Kai stared at the veiled woman in black.
She was sublime. Immanent. Her skin was a dewy, supple complexion like the surface of a glowing star. Kai could see her narrow lips curling into a faint smile, but he could not see her face.
It was shrouded well by the black veil.
He remembered the note from the Goddess telling him to sleep.
Something about the note told him that she wanted to meet with him.
And now that he had used the Deep Slumber to sleep, this woman's identity became clear.
Kai gulped harshly.
This woman, who was now stroking his hair, must be a deity.
For a good moment, he was enthralled by the soothing hum that was hypnotizing him. He wanted to stay here forever and listen to her voice. But he quickly snapped out of his daze when he remembered Bella.
He tried to speak. To ask the questions inside his mind. But no sound came out.
"Grow stronger, my dear son." The Goddess ushered.
It seemed she had already stopped humming when she noticed the struggle on Kai's face. She leaned down to Kai. Behind, the night sky seemed to move alongside her. She kissed his forehead dearly as a mother would.
Kai's mind immediately went blank.
Dark energy was shot into his mind from the kiss, overwhelming him instantly.
But he could still feel everything.
Her straight black hair felt like silk against his skin, and her scent was otherworldly.
Nothing smelled as good as her.
The kiss lingered longer, almost like she was reluctant to part.
Before Kai lost his consciousness, he could hear her voice again.
"We will meet again once you're stronger. Don't be naughty. Stay in your territory. And remember, keep your distance from your sisters."
…
Kai's eyes snapped open, and he immediately sat up.
He looked around and sighed. Back to his prison again.
"What was that place?" He thought aloud while holding his throbbing head. "Did I really just meet a deity? I thought meeting the Patron God was an exclusive privilege for Supernals with higher Divine Locks.
"Does my Primordial Lock stand equal to that of Demon Supernals?" He shook his head.
No need to get over himself.
It must be that this deity was a unique one who was more fond of her Supernals.
"But still, did he call me only to tell me to get stronger? Even if she didn't tell me, I would still be doing that," Kai shook his head, confused. "And what does she mean by stay within my territory? What about keeping my distance from my sisters? What sisters?"
Kai only has one sister, and the Goddess certainly knew that.
So, she must be talking about the other Supernals.
For some Patron Gods, their Supernals are placed in a survival-of-the-fittest dynamic. A ruthless competition for favor. As a result—not all Supernals of a shared bloodline feel a familial bond.
It seemed he belonged to this brutal tradition.
Kai stood up and looked out the peephole. It was already morning.
He only felt a few minutes in that place, but it seemed like hours had passed.
"I doubt any of them are Angels, so I should be safe for now." Kai shrugged. "Status."
...
[Divinity Status]
Name: Kai #####
Rank: Grade 0 Awakened
Bloodline: First Son of the Primordial Night
Primordial Lock: 1
Legacy Skill: Deep Slumber
Legacy Imprint(s): Nigh-Phantom
Ending Trait: -
Path: -
Ending Fragment: -
Quest: -
…
"Nigh-Phantom?"
Remembering the energy that was siphoned into his mind from the kiss, he decided to check his status. He felt something was forced into him by the kiss, so he was curious to see if there were any changes.
And as expected, he saw a change. He got a Legacy Imprint. She's really generous.
[Nigh-Phantom: Your presence becomes lighter, and you become only visible to intent. More effective if used at night]
Kai read the imprint's description and frowned.
He becomes even more confused.
But his eyes caught the bolder color of his name, and he decided to click on it mentally.
Another panel was opened.
…
[Physical Stats]
Strength: 4
Speed: 4
Dexterity: 5
Constitution: 4
Mana: 20
…
Kai studied his physical stats.
"Average physical stats for newly awakened Angel Supernal are around 3 across the board, so I'm a bit over the average," His eyes fixed on the mana section. "But twenty for mana? Isn't that really good?"
Just then, he heard the sound of flapping wings.
It's the Angel Supernal bringing him food and checking on him.
"Let's try it. Nigh-phantom…" Kai muttered.
Unlike the Deep Slumber, the Nigh-phantom imprint was activated with a command. He could feel the mana inside him swirl and then expand, reaching every part of his body.
But there was no noticeable change.
Like always, the Angel Supernal banged on the steel door.
"Come to the door," He commanded, expecting Kai, like always, to look through the peephole and spew hateful curses. But there was no movement from the inside. "Hey, come to the door now!"
Still no answer.
Furiously, the Angel Supernal looked through the peephole.
He scanned the small chamber and saw Kai standing against the wall in stillness.
"What are you doing? Did you not hear me?!" He roared. "Come here!"
Kai was taken aback.
"I thought I could be invisible if I stayed motionless and silent," He smiled acutely, thinking how stupid he must've looked. "Guess not."
For a few more days, Kai tried using the Deep Slumber again.
He learned it only worked at night, and even then, it was fickle. Most attempts simply led to a deep, dreamless sleep, leaving him refreshed by dawn. He never got into that other, silent place again.
No complain to that. It's good now he has a way to sleep on command.
But on the third day, he could feel that it was different this time.
Kai inhaled deeply, as if possessed, and opened his eyes. He felt the familiar coldness of the place where he met with the veiled woman in black, but the scenery wasn't the same as the last time he was here.
