I woke, my vision blurred from sleep, though I could tell immediately that my wounds were gone. A ghost of pain lingered in my bones; a faint echo of the battle lost against the warden. But I didn’t panic. I knew, somehow, instinctively, that I was no longer in the labyrinth. It wasn’t just what I could see, but what I could feel.
Life.
Distant chatter reached my ears, muted yet unmistakable. My vision sharpened, and I took in my surroundings, a simple hut, its walls made of smooth, sturdy wood, the ceiling woven from straw.
For the briefest moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream. The wood’s color wasn’t unnatural, the straw looked like it would have, back on Earth. But then, in my peripheral vision, I saw the faint glow of system notifications waiting for me.
I sighed quietly to myself.
Definitely not a dream.
CONGRATULATIONS ADVENTURER! YOU HAVE DEFEATED A WARDEN OF A LABYRINTH!
CONGRATULATIONS ADVENTURER! YOU HAVE DEFEATED YOUR FIRST LABYRINTH!
CONGRATULATIONS ADVENTURER! YOU HAVE REACHED A NEW PLANET WITHIN ATERIOS!
CONGRATULATIONS ADVENTURER! YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 104!
My eyes snapped open, and I bolted upright. There was no relief, no excitement, only terror.
If the labyrinth was destroyed, that means…
Before the thought could spiral, Virellia’s voice eased into my mind, gentle and grounding.
“Everything is okay. The natives here sealed the portal before it had a chance to spawn any of her forces.”
I exhaled, tension slowly ebbing from my limbs.
A deep voice rumbled from outside the hut, soft yet carrying an undeniable presence.
“I believe your friend is awake now.” There was no malice in the tone, only quiet observation.
“I’ll go check on him.”
Trish.
Her voice was light, cheerful even, but I caught the slight waver beneath it. Seconds later, the creaking wooden door swung open, and she stepped inside.
She smiled at me, but something in her eyes told me she had barely let herself believe this moment was real.
I barely registered what she was wearing, her armor was gone, replaced by a simple, flowing green dress. No embellishments, nothing ornate. Just something comfortable. Soft.
I smiled back, shifting to stand.
But before I could, she launched herself at me.
The impact sent us tumbling backward onto the straw bedding, her arms locking around me in an unrelenting embrace.
“It’s okay, love. I’m here.” I chuckled softly, stroking her back.
She didn’t respond.
Instead, a quiet sob broke from her lips, muffled against my shoulder.
I held her tighter, letting the moment be what it needed to be. No words, no reassurances, just the steady beat of my heart beneath hers, the warmth of her presence grounding us both.
It felt too brief when she finally pulled back. Her golden-brown eyes locked onto mine, searching intensely. That was when I realized we weren’t alone.
The others had entered, standing just beyond her, all wearing the same expression.
Like they hadn’t expected to see me awake again.
A knot formed in my stomach.
“…Guys?” My voice came out quieter than I intended. “You’re all looking at me like I died.”
My gaze flickered between them, waiting for an answer.
Waiting for an explanation.
Virellia was the one to break the silence.
“You did… but you also… didn’t.”
The words hung in the air, heavier than they should have been.
One. Two. Three heartbeats passed.
No one else spoke. No one offered an explanation. They just kept staring at me, like I was something else. Something different.
That was when I realized it.
There was still one notification I hadn’t checked.
In my panic over the labyrinth’s destruction, I had dismissed the menus from my vision, not even noticing the lingering alert.
Slowly, my breath caught.
What the hell had happened to me?
TRANSFORMATION INCOMPLETE!
Would you like to finish this process? YES NO
“Transformation… what the…” The words barely left my lips, more a breath than a whisper.
Confusion flickered through me as I glanced down at my hands.
Cracks.
Thin fractures lined my skin, glowing with a soft, golden radiance, like veins filled with liquid starlight. The glow pulsed faintly, syncing with the steady rhythm of my heart.
Then, another realization struck.
The room was brighter.
There were no candles. No torches. No visible light source at all. And yet, the moment the blanket slipped from my body, the glow intensified.
I wasn’t seeing the light.
I was the light.
