than Kai. With violet eyes and a curved dagger in his hand. A thin tattoo glowed across his forearm — shaped like a snake eating its own tail.
He whispered into a comm-piece.
"Target located. The heir's alive."
On the other end, a deep voice replied.
"Good. Keep eyes on him. If he makes it to sunrise… we release the first Warden."