Katherine POV:

Dreams.

I always regarded them as God given, though there were some that strayed away from such beliefs: nightmares. I admired the magical worlds I was able to create and how happy the people living in those worlds would be.

After another fruitful day of training with Zane, I took a seat inside the family barn. Horses pushed extra hay toward me; their beady eyes asked me to rest and be comfortable, but I only did so once they had been attended to.

That night, I had a dream so vivid, its accuracy never left my mind.

***

Darkness enveloped the surrounding area, swallowing fragments of light that came from an unknown source. I searched for an answer to solve this eerie atmosphere and remove the unsettled claws gripping my chest.

Dead leaves lay on the ground, encompassed by withering grass. Soon, fallen trees came into view. They were scattered everywhere; the bark crumbled into dust with the passage of time.

‘!’

I crouched down and splayed my hands. I hastened the water washing over the dead earth to hurry—to rejuvenate whatever I could.

“Sunlight...”

I looked up, but there was still no light to be found. The soil contained a gravel texture, removed of the nutrients and moisture it needed to live. Nevertheless, I formed a detailed watering can before standing.

I could have flooded the entire area, but perhaps this solution was wrong. It felt wrong. Water sprinkled over small patches at a time as I made my way around the large space.

No effect took place.

I walked around once. Then twice. Then three times. On the 21st time, life began to flow. Every sprinkle illuminated parts of the area. Every droplet of water brought back a vibrant green colour and restored what was once crumbling away.

My cheeks rose at the complete scene, bursting with life, love, and care.

“Please stay healthy this time.”

I stood beside a large tree when darkness washed over the field. Rather than taking away from my progress, it felt as though I was shifted to a different location. When I arrived, death greeted me.

“I should get to work.”

The back of my hand wiped the sweat away from my forehead. I crouched, kneeled, and moved into suitable angles to water every nook and cranny. It was important that nothing was overlooked.

I was a woman from the countryside of Chóvoli, raised on a farm near the city of Spítha. Arduous work was something I did not shy away from but embraced. Life took effort to preserve.

A few laboured breaths left my mouth, and on the 42nd time, vitality flowed back into the area. I stood beside the same large tree, pleased with the light shining down around me.

Then darkness came.

It rolled over like a high tide, taking me to the next destination regardless of my consent or intentions.

“...”

My heart ached. It ached for death extended as far as the eye could see.

“So much suffering.”

I wiped the tears before they could fall. Though the well overflowed, my approach would be the same: care, hope, and time.

“You are the last one.”

A powerful but gentle voice wrapped around me. It distilled the darkness with authority. However, I couldn’t see or sense anything, so I turned my attention back to the more pressing matter at hand.

I began watering the area bit by bit, step by step, and day by day. A smile spread across my lips with the initial completion before the second cycle started.

“It is quite therapeutic.”

A soft chuckle lightened the dull atmosphere. If this was akin to the usual dream, I would be sitting on a cloud, admiring the craftsmanship of a bow in the sky. I continued on, only pausing to wipe the sweat drenching my face.

“Care.”

I watered the area hidden behind a tree.

“Hope.”

No breath blew upon the land, but it would come.

“Time.”

A factor that can create doubt if hope is not reinforced.

Warmth embraced my chest at the signs of life beginning to appear. It widened my smile and encouraged me to endure, for the light would come. On the 84th time, the entire space came alive.

Something pulled me back to the large tree, enabling a clearer picture of the revitalised land. Rich grass, healthy trees, and flowers blossoming underneath a pure sunlight. The previous fields reappeared side by side when I was brought further away to view them in their entirety.

‘!’

The blades of grass, the bark wrapped around the trees, the leaves, and the flowers all turned into people. They replaced the nature that once was, compounding the dilation of my pupils. A bubbling joy rose and encapsulated the curvature of eyes. I lowered my head toward their pleasant faces, content with being a part of something greater than myself.