A chill ran through me, but before I could process what was happening, my gaze locked onto the rest of the notification.
Death has been avoided; Supergiant has been incited. Activation is imminent.
This transformation is unavoidable.
Your human form can no longer contain the power you now wield. If you abandon or ignore this transformation, you will take your final breath in 21m 03s.
Upon completion, no further transformation will occur until {VETERAN} Rank.
So please… do not think you can tempt fate with death again.
I pushed the menu away again, then looked at each of my friends, then Trish.
“Wha… what is happening to you?” Mel was the first to speak. The rest just kept staring at me, their expressions twisted with uncertainty, fear. As if I was dying.
Which… I kind of was.
I swallowed, trying to suppress the rising panic. I didn’t know what this transformation truly meant. What would it do to me? Would I still be me?
I looked down at my hands again, studying the glowing fractures spreading up my arms, pulsing faintly with golden light. The same jagged cracks stretched across my chest, my abdomen. I pushed the blanket off my legs; they were everywhere.
And beneath it all, I felt something, pressure. Like a balloon stretched to its limit, ready to burst at the slightest touch.
“James… please…” Max’s voice was quiet, unsteady. His violet eyes shimmered, a single tear rolling down his deep purple skin.
I tore my gaze from him, looking at each of them in turn before finally answering. “I need to get away from people before I do what I’m about to do. Something tells me this might… get destructive.”
“What the hell are you talking about, James?” Trish’s voice shook, anger and fear woven together, the tears in her eyes renewed.
I exhaled softly, reaching out to cup her cheek, my thumb brushing lightly against her skin. “It’ll be okay, love. I need you to trust me.”
She jerked back, her emotions snapping like a whip. “The last damn time I trusted you to be okay, you nearly died! You’ve been down for over a week, James! A week!”
Her words hit like a punch to the jaw. I reeled, my breath hitching. A… week?
The question barely escaped my lips. My gaze locked onto hers, searching, but the tear-filled golden-brown irises staring back at me held no deception.
A slight nod confirmed the truth.
I stood there, frozen for a few heartbeats before forcing my eyes to the others. Searching for some sort of confirmation, as if I needed to hear it from all of them.
The timer in my vision blinked red.
20 minutes remaining.
I clenched my fists. “I don’t have time to explain, and I don’t have time to dwell on this.” My voice was steady, but each word felt like a weight I had to push out.
I stood, grabbing Virellia as I stepped toward Max and Leo, who stood blocking the door, not intentionally, but neither of them moved.
Placing a firm hand on Max’s shoulder, I locked eyes with him. “I swear, I’ll be back. But I have to do this.”
His mind pressed into mine, his own voice resounding through my thoughts. “You better be.”
I nodded. That was enough.
Max shifted to the left. Leo stepped to the right.
At the doorway, I turned back one last time. My gaze found Trish.
“I’ll be okay. I love you.”
With that, I stepped outside, taking in my surroundings.
To my left, a massive bear of a man sat on a log near a crackling campfire. Easily larger than a grizzly, his broad frame looked as if it had been carved from the very mountains themselves. Muscles thick as tree trunks rippled beneath his fur-lined cloak, and the log beneath him groaned slightly under his weight. His eyes, deep red and burning like embers, met mine. I gave him a small nod of respect. He returned it in kind, slow and deliberate.
To my right, another towering figure stood, a bear-woman, broad-shouldered and powerful. Though not as large as the man by the fire, she carried a quiet strength in the way she stood, her frame solid, built for endurance and battle alike. Her sharp gaze flicked toward me, studying me with an intensity that felt both calculated and expectant. Neither of us spoke, but we exchanged a nod of silent acknowledgment.
Then, I turned toward the woods. The place where it would happen.
I took a step forward, ready to disappear into the trees, but the man near the fire spoke. His voice was low, steady, grounded.
“Go that way, friend.”
I paused, glancing back as he gestured with one massive, clawed hand.
“There’s an opening through the trees in that direction. It’ll lessen the damage to these woods while still giving you enough space to do… whatever it is you must.”
His fiery gaze lingered on me, as if he understood more than he was letting on.
I hesitated for only a second before nodding. Then, without another word, I turned and walked toward the path he had pointed to.