No sign of the Goddess. No soothing hum. No cracked temple.
Only the starry night sky, shallow water, and a misty expanse.
"Where am I?" He rose to his feet—and looked around. "I want to call for somebody, but I have this inkling feeling that it's a stupid idea."
Instead of shouting for anyone, Kai decided to explore himself.
Since this must be tied to the Deep Slumber, he needed to familiarize himself with it.
Getting better at the Legacy Skill is how any Supernal becomes stronger.
In this place of endless night, he was a lonely star. A soft, defiant glow that pushed back against the darkness for perhaps eight feet in any direction. Beyond that is quite blurry, like looking through murky glass.
He couldn't even see his feet properly because of the knee-high mist.
And every step he took echoed too loudly against the shallow water, as if the silence were hungry for any sound.
Like any other normal person in a new place, he walked straight. It took a moment for him to find anything at all. A translucent wall reflected the light coming from him. He reached out to touch it, and the wall became visible.
"A barrier?" Kai then remembered what the veiled woman said to him. "This must be the end of my territory, or maybe the start of one? I don't know."
His intrusive thought told him that he could push past the barrier.
But that's asking for trouble.
Now, he kept the barrier to his right, hoping to mentally map his supposed territory.
It was then he stumbled across a humble abode—a wooden two-story house.
He went around it and froze. A figure sat motionless on the porch. A shadowy warrior in light-black armor and a helmet adorned with a single long purple plume made of smoke that stirred in a wind he could not feel.
'So big…' Kai thought, realizing this figure was even taller than him. 'Is it a monster?'
Kai has seen monsters from the Blue Void.
But remembering that this is inside his Legacy Skill, it must be something else entirely.
Summoning his courage, Kai approached.
"Excuse me…" He greeted awkwardly.
Almost like he already sensed Kai's presence, the shadow warrior didn't turn.
Instead, he made a single, dismissive wave of his hand, gesturing for Kai to continue on his way. "Pass through," he said—his voice was double like a being from another dimension. "I do not mind a passerby."
"Actually," Kai stepped closer slowly. "I'm kind of lost. Can you help m—"
Before he could finish, the shadow warrior turned towards him.
He did it in a snap, and Kai felt like he had said something wrong.
"Lost…?" The shadow warrior rose to his feet.
His frame was more imposing than Kai initially thought, easily reaching nine feet tall.
Kai stumbled back instinctively.
"Are you playing games with me?" With the sound of a blade being unsheathed, the shadow warrior's arms elongated—turning into blades in an instant. "Don't mistake my patience with weakness."
"No, wait a minute," Kai stepped back as the shadow warrior approached, dragging its blade arms against the floor. "I really don't know where I am! I'm not trying to pick a fight or anything!"
"Everyone is lost here," His purple eyes behind the helmet narrowed.
Kai flinched, raising his arms to protect himself when the shadow warrior pounced.
"I just wanted to get to know you!"
Swoosh—!
For a second, Kai thought he was going to be cleaved in half.
But the attack never came.
He lowered his arms and found the shadow warrior stood frozen, arms halted mid-swing, and stared down at him. A flicker of something like confusion passed behind the dark slit of its helmet. "Get to know me…?" he echoed, the words rough and disbelieving. "How?"
"M-Maybe like start with your name?" Kai continued in confusion.
He absolutely has no clue as to what this place was, and he thought talking with this thing would help.
Kai saw the warrior's body shake when he heard the suggestion.
It was like a shiver. Unclear whether it was a good thing or not.
"You are a child of the Final Night?" the shadow warrior questioned.
Kai didn't know exactly what that meant, but he reckoned this warrior was talking about the veiled woman. The Goddess. "Yes?" He nodded hesitantly. "I'm the First Son of the Primordial Night."
Might as well tell the warrior about his bloodline.
A precaution lest he gets cut in half.
"A son…? Not a daughter?" The shadow warrior looked at Kai dubiously, but he didn't press any further. It wasn't his place. "And so, you want to know my name? Is that why you came here?"
Not the reason Kai came here, but he nodded anyway, "Yes."
The shadow warrior reformed his arms to normal and then reached for a handshake.
Kai accepted it without hesitation.
"My name is Noxian," the shadow warrior introduced. "Remember my name."
As Kai was about to answer, he immediately fell to his knees as an excruciating pain drilled into his head. He groaned and wailed in pain on the floor, clutching his head as if it were on the brink of exploding.
[You have learned the name Noxian]
[His ending is now accessible to you]
"RAARGGH!!"
Kai screamed at the top of his lungs, and before he knew it, he woke up.
He shot up and looked around. His entire body was drenched with sweat.
"What in the hell was that?" He groaned, clutching his head with one hand. "Status."
…
[Status]
Name: Kai #####
Rank: Grade 0 Awakened
Bloodline: First Son of the Primordial Night
Primordial Lock: 1/1
Legacy Skill: Deep Slumber
Legacy Imprint(s): Nigh-Phantom
Path: Goddess of Discord — Noxian the Slashing Ending
Ending Fragment: Perfect Slash (0 / 10 Exp)
Quest: -
…
"What…?"