The ground trembled as though the earth itself was recoiling from the surge of destruction brought upon by the collapse of the Abyssal Anchor. Echoes of its fall reverberated through the air, fading into the distant ruin, leaving Kael, Varin, Oslo, and Jermain in a brief, uneasy silence.
Oslo's eyes darted across the shattered landscape, his hand instinctively activating the protective shield that hummed around him and the others. His breath was shallow as the aftershocks from the anchor's destruction slowly faded, but his heart still raced with uncertainty.
"We did it, right?" Jermain's voice cracked, breaking the silence, but there was no celebration in his tone. The tension still lingered, thick like the dust that filled the air. They were battered, weary from the fight with Krolith, but their bodies hummed with the remnants of adrenaline.
"We're still here," Oslo muttered, his voice a little hoarse. "But that doesn't mean it's over."
Kael felt the heavy weight of failure clawing at his insides despite their victory over Krolith and the destruction of the Abyssal Anchor. He should have been stronger—faster. He still felt weak, even with his status multiplier giving him an edge. That gnawing sense of inadequacy didn't dissipate as he had hoped. If anything, it only deepened.
Varin glanced at him, his usually unflinching mentor sensing the emotional storm that stirred inside his student. "Kael," Varin started, but before he could speak further, the earth rumbled once more—this time, different.
A low hum vibrated through the air, and from the broken remains of the Ruins of Ardorr, something ancient, something immense, began to rise.
"What the hell is that?" Jermain's incredulous voice snapped everyone's attention to the center of the ruins. The ground cracked, and slowly, an altar began to ascend.
At first, it was just a platform, but as it lifted higher, they all saw that it was far more than that. Dark, metallic black stone, shimmering with a faint light, etched with runes that pulsed with an energy none of them recognized. The air around it shimmered with an aura, powerful and unfamiliar, yet somehow it felt like the Abyss... but not quite.
Kael stared, transfixed by the sight. He could feel the power radiating off it, stirring something deep within him, a pull on his very soul. Varin's face was pale, eyes narrowed, calculating.
"An altar...?" Kael breathed, half to himself. His mind raced, trying to make sense of it.
"It's not just any altar," Jermain muttered, his voice low. "That's... that's something much more. It's an Altar of Ardorr." He glanced at Oslo, who nodded grimly.
"Before these ruins became... ruins," Oslo explained slowly, "this was once a place meant to worship the Celestial Gods of Ardorr. It was an opulent city, vibrant, filled with life, until the Abyss came, corrupting everything. People vanished overnight, and no one knows how or why."
Kael felt the cold weight of realization pressing down on him as Oslo's words sunk in. "Are you saying this altar might be... connected to that? To what happened to the people here?"
Oslo looked conflicted but didn't deny it. "I think the fight with Krolith triggered it. It must've been hidden beneath the ruins this whole time. Something powerful—something we clearly don't understand."
The altar continued to rise, now fully suspended in the air. Eight pillars stood around its perimeter, each inscribed with runes that shimmered with an unsettling energy. Kael couldn't tear his eyes away from it. His Rebirth Core began to pulse violently in response, a pain slowly spreading from his chest outward.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Jermain asked Oslo, who nodded without a word. They shared a glance, an unspoken understanding between the two members of The Veil.
"What is it?" Kael asked, puzzled by their reaction.
Oslo didn't answer immediately, his gaze lingering on the altar. "It's... possible that this altar is some kind of portal. Or, at the very least, a connection point to somewhere else."
"A portal?" Varin's tone turned sharply skeptical, but before the conversation could continue, the runes on the pillars suddenly flared to life.
Kael gasped as an overwhelming surge of pain shot through his Rebirth Core. His legs buckled, and he dropped to one knee, struggling to breathe as his core pulsed violently within him.
"Kael!" Varin was beside him in an instant, panic etched in his usually calm features. "What's happening?"
"My... Rebirth Core... it's... surging," Kael managed to gasp, the pain relentless, searing through his body. His consciousness wavered, the edges of his vision blurring.
Oslo and Jermain, too, were frozen in shock. This wasn't supposed to happen—none of them had expected this.
"What do we do?" Jermain's voice cracked as he turned to Oslo, but Oslo's usually unflappable demeanor was shaken.
"We... we don't know," he muttered, his eyes still locked on the altar, which continued to rise higher, the runes lighting up one by one. "This... isn't something we've seen before."
Suddenly, a voice broke through Kael's agony—a voice he hadn't heard in a long time. Ethan.
"Kael, don't resist the power. It's connected to you—let it flow."
Kael's mind scrambled to process Ethan's words. "What do you mean?" he asked silently, his voice weak even in his own thoughts.
"The altar... it's tied to your Rebirth Core. You need to reach it—step onto the platform. Now."
Fighting through the pain, Kael forced his eyes open, his voice barely a whisper. "Varin... I need... to get to the altar."
Varin looked horrified. "Kael, you're in no condition—"
"Do it," Kael managed to gasp, his eyes locking with Varin's. "I need to be there. It's the only way."
Reluctantly, Varin nodded, hauling Kael to his feet and guiding him toward the now-hovering altar. Every step felt like a monumental task for Kael, the pain intensifying as the runes continued to blaze with light.
Finally, they reached the edge of the platform, and with one last look of hesitation, Varin let Kael step onto it alone. The moment Kael's foot touched the altar, the pain surged again, but it was different this time. It wasn't just pain—it was power.
The runes on the pillars flared one by one, each lighting up as a beam of energy shot from them, converging on Kael. He dropped to his knees in the center of the platform, gritting his teeth as the power washed over him, pouring into his Rebirth Core with an intensity that left him breathless.
"You have leveled up..."
The familiar chime of the system notifications filled Kael's mind, but this time, they didn't stop. His level continued to rise—18... 24... 30. The beams of light finally faded, the runes dimming until they no longer glowed, leaving only the faint hum of energy in the air.
Kael exhaled shakily, his body trembling from the sudden influx of power. His health and mana were fully restored, the pain nothing more than a distant memory now. But the notifications didn't stop.
Rebirth Core Mastery has reached Level 3. Status Multiplier has increased to Level 2.
A flood of new abilities surged into his mind, and Kael felt a surge of exhilaration.
New Skill Unlocked:
Active: Shadow Avatar (Level 1)—Create avatars of any class owned. Available avatars: 1/1.
Passive: Skill Unification (Level 1)—Combine two existing skills into an evolved, powerful skill. Current level allows two-skill combination.
Kael's breath hitched as the reality of what had just happened sank in. He'd leveled up—massively. His power had surged, and his Rebirth Core mastery had advanced. And to top it off, he'd unlocked new abilities that could turn the tide in any battle.
As the euphoria of newfound strength washed over him, the others approached cautiously. Varin looked at him, relief softening his usual stern expression. "You're alright?" he asked quietly.
Kael nodded, feeling more alive than ever. "I'm more than alright."
Before they could say more, a sudden figure materialized next to Kael. The Veil members reacted immediately, weapons drawn.
"Wait!" Kael raised a hand, stopping them just in time. "It's... Ethan. My Rebirth Core guide."
Oslo, and Jermain stared, wide-eyed. Ethan, who had always appeared as a holographic figure in Kael's mind, now stood before them, no longer an illusion but ethereal, real.
The shock on their faces mirrored Kael's own disbelief.