A few minutes later, I stood in the clearing, the timer now ticking down to nine minutes. My breath was steady, but anticipation coiled in my chest like a drawn bowstring. I exhaled sharply and spoke aloud, this time directing my words to Virellia.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Ready for whatever's about to happen?"
She didn’t answer with words, just a steady, reassuring pulse in the back of my mind. A silent confirmation.
No turning back now.
I opened my menu and selected yes.
The next moment was exactly what I expected and nothing like I could have imagined.
A force unlike anything I had ever felt ripped through me. My body was launched skyward, the ground vanishing beneath me in an instant. I was ascending, faster than a comet, faster than a lightning strike splitting the sky. The wind howled around me, though I barely registered it.
In the blink of an eye, I was above the world itself.
I didn’t have time to enjoy the view.
The transformation had begun.
The fractures along my body deepened, jagged cracks spreading like fault lines. The golden glow within them shifted, burning orange, then red, then white-hot. The pressure built impossibly fast, like my entire being had become a furnace on the verge of detonation.
Then it happened.
An explosion ripped outward from my body, sending waves of scorching light in all directions. Before I could process the release, a violent implosion yanked everything back in, compressing me into a singularity.
Then another explosion.
Then another.
A relentless cycle of destruction and rebirth tore through me, over and over again. Supernova. Collapse. Supernova. Collapse. Each detonation was a thousand deaths, each implosion an impossible rebirth. The pain was beyond anything I had ever experienced, beyond comprehension, beyond words. My human form disintegrated, reduced to nothing but pure, burning energy.
Everything else was gone. The sky, the world below, even time itself all dissolved into an infinite sea of red. The only thing left was the agony of transformation.
Somewhere in chaos, I felt Virellia. A flicker of warmth in the inferno. She was with me, trying to anchor me, but I could also sense her worry.
Then, the cycle stopped.
Silence.
No more explosions, no more implosions, only raw heat so intense that even the sun would have recoiled in envy. Then, just as suddenly, the heat reversed, turning into a cold so absolute that it might as well have been the same. It didn’t matter whether it burned or froze, both were total oblivion.
My body, no, my very essence, rippled and tore apart, shredded to the core of my being. Until there was… nothing left.
No body. No flesh. No pressure.
Only light.
Then I was falling.
No, hurtling.
A dying world loomed beneath me, its surface cracked and lifeless, its core barely clinging to existence. But I was falling too fast, at this speed, I wouldn’t just touch it. I would end it.
I pierced through its atmosphere in an instant, crashing through its surface and descending straight into its core. My presence alone made the heart of the planet pulse, a final flicker of dying life.
Before me, something stirred.
A spirit, formless, shifting like an amoeba of light, constantly changing shape. It pulsed weakly, barely hanging on.
"You have come to free me from my suffering?" it asked, voice soft, brittle.
I didn’t respond, not with words.
Instead, my being pulsed in return.
The spirit trembled, then yielded.
"Very well. I give you what is mine. And I thank you… for taking me from this pain."
And just like that, the planet detonated.
The world shattered outward in a final, cataclysmic eruption, only for the fragments to be pulled back inward, straight into me.
The pain returned, worse than before. The weight of an entire world’s essence filled the hollow shell I had become, searing, ripping through me with unbearable force.
And then…
I was flung back.
Hurtling through the cosmos, the world I had just consumed now a part of me. I tore through the atmosphere of the world I had left before, descending like a falling star.
The ground beneath me shattered as I cratered into the clearing, the very air around me igniting from the sheer force of my return. The earth buckled, trees flattened, dust rising in a thick cloud.
For a time, I simply floated there, curled inward, suspended in the aftermath. Seconds? Minutes? Hours? Time had no meaning anymore.
Finally, I unfurled.
I drifted gently down, my feet touching the ruined earth. The world trembled around me.
And then, for the first time, I looked at my hands.
My skin had regenerated, but not into the flesh I once knew. There was a faint red tint, darker than before, like the afterglow of a dying star. Veins of metal, or something far beyond metal, ran up my arms, pulsing with a dim blood-red glow. The intricate network of these veins stretched down my torso, threading through my legs and to my feet, like an ancient, celestial circuit now woven into my being.
