The echoing ring of footsteps resounded off the stone walls as Kyle descended the spiral stairs beneath the Iron Gate. A torch flared in his hand, flickering against icy drafts that swept through the ancient halls. The new armor rang softly with each step, not yet broken-in but resilient.
His mind, however, wasn't on the gear or the darkness that encircled him. It was on the message that flashed just as the stairway opened.
"You have been granted access to the Vault of the Forgotten."
"Trial Progression: 23% Complete."
He'd barely scratched the surface of what this Gate held, and already he could sense the tension build. Every success took him deeper into something old, darker, and far more dangerous.
"I'm not ready for what's next," he admitted under his breath. But that didn't mean he'd stop.
At the base of the stairwell, a heavy door stood slightly ajar. The light from his torch revealed etchings on its frame—ancient runes, faded with time but still faintly glowing. He pushed it open and entered a chamber unlike the others before.
The room had rows of enormous statues, each resembling a warrior—some human, some beast, some alien in visage. They all stood in silent strength, as if waiting for something to stir them to life.
As he stepped into the center of the room, the air stirred.
System Notification:
"Vault Guardian Detected."
"Warning: Presence of Divine-Grade Construct."
A loud rumble echoed through the chamber as one of the statues moved. Stone cracked, dust poured down like snow, and from the far end of the room, a massive construct of obsidian and silver rose.
Its head turned. Glowing red eyes locked onto him.
"Gate Intruder. Identify."
Kyle stepped forward, heart pounding.
"Name's Kyle. I've come to complete the Trial."
The framework didn't move. It raised a hand instead and pointed at him.
"Trial Segment: Ancestral Duel Initiated."
The room transformed in an instant. The walls melted into darkness, replaced by an open arena that hung in a void. Runes circled overhead. Kyle's torch vanished. His gear reconfigured itself, lightening, streamlining.
His mirror image faced him.
Same height. Same weapons. Same armor. But with glowing crimson eyes.
A mirror fight.
"Let's see what I've really learned," Kyle muttered and launched forward.
The battle was vicious. Every strike was met, every dodge was matched. Kyle needed to make things up, be unpredictable, go on instinct rather than technique. He took a punch to the ribs, slashed at his copy's leg, and dodged to the side as a bolt of flame shot past his ear.
System Update:
"Combat Adaptability: +2"
"Speed: +1"
"New Skill Learned: [Reactive Step Lv.1]"
He smiled in spite of the pain. The mirror Kyle was startled—just for a moment—and that's when Kyle moved in with a feint, a sweep, and then stabbed his blade upward through the chest of the copy.
The copy shattered like glass.
The void collapsed. The room returned. The construct, still standing, inclined its head.
"Acknowledged. Potential Confirmed."
It stepped aside, and behind it was a little tunnel—one that shone softly with golden light.
System Message:
"Trial Progression: 41% Complete."
"Gate Authority Fragment Obtained (1/3)."
Kyle staggered forward, panting.
He had no time to celebrate. He did not even have time to catch his breath.
The instant that he entered the tunnel, another series of messages flashed.
"Warning: Temporal Distortion Detected."
"Interference from External Entity (ID: ???) Detected."
"Hostile Signature Approaching. Prepare for Battle."
And then—nothing.
The tunnel blacked out.
A figure silhouetted.
Wrapped in shadows, cloaked in silver fire, with a blade that hummed with an energy Kyle couldn't comprehend.
Not another construct.
Not a system illusion.
A real enemy.
"You've grown fast," the figure said, voice distorted. "Too fast."
Kyle raised his blade, blood pounding in his ears.
This wasn't part of the Trial.
This was something else.
Something… watching.
And now, it was stepping in.