The Goddess raised her hand, and an image shimmered into view—an ancient dungeon gate wreathed in twisted vines and carved from black stone. Behind it echoed the distant howls of monsters.
"Now, for your first trial. A dungeon lies beneath the ruins of this gate. At its core: a beast crowned in blood—The Goblin King."
"You want me to kill it?" Zero asked, disbelief tightening his voice.
"Slay the king. Conquer the dungeon. And in return…"
The image shifted, revealing a black artifact pulsing with arcane runes, a cloak woven from starlight, and an ancient sigil glowing faintly with power.
"You'll receive an Artifact of Reversal—a relic that strengthens Negation, allowing you to choose when it activates. A power few mortals have ever wielded."Zero grinned.
"So I just have to survive a dungeon crawling with goblins and a bloodthirsty king?"
The Goddess smiled, serene and knowing.
"Survive… or thrive. That's up to you."
Then her form began to fade.
She left him with a final whisper.
"The world that cast you out is watching, Zero. Show them what it means to be cursed… and still rise."
The echo of her words lingered long after her light vanished. The chamber dimmed, and the phantom gate cracked open with a deep, grinding groan.
Zero stepped forward, nerves and curiosity warring in his chest. The air beyond the gate was thick—damp stone, the metallic tang of old blood, and something darker… something unnatural.
The Descent Begins
The dungeon was a maze of jagged corridors and shadow-drenched halls. It didn't take long before Zero encountered resistance.
His first opponents: a swarm of Razor Rats scuttling across the floor. Dozens of red-eyed vermin charged, fangs bared, some darting at impossible speed.
One lunged for his leg—only to trip on a jagged stone and slam into the wall. Another leapt for his face, but a sudden ceiling collapse crushed it mid-air.
Zero blinked.
"Negation…"
The deeper he descended, the clearer it became—misfortune turned against his enemies. Traps misfired. Blades swung too late. Even a Bone Golem he stumbled upon slipped on its own ice magic and shattered a leg before Zero finished it off with a lucky slash to the core, using the rusted sword he'd looted from a long-dead knight.
But it wasn't effortless.
Fatigue crept in. His breaths came shallow. Fate bent around him, yes—but his body still bore the toll of every step, every battle.
Hours passed.
At last, he reached a vast stone chamber. Towering doors stood before him, carved with crude, ominous symbols of goblin royalty. As he pushed them open, a foul stench hit him like a brick wall.
There it was—a monstrous goblin, twice the size of any he'd seen, slouched upon a throne of bones. Rusted iron armor clung to its bloated frame. In its massive hand, it gripped a jagged cleaver nearly as long as Zero was tall.
The Goblin King.
Its yellow eyes snapped toward him. With a bone-rattling screech, the king rose.
Zero tightened his grip on the blade.
"Alright, big guy. Let's test this curse of mine."
The king charged.
Zero rolled aside, barely avoiding the cleaver's brutal arc. The ground cracked where it struck. He retaliated, slashing across the king's flank—only for his blade to glance off thick, calloused hide.
The Goblin King bellowed and stomped.
A hidden trap triggered—spikes shot from the ground.
Zero stood directly on the panel.
He winced, bracing for pain.
Click… clunk.
The spikes erupted—not beneath him, but beneath the king.
Impaled through the thigh, the beast howled in agony.
Zero seized the moment, driving his blade into the creature's exposed side. The king swung back, but its grip faltered—slick with blood.
The battle raged on. Zero dodged, landed blows with uncanny timing, and finally drove his sword into the Goblin King's eye.
With a final roar, the beast collapsed, shattering its throne beneath it.
As the Goblin King exhaled its last breath, the dungeon trembled. Its magic faded, and the chamber was bathed in soft, ethereal light.
From above, a divine ray descended.
The Goddess appeared once more—more radiant than ever.
"You did well, Zero," she said, her voice echoing like music.
She raised her hand. In it shimmered a cloak, woven from threads of starlight, dark as the void.
It flowed like mist, yet shimmered like tempered steel.
The Cloak of Reversal.
"This relic is bound to you. It strengthens Negation—allows you to trigger it at will, so long as your emotions are focused. Use it wisely."
Zero took the cloak with awe in his eyes.
Gains from the Trial:
Boosted reaction time and intuition
Stronger mental resistance to fear and illusions
Higher resistance to traps and environmental damage
Instinctive sense of danger (latent perk awakening?)
Emotional link to Negation: activation through focused intent
Zero stood alone in the fading chamber, cloak trailing behind him, the corpse of a king at his feet. For once, luck hadn't abandoned him.
He had bent fate to his will.
He smiled.
"Guess I'm not dying today."
A chime echoed in his mind.
System Update: Dungeon Boss Defeated
Reward: +10 Stat Points
Zero blinked at the system screen, still catching his breath. His fingers hovered over the stat tab, uncertain.
On instinct, he tapped Speed. Once… twice…
The screen flickered.
Stat Points Applied: Speed +10
"Wait—what? All of them?!" he blurted out.
Too late. It was done.
But almost immediately, he felt it. His body buzzed with energy. Muscles tightened. Breath flowed easier. His step lightened. Reflexes sharpened.
It had been a mistake… yet it felt oddly right.
Days Later
Zero stepped into the Iron Pulse guild hall—the same place that had once written him off as deadweight. The clamor of adventurers, the clinking of mugs, and the scent of roasted meat greeted him like a memory from another life.
His old teammates were there, laughing, boasting about recent missions.
One of them spotted him.
"Zero? Is that you?!"
They rushed over, half-shocked, half-elated. Some clapped him on the back. Others stared as if they'd seen a ghost.
"You're alive?"
"Where've you been?"
Zero offered a faint smile, brushing off the questions.
He talked, laughed when he needed to, and deflected with practiced ease. But a part of him remained distant.
If they knew the truth… about Negation, about the cloak, about what he'd become…
They wouldn't admire him.
They'd fear him. Maybe even try to use him.
He stood up mid-conversation.
"Sorry," he said quietly, stepping back.
"I've got something to take care of. I'll catch you later."
They waved him off—some confused, others disappointed.
Outside, beneath the cold night sky, Zero stood still. The stars gleamed, reflected in the silver trim of his cloak.
He pulled the hood over his head.
"Some secrets... are safer kept in the shadows."
With a single step—faster than ever before—he vanished into the darkness