“I approve of your purity. The boy continues to surprise me with his insight. Perhaps that, too, can be considered a blessing of The Shadow King.”

The people vanished, and two vertical slits took their place. Golden irises exuded regality with a glow. The bordered frame of majestic eyes exhibited an aura of both dignity and authority.

“Your bloodline is irrelevant. The pureness of your heart is exceedingly rare among man. It is a radiant light that will be visited.”

Whiskers of gold dispelled the encroaching darkness. I trembled, then quaked; the sensation of fear grabbed hold of me. I fell to my knees and lowered my head, not wanting to offend this being in any manner.

“Fear not. Tis only a mere fragment of my true self.”

His words washed the fear away and beckoned me to raise my head. I stared into the only thing I was permitted to see: majestic golden eyes.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“When you remember this, you will be ready to be the person you were always meant to be: A King.”

***

My eyes took their time to open, remembering the vividness of a dream that would never slip my mind again. A hand rested against the remaining right sleeve.

‘I apologise, Master.’

I gripped the soft fabric and ripped away incompetence. A black panther’s head rushed onto a smooth deltoid muscle. The removal of a final barricade let it roar out to the world because my time had come.

“I am Katherine Brightfield, the disciple of Zane Pantheon!!”

A flash of light brought me to the wall that blocked the entrance to Boukyaku. Its surface was worn, but it welcomed my presence through the shattering of the blockade. What lay beyond was the entrance to a dense jungle. However, the revelation I recalled placed my feet on the shore of a vast ocean: upper Boukyaku.

The Awakened Sentri King rejoiced with fervour. He ignored his blood splashing everywhere and stretched out his hand toward me.

“It’s here!”

The lost arm regenerated before armour extended down to cover it. Filkruj licked his lips; his bright yellow eyes were consumed with an unobtainable fantasy.

“Finally, I can absorb the true power of a King!!”

He grabbed his broadsword and released his Boukyaku Ki.

“THAT POWER IS MINE!!”

The Boss Room trembled from Filkruj’s presence. His time embedded in the darkness had brought about growth. This growth was enough to cross the threshold to the next Ki Stage, yet he wanted more.

My lips parted, unafraid of the Sword Ki flaring out of his imposing frame.

“Ghost.”

Hundreds of dark grey lines flocked into my vision. They represented the optimal paths of attack but also created a route for the projection of Ki to travel along: these were called bursts.

The colour of the line defined one’s mastery of Ghost.

Filkruj’s body remained in flux; bursts of Ki rendered his intentions useless and his reality known. Unable to resist the onslaught, his HP reached the final quarter.

“Pantheon Style: Phantom.”

The barrage ended. I walked toward Filkruj, who believed this to be an opening for him to take advantage of. His large hand phased through its target when I reappeared metres behind him.

“Stay still!”

Filkruj’s sword flashed into Sword Blitzes. A Sword Break led to a Sword Swipe until his knees met the ground.

“??”

Two golden blue eyes peered down at him. Cold sweat drenched Filkruj’s face before forming a puddle underneath.

“This... is beyond my... expectations...”

He flickered back with the idea of widening the distance when a hand tapped against his chest. The Mark of a Pantheon enabled a Ki Practitioner to burst Ki along their Ki Channels, which in turn creates Burst Chains. Each burst requires double the amount of Ki to continue the propagation: this was known as the Ignition Phase.

The maximum number of bursts I could utilise within a Burst Chain was 6. In Phantom, the Practitioner maintains this Burst Chain that constantly bursts back and forth along the Ki Channels at a much slower rate than Dawn: another ultimate technique of the Pantheon Style.

All senses are tripled. The presence of a panther becomes three times harder to detect. What they see might not be what is, but what could be.

Once any attack has been made, the Bursting Phase will activate, and Phantom will come to an end. That tap released the accumulated bursts of Ki. It obliterated Filkruj’s body and quaked the entire dungeon.

