A deep, resonant voice fills the chamber, echoing in the space around him.
"You have been chosen as the King."
Ravyn freezes as he feels an unfamiliar weight press down on his head. He instinctively reaches up and grasps it—a crown. Its cold, smooth surface is gilded with gold and adorned with white jewels that glimmer faintly in the dim light.
'What is going on?'
For perhaps the first time in years, confusion clouds his usually sharp mind. The sound of stone grinding against stone breaks the silence.
Ravyn's head snaps toward the noise, and his red eyes narrow as he watches a massive stone door slide open. For the first time, he sees daylight—golden light streaming through the gap and illuminating a lush, verdant jungle.
Without hesitation, Ravyn rises from the throne and walks toward the opening. Each step is deliberate, his senses are on high alert.
He steps through the doorway and onto the soft, muddy ground of the jungle. The air here is humid, filled with the scent of damp earth and vegetation. Towering trees stretch high into the sky, their massive canopies creating dappled patches of sunlight on the forest floor.
As soon as he takes another step, the door slams shut behind him with a loud, echoing thud.
Startled, Ravyn whirls around—only to find that the door, the temple, and every trace of the stone structure are gone. Instead, there's a painted wall of a serene mountain range where the door once stood.
Ravyn experimentally knocks on it, but his knuckles meet resistance before touching the surface. A shimmering barrier pulsates faintly in the air, repelling him.
'This is no ordinary space,' Ravyn thinks, his brow furrowing.
A sudden, distant noise catches his attention.
The harsh sound of metal grinding against metal, mixed with guttural growls, echoes through the jungle.
'Someone—or something—is fighting,' he muses, his grip tightening on his weapons.
Clearing a path through the dense underbrush, he activates his Stigma: Absolute Void. The twin blades of black and red fire materialize in his hands, their searing heat cutting effortlessly through the thick vegetation.
As Ravyn advances, a desperate male voice pierces the air:
"Karin, get back!"
The clashing of weapons and roars intensifies, drawing Ravyn closer to the source.
When he finally emerges from the thick foliage, the scene before him is chaos.
A group of roughly fifteen humans is in a desperate battle against a swarm of Abyssal monsters. The ground is drenched in blood—red, green, and black—while the bodies of the fallen litter the battlefield.
A red-haired woman, likely Karin, stands at the center of the human formation. The group fights in a tight circle, their movements coordinated but strained. Their adversaries are grotesque Abyssal versions of jungle creatures:
A massive tiger-like beast with obsidian fur and glowing green eyes leaps toward the formation, only to be blocked by a shield-bearer.
Deformed monkeys screech as they swing from the trees, their elongated limbs clawing at the humans.
A spiked lizard charges forward, its scaled body leaving a trail of destruction.
Bird-like abominations swoop down with talons the size of daggers, striking with terrifying precision.
The chaos is overwhelming, but the humans hold their ground.
Ravyn observes from the edge of the battlefield, his red eyes scanning the scene.
'They're outnumbered, but they're well-trained.'
The humans' formation is disciplined. Shield-bearers form a defensive perimeter, bracing against the relentless onslaught.
Melee fighters wield swords, hammers, and axes with practiced precision, counterattacking whenever the creatures expose a weakness.
Archers at the center unleash volleys of arrows, one landing every shot with deadly accuracy, while another fires explosive-tipped projectiles that scatter fragments of Abyssal bone.
Other Stigma users bolster their efforts. Spikes erupt from the ground, impaling monsters. One fighter's aura enhances their comrades' stamina and strength. Another casts a healing light over the wounded.
Despite their efforts, they're losing ground. Ravyn thinks, his expression cold and calculating:
'I should save at least one to get more information.'
Without hesitation, he leaps into the fray. His fiery blades cut through the air, cleaving two grotesque monkeys mid-leap. A tiger lunges at him, but he sidesteps and decapitates it with a single, precise strike.
His movements are fluid, and each attack is deliberate and efficient. The deep voice returns:
"Friendly fire will not be tolerated. Sealing 10% of your power."
The humans glance toward him, their expressions a mixture of surprise and hope. But Ravyn's face remains emotionless. He continues to fight near the edge of the battlefield, methodically cutting down creatures while observing the humans' strategy. He doesn't seem to care about the warning.
Despite the chaos, Ravyn's mind sharpens:
'This isn't a random group. They're high-ranked adventurers, mostly Ignited, maybe a few Flamebound. And also, who the hell is speaking to me?'
The battlefield remains drenched in chaos, the air thick with the stench of blood and desperation. It is a desperate and, most importantly, losing battle. Especially for Ravyn, the next announcement resonates in his head:
"Friendly fire will not be tolerated. You are team Abyss. Sealing another 10% of your power."
He gets annoyed, unleashing even more of his strength. The monster's forces are already only half of what they were before Ravyn arrived.
He slowly fights himself further toward the human formation, slaughtering everything in his way. The battle seems to calm down, but Ravyn can feel a loss of power. The voice is back:
"Another 10% of your power will be sealed."
Ravyn shouts:
"Get out of my head!"
A large fireball erupts near him, killing at least five monsters. With that, the battle finally comes to an end, and the rest flee into the vast jungle. An older man walks toward Ravyn, he has a gentle smile and asks:
"My name is Arthur. Thank you for helping us out. May I ask where the rest of your party is?"
Ravyn doesn't know why they are here, but he thinks they intentionally challenged this place, assuming that he did the same. He replies:
"Unfortunately, I am the only survivor."