I exhaled sharply, startled by the glow, and as I moved, something shifted behind me.
My gaze snapped over my shoulder…
A ring of burning cosmic energy hovered just behind my back, perfectly centered between my shoulder blades. It wasn’t a solid structure; it pulsed and shifted, its shape constantly shifting between something like a fractured halo and an unstable eclipse. Inside it, a swirling maelstrom of nebula-like colors flickered, deep crimson and molten gold, shifting as if entire galaxies were trapped within its form.
As I flexed my muscles, the ring responded instantly. It expanded outward, then contracted, sending a surge of energy through my body. My instincts screamed that this was not just for show, this was power.
I tensed, and the ring flared.
In an instant, a burst of force launched me forward, my feet barely grazing the ruined ground as I shot across the clearing faster than I had ever moved before. The sheer acceleration nearly took my breath away, my surroundings blurring into streaks of red and gold light.
I skidded to a stop, my body automatically adjusting to the movement, the ring humming with a soundless resonance.
I smiled at the transformation, then curiosity struck as I summoned my shield and pulled Virellia from my inventory. A realization hit me; my shorts had burned away. Embarrassing. Quickly, I equipped a pair of pants from my inventory, shaking my head at the minor oversight.
I examined my shield first. It hadn't changed in appearance, but a faint reddish glow now pulsed along its edges. Virellia, however, had a distinct shift. Her usual prismatic radiance was now tinged with a deep crimson hue, a fiery shimmer woven into her ever-changing colors.
Satisfied with my equipment, I turned my attention to my abilities. Casting [Celestial Sanctum] confirmed my suspicions. The golden light of my skills now carried the same reddish tint. It’s not just my weapons. Everything about me has changed.
I opened my stats menu to check for any other differences.
STATS
LEVEL – 104, Adventurer
STRENGTH – 374
DEXTERITY – 307
INTELLECT – 295
WISDOM – 133
LUCK – 65
ARMOR – 5 (Physical damage reduction: 7%)
DAMAGE ABSORPTION – 10% (This damage is also reflected back to the attacker)
RACIAL PASSIVES:
* INNATE ARMOR BONUS – 10% of maximum armor added
* INNATE FIRE BONUS TO MELEE ATTACKS – 10% increased fire damage on melee attacks
Unspent Stat Points: 24
The innate armor bonus was a welcome addition, but the measly five armor points? Soul-crushing. Flashes of the warden's relentless assault ripping through my armor flooded my mind.
I clenched my jaw, shaking the thoughts away. Anger welled up inside me. I should have been more cautious. I should have waited for the others. Hell, I should have avoided that fight altogether. Instead, I had let my confidence turn to recklessness, and I had paid the price.
I took a deep breath. Not the time to dwell on that. Focus.
One more major change caught my eye.
OPTIONS
CLASS – STARS ASCENT
STATS
RACE – IGNIVUS PRIME
INVENTORY – LIMITED BAG SPACE
PROFESSION – Blacksmithing / Gem Cutting
I stared at the race selection. It had never been there before.
Was it because I had still been human?
Questions filled my mind, but for now, speculation would get me nowhere.
I selected the race menu.
Time to see exactly what I had become.
RACE
IGNIVUS PRIME – Forged in the heart of a dying star, your mortal form has been reforged into something greater. You are a being of celestial fire, a beacon of cosmic radiance that cannot be extinguished. The power of a supergiant pulses through your very being, setting the battlefield alight with your presence. You are not just seen, you are felt.
RACIAL BONUSES:
Living Starplate – Your very existence generates a natural armor. Gain an innate 10% increase to maximum armor at all times.
Emberborn Might – Your melee strikes are imbued with celestial fire, dealing an additional 10% fire damage with every hit.
Ecliptic Halo – A celestial ring hovers behind you, an extension of your being. It grants immense movement speed and controlled flight, but flight is only available outside of combat.
RACIAL DRAWBACK: Beacon of the Heavens – Stealth is no longer an option. Your body constantly radiates pulsating light, making you impossible to miss in darkness. At night, enemies feel an unnatural pull toward you, increasing their aggression and making it even harder for them to ignore you in battle.
