Years passed.
Kael was now fifteen—taller, stronger, sharper than ever. The village no longer whispered behind his back. They watched him with a strange mix of awe and fear. No magic flowed through his veins, but he walked with purpose, as if the world itself bent to his logic.
And tonight… the wait was over.
As promised, the goddess appeared in his dream.
Clad in robes of stardust, her silver eyes met his.
"You've grown, Kael," she said with a soft smile. "The time has come."
"I'm ready," Kael replied without hesitation.
She extended her hand, and from it, a glowing scroll floated into existence.
"This is the receipt—the blueprint to create a dimensional key. But it is incomplete. The missing parts lie within a dungeon hidden beneath Mount Elreth. Only by clearing its trials will you earn the final piece."
"And when I do," Kael said, voice firm, "I can return to my world. To her."
"Yes," the goddess whispered. "But beware—this dungeon was not meant for mortals without magic. Every trap, every monster inside, is designed to test magical strength."
She looked at him with something between pride and sorrow.
"You'll have to survive using only your mind and body."
Kael opened his eyes. Morning light poured through his window.
The scroll lay on his desk—real.
---
By midday, Kael stood at the edge of Mount Elreth, a jagged beast of stone and wind. Few ventured this far; fewer returned.
He traced the map he'd etched from the scroll's faint lines. A hidden entrance was said to lie behind a waterfall near the cliff's heart.
And there it was—a narrow path carved by time and forgotten by men. Behind the roaring fall, a door of obsidian etched with glowing runes awaited.
Kael pressed a hand to it.
It pulsed.
"This is it."
He took one final breath and stepped through.
The air shifted.
The door closed behind him.
Darkness swallowed everything.
But Kael… did not flinch.
The darkness inside the dungeon was absolute—no torchlight, no glimmer of magic. Only silence… and the quiet hum of danger.
Kael moved forward carefully, fingertips brushing the damp stone wall. The air was heavy, musty, and ancient, as if untouched for centuries.
Suddenly, a low click echoed beneath his feet.
A trap.
Kael leaped sideways just as metal spikes shot upward from the floor. He rolled across the cold stone, panting, heart pounding.
"Not even five steps in," he muttered. "They weren't kidding."
Ahead, a faint glow emerged—soft blue light forming symbols in the air. Floating letters shaped into a message:
Trial One: The Mind.
"To move forward, solve what magic cannot."
A pedestal rose from the ground, and on it, five stones glowed with runes. Behind them, a massive stone door loomed, sealed shut.
Kael approached and read the inscription beneath the stones:
"Five stones, five runes—only one opens the path. The others awaken death."
He examined the stones carefully. They all pulsed with mana, except… one.
The fifth stone. It was dull, cold.
"This one's inert," he said, narrowing his eyes. "No mana signature. To a mage, it's useless. But to someone like me…"
Kael took a breath and pressed the fifth stone.
For a second—nothing.
Then, the door rumbled open.
No explosion. No death.
Just silence.
"So they expect magic users to choose what they understand—mana," Kael said, smirking. "But sometimes, the absence of something… is the answer."
He stepped through the now-open passage and into a vast hallway filled with eerie blue flames lining the walls.
Far ahead, a strange noise echoed—metal dragging… breathing?
Kael's body tensed.
"Trial of the mind passed. Now comes the body."
The echo of metal scraping stone grew louder.
Kael slowed his breathing, dropping into a low stance. His hand gripped the hilt of his self-forged dagger — lightweight, balanced, carved from volcanic iron and reinforced with hardened leather.
Ahead, the shadows twisted… and then it emerged.
A Gorath Hound.
Eight feet tall at the shoulder. Armor-like scales. Glowing red eyes. Its mouth split into four serrated jaws, drooling acid.
Kael's mind raced.
"This thing's built to tear through magical barriers. But I have no magic — just speed and precision. Use that."
The Gorath Hound snarled and lunged, faster than a creature its size should be.
Kael dove to the side, narrowly avoiding its jaws. He rolled, springing to his feet and landing a quick slice at the beast's flank — the blade barely scratched its scales.
"Too tough for direct attacks."
The beast circled, snorting as if amused.
Kael scanned the chamber. Pillars. Shadows. A rusted chain hanging from above. A jagged broken pillar.
"That'll do."
He sprinted toward the base of a column. The beast charged again. At the last second, Kael jumped and kicked off the pillar wall, flipping over the Hound's back. As he landed, he slashed its hind leg joint — soft flesh between armored plates.
The beast howled, staggering.
Kael didn't stop.
He darted up the rubble pile, grabbing the chain. He tugged it — loose. Above, a spiked stone trap, probably long forgotten, dangled on a rusted hinge.
"Let's test gravity."
The Hound roared and leaped.
Kael swung the chain, timed his movement, and jumped clear at the last second.
CRASH.
The ancient trap fell, spikes slamming into the creature's spine. A screech echoed through the chamber — then silence.
Kael crouched, breath sharp, sweat dripping.
"Beast down. No magic needed."
The blue flames lining the walls flared — a sign. He had passed.
The next gate opened with a slow grind of stone.
Kael stood, blood smeared on his face and arms, heart still racing. But his eyes burned with purpose.
"One step closer. I will return. I will save her."
He walked into the next trial, shadows closing behind him.
Kael stepped through the ancient gate.
The final chamber of the dungeon opened before him—vast, silent, illuminated by a haunting green glow. The walls shimmered with runic engravings, pulsating slowly like a heartbeat.
In the center stood a pedestal, and upon it… a fragmented crystal orb. Floating above it was a spectral figure—robed in silver flames, eyes closed, arms outstretched.
"Welcome, mortal," the spirit said without opening its mouth. "You have passed the trials of mind and body. But the final test… is of purpose."
The runes around the room ignited in a spiral of light, swirling upward like a vortex.
"Speak," the spirit commanded. "Why do you seek the power to traverse worlds?"
Kael stepped forward, unafraid.
"To save the woman I love," he said simply. "I died in my world. I couldn't protect her. But now… I've been given a second chance."
The spirit's eyes opened—piercing gold, like twin stars.
"Is it love that drives you… or guilt?"
Kael paused. His jaw clenched.
"Both. But I won't waste this life. I won't waste what she gave me—her smile, her trust, her dreams. I'll carry all of it… and return."
A long silence.
Then the spirit smiled.
"Then take this."
The crystal orb floated toward Kael and shattered midair—light fragments spinning around him, embedding into his chest, his mind, his soul.
Visions flashed:
A complex blueprint of magical threads and scientific patterns intertwined.
The image of a dimensional core, forged from five rare ingredients scattered across this world.
A glimpse of the device he must one day build: the Dimensional Gate Drive.
Kael gasped as the knowledge surged into him. It was more than memory—it was a part of him now.
The chamber dimmed. The runes faded.
"You are ready," the spirit whispered. "But your trials are far from over. The ingredients you need are guarded by powers both divine and demonic. The war of realms is coming."
"Let it come," Kael said, eyes burning with determination. "I'll carve my way through gods and monsters alike. No one will stop me from going back."
The dungeon trembled one final time… then went still.
Kael emerged into daylight—bloodied, bruised, breathless… and smiling.
He looked up at the sky.
"Wait for me. I'm coming back."
To be continue...