The awakening was different this time.
There was no throne, no sacred ruins, no divine echoes in the air. Only silence. A thick silence, almost unnatural.
DdD opened his eyes. He was lying in a solitary clearing, surrounded by tall trees that rose like the columns of a forgotten cathedral. The sky, covered by gray clouds, seemed to watch him from above, as if the world itself were judging him.
He tried to move. His body felt heavier. His hands were no longer those of his divine avatar, but those of a human: bone, muscle, and flesh, with small scars and the clumsiness of someone who had spent too long behind a screen.
He dragged himself to a nearby stream, and looking at his reflection in the water, he confirmed it: his real face. The same one he avoided seeing in the mirror.
But there was something more. A tremor beneath his skin. Like a second heart beating deep within him.
"I'm not completely human..."
Concentrating, he managed to invoke a fragment of his power. His sight sharpened, as if he could distinguish droplets of dew on leaves meters away. His muscles tensed with an unnatural strength.
For an instant, he vanished from his reflection. He became intangible: a dark shadow rippling over the water.
"I'm still DdD... just limited."
He was still processing everything when the forest responded.
A scream tore through the air.
And another. And another.
High-pitched. Desperate.
He scrambled to his feet and ran. Branches scratched his face, the dampness clung to his clothes. There was no interface telling him his HP, no minimap. Only instinct guided him.
First Fight – The Assault
Upon reaching the source of the screams, he found chaos.
A destroyed caravan. Overturned carts, dead horses, a fire beginning to spread among the fabrics. Around them, men and women fought for their lives.
The attackers: winged creatures, with claws black as obsidian and scarlet eyes that glowed in the shadows. Shadoweyes.
"But these enemies... they only appeared in dark zones in the game. What are they doing here?"
He didn't think too long.
One of them took flight to swoop down on a little girl screaming beside a broken cart. DdD launched himself forward instantly.
"Obscurement!"
His body turned to shadow for a second, passing through the creature just before impact. He reappeared behind it and spun with a roundhouse kick that surprised even himself.
The monster fell, but didn't stay down. It rose furiously, wings vibrating with hatred.
DdD backed away. He had no weapons. Just his body and fragments of his divinity.
The Shadoweye roared and charged.
DdD took a deep breath, and at the last second, leaped aside and activated:
"Black Claw."
Dark energy emerged from his hand, turning into ethereal claws that tore through the monster's chest. It shrieked. Reeled back. And fell, melting like ink in the rain.
Second Fight – Coordination and Pain
But he wasn't alone. Three other Shadoweyes descended upon the camp.
One attacked him from behind. DdD didn't have time to dodge. He felt claws rip his shoulder. He cried out. The pain wasn't digital. It was torn flesh, real burning agony. He dropped to his knees.
A second monster prepared to finish him off.
Then he saw it: a spear flew from the other side of the clearing, embedding itself in the enemy's wing.
A young warrior woman appeared, face smeared with blood, shield splintered in one hand and another spear in the other.
"Get up!" she shouted.
DdD did. Aching, bleeding, but furious.
"Echo of Chaos."
A wave of dark energy erupted from his body, like a silent explosion. Two enemies were hurled back, hitting the trees.
The third, more agile, swooped down. He barely had time to cover himself. The impact sent him flying several meters back, breaking branches, almost knocked unconscious.
Lyra—the warrior woman—interposed herself with her shield. She blocked the attack and threw her spear directly at the enemy's throat.
Silence. Another creature fell. Only one remained.
DdD got to his feet, staggering.
He looked at Lyra. She nodded.
They charged together.
"Shadow Blade."
A sword of shadow formed in his hand.
While Lyra distracted the last Shadoweye, DdD slipped beneath it and swung upwards with force. A clean cut. The body split in two, dissolving into dark smoke.
After the Combat
It was over. For now.
The wounded villagers began to pick themselves up, some crying, others in silent shock.
DdD, panting, his body covered in blood and dirt, leaned against a tree trunk. His wounded shoulder burned like live fire. The divine energy inside him vibrated, as if celebrating the combat.
Lyra approached cautiously.
"Who are you?" she asked. Her voice held no suspicion, only respect.
DdD looked at her. For a moment, he thought about telling the truth: "I am the God of Destruction, fallen from another world, sent to judge this realm."
But he only said:
"Just... a traveler."
She observed him for a few more seconds... and then nodded.
"Come with us. We're going to Fort Luxen. There are things you need to see. And you too... you might be able to save us."
As they walked away from the clearing, DdD felt the world watching him. As if every step brought him not only closer to the truth... but to the judgment he was meant to deliver.
And for the first time, he doubted.
"Does this world deserve to be destroyed?"