A grin tugged at my lips, but before I could fully take in the moment, the rustling of leaves behind me put me on alert. Instinct kicked in, I readied myself for a fight, my stance shifting as adrenaline spiked through me. But then, Trish and the others burst through the tree line, skidding to a halt as their eyes widened, taking in the massive crater before them.
Two towering bear-like figures emerged behind them, their eyes scanning the destruction with quiet calculation. I exhaled, lowering my guard as relief washed over me, I wasn’t about to fight anyone practically naked and defenseless.
“Sorry about the clearing,” I muttered, dismissing my shield. Virellia shifted back into her haft form, and with my belt gone, I slipped her into my pocket.
The others turned in slow circles, taking in the sheer scale of the devastation around us.
I floated down toward them, though not gracefully. My landing was rough, I stumbled forward, and Leo caught me with a chuckle.
“All good, brother?” he asked, his grip steadying me.
I smirked, nodding. “This… might take some getting used to.”
Trish’s gaze locked onto mine, intense and searching. Then, I noticed the others staring too, their eyes sweeping over my entire form, taking in every change. Her focus drifted to the shifting ring at my back, its fractured form pulsing like an unstable eclipse. Then, her fingers trailed down my arm, tracing the steel-laced veins running beneath my skin, their molten glow pulsing in rhythm with the cosmic maelstrom behind me.
A heavy footfall pulled my attention away. The massive bear-like man strode forward, his presence commanding yet calm. He circled me slowly, his sharp eyes studying me with the same intensity as my friends. I turned my head slightly, tracking his movement.
“Truly fascinating,” he murmured, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything… or anyone, like this.”
As he came back around to face me, a grin stretched across his broad, furred face, revealing gleaming fangs. He extended a massive, clawed hand. “Name’s Brakor.”
We stood at nearly the same height, but his sheer bulk made me feel smaller in comparison, more bear than man, his form leaned toward the primal rather than the humanoid. His hand, though clawed, had an odd familiarity to it, like shaking a bear’s paw with elongated fingers.
I grasped it firmly. “James,” I replied with a nod. “And… thank you. For watching over me and my friends.”
Brakor let out a low chuckle, a deep vibration that I could feel through my palm. “It is you I should be thanking. We’ve been trying to find a way into that labyrinth for over fifty years. We knew how to seal it, but it kept its entrance well hidden from us elders.”
The bear woman, who had been watching me just as intently, crossed her arms. When she spoke, her voice was deep yet velvety, carrying a quiet strength beneath its softness. “We can discuss that later. Right now, I want to know exactly what’s going on here.” Her gaze never wavered, sharp and searching as she studied every detail of me.
I exhaled, taking a step back and raising my arms slightly. “This…” I gestured to myself, “is apparently my new race. It, uh… activated when I died.”
I hesitated before looking at Trish and the others, knowing the weight of my words would hit like a hammer.
Their heads snapped back in shock, disbelief flashing across their faces. But the bear-like elders. They only nodded, like they already understood.
Trish took a sharp breath, tears welling in her eyes. “But if you…”
Brakor gently rested a massive, clawed hand atop her head, stopping her words before they could fully form. His touch was surprisingly gentle for his size. “He is not gone, girl,” he rumbled. “Do not dwell on what has been. See what is now and be thankful to Jaq’Kuah for it.”
“What’s the race called?” Max asked, eyeing me curiously.
“Ignivus Prime.” I responded. “It gave me a couple of bonuses… and a weakness, though I’m not sure it really is one.”
“What? You can’t hide in the dark?” Mel chuckled, but when I didn’t join in, her laughter died off. “Oh, wait… is that actually it?”
I nodded. “Yeah. And on top of that, I attract enemies more at night.”
Leo grinned, tossing a fireball between his hands. “At least we’ve got two torches for dark caves now.”
Trish let out a giggle at the joke, and even the elders chuckled.
Brakor pushed himself up, stretching. “Come. Let’s head back home. The druids will restore the hunting grounds. Should only take an hour or two, fortunately, not many trees were destroyed in your wake.”
