Kael sat at the edge of his bed, staring at the interface before him. The blue glow of the system illuminated the dim stone walls of the fortress room, casting long shadows on the floor. His fingers hovered over the screen, tracing over his stats once more.
---
[System Interface - Kael Thorne]
Name: Kael Thorne
Title(s): Exiled Scion, Fallen Noble, Dignity of the Noble (Passive Trait)
Potential: B+
Current Rank: F (Current Progress: F+)
Trait: None
Attributes:
Strength: 15 (F)
Agility: 12 (F)
Endurance: 27 (F+)
Intelligence: 25 (F+)
Mana Capacity: 20 (F)
Luck: 10 (F-)
Skills:
Intermediate Swordsmanship: 45/100
Basic Mana Control: 30/100
Perfect Insight (Passive): MAX — Enables instant memorization and flawless replication of any observed technique, spell, or movement.
Stoic Resolve (Passive): MAX — Grants the ability to maintain composure, suppress emotions, and remain calm under pressure, masking any weakness or vulnerability from others, showing true feelings only to those Kael trusts implicitly.
---
The numbers burned into his mind, and Kael let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temples. "How can anyone with stats like this even survive?"
His stats—Strength, Agility, Mana—were all so low, barely above the bare minimum. His potential was B+, but his foundation? That was nothing more than trash. He could barely imagine how the original Kael had grown strong with these stats. How had he survived? How had he become powerful enough to lead the Dark Forces?
"How did the original Kael even make it this far?" Kael murmured aloud, a bitter edge creeping into his voice. He knew the story—he had read it all. The original Kael had fallen to darkness, gained power through the Void Sovereign, and became a villain. But Kael didn't want that. He wouldn't take that path.
"No," Kael muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. "I won't rely on them. I won't make the same mistakes."
He stared at the system again, but this time his thoughts took a different turn. Stories had been told of people who surpassed their limits. Heroes who defied their own potential and broke through boundaries that seemed impossible. He had seen it with his own eyes. The heroes' party had done it, after all. If they could do it, why couldn't he?
But even as hope flickered within him, doubt lingered. He looked at his stats again, and the frustration returned. "How could I even fight anyone with stats like these? How could my family send me here to die?"
His thoughts darkened as his mind drifted back to that fateful day. The day everything had changed.
---
The Fall of the Fortress
The fortress had once been a symbol of strength—a place where Kael's family, House Thorne, had stood tall, a bastion against monsters and darkness. But when the dungeon shattered and the monsters emerged, everything changed.
The monsters that poured from the dungeon were beyond anything they had anticipated. The commander, Arvell Dyne, an S- ranked warrior, had tried to hold the line, but it was clear from the start that this was no ordinary battle. These monsters, especially the boss, were not just powerful—they were ancient, primordial. Kael couldn't even fathom the strength of the beast that had torn through the dungeon gates.
The commander had fought valiantly, leading the remaining soldiers, but the odds were stacked against them. The monsters overwhelmed the defense, tearing through the fortress walls. The commander, despite his S- rank, was struck down. No one could have predicted that a force of such magnitude would appear from the depths of the dungeon.
And Kael? He fought as best he could, using every scrap of strength and skill he had left. But in the end, he was nothing more than a bystander in a world of monsters. The fortress fell, and everyone—everyone—was either killed or lost.
But Kael had survived. Somehow.
In the chaos, a shadow had moved through the wreckage of the fortress, sweeping in like a storm. Kael had been unconscious, his body broken and battered from the battle, barely clinging to life. But when he woke, he found himself in a new place, one far removed from the crumbling fortress.
It was then that Kael realized the truth: The Dark Forces had saved him.
The Void Sovereign, the entity behind the Dark Forces, had taken notice of him. They had pulled him from the edge of death and offered him a chance to rise from the ashes. In exchange for his allegiance, they had granted him power beyond anything he could have imagined. He didn't know exactly how it had happened—he hadn't seen it, only felt the surge of power within him—but it was undeniable.
When he finally left the ruins of the fortress, no one knew he had survived. The monsters had ravaged everything, and his family had assumed him dead. His body had been lost amidst the wreckage, and there was no evidence of his survival. They didn't know that he had been saved, transformed.
---
Back to the Present
Kael snapped back to the present, his thoughts racing. He didn't want to rely on the Dark Forces, but the truth was clear: they were the only ones who had given him a chance to live. Without them, he would have been nothing more than a corpse, lost to the monsters of the dungeon.
"But I can't rely on them forever," Kael thought, eyes narrowing with determination. "I'll prove it. I'll become strong without them. I'll show them all."
He took a deep breath, wiping away the frustration. The academy was only a few months away. The start of a new chapter, the place where everything would change. He couldn't afford to waste any time. He needed to grow stronger. Much stronger.
---
Just as Kael was lost in his thoughts, the door opened with a soft creak. Liana entered, her eyes immediately falling on him. She walked over and sat beside him, glancing at the system interface before looking back at him with that familiar, concerned gaze.
"I hope you're not overexerting yourself," Liana said, her voice soft, but firm. "The doctor said you need to rest, especially after what happened with the monsters."
Kael didn't look at her. His eyes were focused on the window, the view beyond the fortress walls. He didn't want to show any weakness, but her presence made it difficult. Stoic Resolve helped, but Liana knew him too well. She had always known him better than anyone. She was the only one who had been there for him before everything fell apart.
"I'm fine," Kael said simply, his voice low. "I don't need to rest."
Liana eyed him carefully but said nothing more. She knew better than to argue with him when his mind was set. Instead, she shifted the conversation. "Commander Arvell was furious. He said it was reckless for you to go out and fight monsters, especially with your injuries."
Kael's gaze hardened slightly. Commander Arvell. The man who had been so quick to judge him. The man who had died trying to protect everyone, yet Kael had been the one to survive.
"I don't need anyone's protection," Kael muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing.
Liana sighed softly. "You need to be more careful. You're not invincible, Kael."
Kael looked at her then, his gaze softening for a brief moment. "I don't expect anyone to protect me," he said quietly. "But I won't let anyone else die because I was weak. I won't let it happen again."
Liana gave him a small, understanding smile. "I know."
As she stood to leave, Kael's mind raced again. The academy. The Dark Forces. His family. There were too many things pulling at him, too many forces trying to shape his future. But Kael would make his own path. And he would become strong enough to decide his fate.
---
The door closed softly behind Liana, and Kael was left alone in his thoughts once more. The system was still there, floating in the air before him, offering no answers—only a path forward.
"I'll make them all see," Kael whispered to himself, a determined fire burning in his chest. "I'll show them what happens when you underestimate me."