The moment Kael stepped beyond the shattered temple doors, the world changed.
The sky above was vast and silver-blue, streaked with floating landmasses drifting like shattered continents in the heavens. Mountains pierced the clouds. Rivers of light flowed through the air like veins of energy connecting distant realms.
Eryndor was far grander than he imagined.
And far more dangerous.
[System Notification: New Region Discovered — Outer Domain of Virelith]
[Exploration Reward: Intelligence +10 | Perception +5 | XP +200]
Kael inhaled slowly.
The air here was dense with spiritual energy—far richer than inside the temple. His Celestial Codex hummed against his consciousness, absorbing ambient power automatically.
He grinned.
"So this is the real world."
A sharp whistle cut through the wind.
Kael tilted his head slightly.
Three figures stood atop a nearby ridge, dressed in flowing robes marked with silver insignias. Swords hung at their waists. Their auras were stable, controlled.
Cultivators.
One of them stepped forward — a tall young man with sharp features and cold eyes.
"You came from the Ruin Temple," he said flatly. "No one enters that place and walks out alive."
Kael brushed dust off his coat casually. "Guess I'm special."
The three exchanged looks.
[System Notification: Hostility Detected]
[Opponent Levels: 12 | 13 | 14]
Kael's lips curled upward slightly.
Stronger than him.
Perfect.
"You hand over whatever artifact you found," the tallest cultivator continued, "and we might leave you with your life."
Kael laughed softly.
"Or," he said, shadow energy slowly coiling around his fingers, "you can try taking it."
The air grew heavy.
The first cultivator moved.
Fast.
But Kael was faster.
Shadow Step.
He vanished.
Reappeared behind the second cultivator.
Void energy slashed outward.
[Strength +8 | Agility +12 | Combat Insight +2 | XP +180]
The third cultivator reacted instantly, sword flashing with spiritual light. A beam of energy ripped through the ground where Kael had stood a fraction of a second earlier.
Kael felt something new ignite within him.
Excitement.
This wasn't a guardian test.
This was real combat.
No system-designed training.
Just survival and dominance.
He activated Temporal Echo.
For a split second, he saw the future trajectory of the sword strike.
He shifted slightly.
The blade missed by inches.
Kael grabbed the cultivator's wrist.
Void energy surged.
The man screamed as shadow threads crawled over his arm.
[Void Manipulation: Level 5]
The tallest cultivator's expression changed from arrogance to alarm.
"You're not Tier 10… what are you?"
Kael tilted his head.
"Someone who grows faster than you can comprehend."
He stepped forward.
Shadow Rift tore open beneath the tallest cultivator.
The ground swallowed him halfway before he blasted upward with raw spiritual force.
Impressive.
But not enough.
Kael pushed deeper into the Codex's energy.
For the first time, he consciously drew from its core.
A pulse of ancient authority radiated outward.
The remaining cultivators staggered.
[New Skill Unlocked: Sovereign's Pressure]
[Enemies Suppressed: -30% Mobility | -20% Power Output]
The battlefield shifted instantly.
Now Kael was the apex.
The tallest cultivator tried to speak, but Kael appeared in front of him again.
One precise strike.
Void energy erupted.
Silence followed.
The wind resumed.
The remaining two cultivators fled without hesitation.
Kael didn't chase them.
He let them run.
Let them spread the story.
He exhaled slowly.
[XP +600 | Level Up: 12]
[Bonus Reward: Reputation Gained — "Unknown Void User"]
Kael looked toward the distant floating cities shimmering on the horizon.
If random cultivators at the outskirts were already this strong…
Then the true powerhouses of Eryndor must be monsters.
He smiled.
Good.
He needed monsters.
Because infinite growth meant infinite ceilings to break.
Suddenly, the system flickered.
Red.
[System Alert: Another System Signature Detected]
[Distance: 47 kilometers]
[Warning: Compatibility Unknown]
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Another system user?
So he wasn't the only "player."
The wind shifted again.
Somewhere far beyond the mountains, something awakened.
And it was coming.
Kael cracked his knuckles, shadows dancing eagerly at his feet.
"Finally," he whispered.
"A real challenge."