We followed him through the woods, the path leading us toward their settlement. The sun was dipping low in the sky by the time we arrived. A large fire blazed at the center of their village, flames flickering between us as we sat around it. The warmth sank into my skin, oddly replenishing in a way I wasn’t used to.
Silence stretched between us, each of us taking a moment to breathe in the steady glow of the fire. Then, I broke the quiet.
“The labyrinth. You said you had been trying to destroy it?” I asked, glancing at Brakor.
“Yes. That one was particularly weak. Sealing the portal left behind was trivial.”
I frowned. “I thought even the highest ranks struggled with that?”
Virellia was the one to answer. “James, you have to remember how many centuries my sister was trapped in that place. She had no idea how much the realm had changed. The people here have grown stronger.”
“We are called Sealers,” the bear woman added, her deep yet gentle voice steady. “Our class is specifically designed to combat the aftermath of labyrinths.”
She placed a clawed hand over her chest and dipped her head slightly. “Forgive my rudeness earlier. I am Esmara.”
Thoughts raced through my mind. “If that’s the case, why aren’t these things being destroyed faster?” I asked. It wasn’t anger, just curiosity.
Brakor sighed, shaking his head. “Getting inside is the problem. They fight to keep those stronger than their core out. We may be stronger than them, but brute force doesn’t work. The walls are unbreakable.”
I blinked. “But… I broke through them.”
Max scoffed. “Yeah, so did I when I knew James was in trouble.”
Both of the elders exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable before Brakor spoke again. “That’s impossible. Even the legendary ranks can’t do that.”
Now it was Max and I who shared a look of confusion.
Leo leaned forward. “Maybe it’s because it was the walls inside, not the entrance?”
Brakor shook his massive head. “No. It’s all made of the same material, impenetrable.”
Max’s gaze drifted toward the bow resting on his lap, the stars still shifting within its darkened form. Then, his eyes flicked to Virellia’s haft at my side. “Maybe it’s them.”
I followed his gaze, staring down at Virellia, then back to his weapon.
Brakor frowned. “What do your weapons have to do with this?”
“I don’t know.” Virellia’s voice was laced with confusion.
Max hesitated before speaking again. “Before I had Umbranyx, I couldn’t do that. But once she became part of me… I just knew I could. It felt like instinct.” His expression darkened. “And I should have trusted that instinct sooner.”
Mel’s arms crossed, her glare snapping to him. “Stop that, Max. I mean it. You need to stop blaming yourself.”
Max’s gaze flicked to me, guilt still lingering in his violet eyes.
I let out a small sigh, my voice quiet but firm. “She’s right, man. This isn’t on you. I was the one who cut you off. I was the one who got cocky. That was on me.”
The weight of those words sat between us for a moment before I forced the memories away. There was another question on my mind.
“My armor… is it…?”
Mel shook her head. “Just scrap now, mate.”
I sighed.
“Now, hold on.” Brakor’s voice rumbled, his excitement noticeably growing. He leaned forward, the firelight reflecting in his fierce red eyes. “If you two can truly break through labyrinth walls… this could change the tide of a losing war.”
Trish’s grip on my hand tightened. “I understand that, but we’re not ready to go running into labyrinths. They just ascended a week ago.”
I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before nodding. “She’s right. We need to get a lot stronger before we even consider something like that.”
Brakor’s claws tapped against his knee. “We could send teams with you. You make the hole; they go in and destroy the core.”
Esmara reached out, placing a hand on Brakor’s broad back. “And what if they can’t even enter a labyrinth ranked higher than them?” Her sharp gaze met his. “It’s too risky.”
Brakor exhaled, the excitement fading from his expression. “Perhaps you’re right, my love. I let my eagerness cloud my judgment.”
Esmara turned her attention back to us. “This world isn’t like the one you came from, Achui. There are dungeons here. Real dungeons. If you want to push your limits, get stronger, and find true strength, this is where you do it.”
I glanced at the others, then back to her. “I had a feeling we weren’t on the same planet. This place feels… different. And the colors,” I gestured around us. “It feels more like home.”
Brakor spread his massive arms in a welcoming gesture, his deep voice carrying both warmth and pride. "Welcome to Xyphora."