The golden light exploded outward, flooding the chamber with a blinding radiance.
Kairos staggered back, gripping the hovering blade as a surge of energy coursed through his veins. It wasn't just raw power—it was something older, heavier, laced with a deep, ancient will.
Then, the ground shook violently.
The murals on the walls, once still and lifeless, began to shift—figures of kings and warriors moved, as if whispering of a past long forgotten.
And at the very center of the chamber, the grand pedestal sank into the ground, revealing a spiraling stairway descending into absolute darkness.
TRIAL OF THE FORGOTTEN KING ACTIVATED
A long-dead monarch awaits those who seek the power of the Divine Race. Only the worthy may claim his legacy.
Kairos grinned.
"Let's see how dead this guy really is."
With Lux Regis still pulsing in his grasp, he stepped forward, descending into the abyss.
The deeper he went, the colder it became.
Not the chill of mere temperature, but something else—something unnatural, pressing against his skin like unseen fingers.
The stairs finally ended, opening into a vast chamber shrouded in mist.
And there, upon a crumbling throne of blackened stone, sat a figure wrapped in regal, tattered robes.
His skeletal frame was adorned in ancient armor, his hollow eye sockets flickering with eerie blue flames. A massive, rusted greatsword rested at his side, the blade still stained with the blood of centuries past.
Then—
The undead king moved.
His bony fingers curled around his weapon, and in a voice that echoed through the cavern like a thousand whispers of the damned, he spoke:
"Another pretender comes to claim the throne of a fallen era... Prove your worth, or be consumed by oblivion."
Kairos barely had time to react before the forgotten monarch attacked.
BOSS ENCOUNTER: THE FORGOTTEN KING – LVL ???
Once a ruler blessed by the Divine Race, now cursed to wander eternity. His sword carves through the very soul. Defeat him to earn his legacy.
Kairos dodged just in time as the greatsword came crashing down, splitting the stone floor beneath him.
"Fast."
For something so ancient, so skeletal, the king moved with the speed of a hurricane, his blade swinging with a force that could have split a mountain in half.
But Kairos was faster.
He surged forward, Lux Regis gleaming in his grip, slashing straight for the king's exposed ribcage—
Only for his blade to be parried in an instant.
The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the chamber, Kairos skidding back as the king lunged again.
The undead monarch fought like a warrior untouched by time, his every movement sharp, precise, deadly.
But Kairos had already adapted.
He ducked beneath the next strike, shifting his grip on Lux Regis, channeling the golden energy within the blade—
"Celestial Arc."
The sword flared to life, releasing a crescent wave of divine light that sliced straight through the king's torso.
For the first time, the undead ruler staggered.
But he didn't fall.
Instead, the blue flames in his eyes blazed even brighter, and the entire chamber shook with his fury.
"You are strong… but strength alone is not enough."
With a single swing of his sword, the air itself seemed to crack, reality warping as the room was swallowed in shadows.
Kairos found himself standing in a different place—
A battlefield.
A memory.
A war of gods and men, playing out before his eyes.
And in the heart of it—the Forgotten King, in his prime, leading a final charge against an enemy lost to time.
Kairos clenched his jaw.
So this was the trial.
A test not just of strength, but of will.
"Fine."
He tightened his grip on his blade, stepping forward as the vision of the past became his battlefield.
The battle raged, and Kairos fought not just the king, but the echoes of his fallen warriors. Every strike of Lux Regis tore through the illusions, but the deeper he went, the more he realized—
The Forgotten King wasn't just testing him.
He was guiding him.
And then, with one final clash, Kairos's blade pierced the king's core, shattering the illusion. The vision crumbled, the battlefield dissolving into golden dust as the chamber returned to reality.
The Forgotten King stood before him, now just a specter of his former self.
"You have proven your worth," the monarch intoned. "Take what remains of my legacy. Forge it into something greater."
A radiant celestial ore appeared before Kairos, pulsing with divine energy.
He reached out, and the moment his fingers touched it—
LEGENDARY MATERIAL ACQUIRED: CELESTIAL ORE
A material of the gods, capable of crafting weapons beyond mortal comprehension. Only those with the will to shape destiny may harness its full power.
Kairos exhaled sharply, a grin tugging at his lips. "Alright… let's make something insane."
ELEMENTAL TRANSMUTATION ACTIVATED
You possess all necessary components. Do you wish to begin forging? Warning: This will be a one-time evolution process. The resulting weapon will be bound to your soul.
He didn't hesitate. "Hell yeah."
The chamber erupted with golden light, and the Celestial Ore floated into the air, breaking apart into shimmering fragments.
Then—
NEW WEAPON FORGED: AETHERFANG – THE SOULBOUND BLADE
A sword born from the fusion of Celestial Ore and the wielder's soul. Grows stronger with its master, evolving with every battle. Absorbs defeated enemies' essence to unlock hidden abilities. Currently at Base Form. Further evolution unknown.
Kairos grinned as he gripped his newly-forged weapon.
The air around the blade shimmered, almost as if reality itself struggled to contain its presence. He gave it a test swing—
Aetherfang cleaved through the air, leaving a faint ripple in space.
Kairos smirked. His real journey was just getting started.