His HP vanished, and a head hit the bedrock of the massive crater I now stood in.

“Guh...”

The brightness in Filkruj’s yellow irises began to fade. Blood fell from the fallen king’s mouth—from the one who lost his way with the knowledge that awakened him.

“You...”

I drew closer to reduce the effort needed for him to give his last words. Filkruj’s lips spread into a soft smile. His true smile that was devoid of the schemes he had conjured to obtain something he could not.

“As long as... you will it... You will become a King recognised by the people of this world... The Trait... you hold is only... second to King Solomon himself...”

‘King Solomon?’

His knowledge of the outside world went beyond my original thoughts. This dungeon was in the continent of Xera, but he spoke of an individual—a blessed individual from Vidris.

“Your King Trait... is... Empowerment. The person... who gave you that Mark knew... that its gigantic power... would cause adverse effects... Because your vessel... was too weak. So... they bequeathed you... a powerful container to give the vessel... time to be ready... and then filled...”

I crouched down and supported Filkruj’s head when he coughed several times. The greyness from his hair seeped into his eyes.

“Forgive... my treatment... toward you...”

“Please do not worry. I have already forgiven you, Filkruj.”

Filkruj’s pupils dilated before calming down. His consciousness weighed on him now that he could see.

“Empowerment... is not limited... to oneself... but also to those around you. A King... empowers their people with... their presence alone.”

“Filkruj, may I ask why you are telling me all of this?”

He looked down at the hand, stabilising his head, and let out a gentle sigh.

“I may... be a monster, but even I... respect the last wish... of my subordinate... and... you who showed... me favour in my last... moments... Katherine Brightfield...”

His neck began to disintegrate when desperation forced his lips to move faster.

“Kings... represent hope for... you of thi—“

Dust filtered through my fingers, taking away the rest of Filkruj’s words that he was unable to convey.

‘...I only used the Pantheon Style, not Empowerment. Perhaps I briefly used it before I remembered everything?’

My eyebrows creased the smooth skin in between. This revelation brought more questions than answers, but I could only take one day at a time.

[Your party has cleared the dungeon. A gate will appear near the doors of the Boss Room.]

The Dungeon System recognised I was this so-called King before I became aware of what Zane had left for me. Thus, it wouldn’t be farfetched to assume that some benefits are enabled through the system.

‘Should this also be reported to Central Guild?’

I wrestled with my thoughts before deciding it would be better to learn more about... myself first. My experience throughout the dungeon run was rather positive. I avoided conflict, formed friendships, and encouraged those to conquer themselves rather than others.

Therefore, I would refrain from informing the guild about this matter since it should not cause any adverse effect. I spun around to check on the condition of my friends when my eyes watered.

They stood by the edge of the depression, healed, safe, and well. Shun’s glare contained less animosity, and that alone made my cheeks rise.

“I am glad everyone is safe.”

“Guh! Our Katherine is such an angel!”

“...Yeah.”

“I can’t deny that.”

I opened my mouth and let out a soft chuckle, hidden behind thin fingers. The others laughed, but Shun closed his eyes for some time before nodding toward me.

‘!’

I wiped the tears away, and Shun looked to the side. The support he needed had reached him; he would go forward but not alone.

“If what Filkruj said is true, then your master must really love you, Katherine.”

My fingers ran over the black panther. White particles made it fade, and a faint heat emanated from my cheeks. The Mark of a Pantheon should be permanent, but perhaps my King Trait allowed it to be concealed?

“...Yes.”

“It’s true. When you passed out, I saw the same mark on the back of your right hand flashing. It resealed whatever power you had released. My guess is that whenever you get angry, you unconsciously release that power or at least remove the restraints to that power. The memory loss must have been for your own protection.”

Shun dropped inside the crater and stood beside Phoebe of his own accord. Her amber eyes softened due to their proximity that went beyond the physical distance.

“I remember it clearly now. That... version of me met the required conditions to use my own ability on myself.”

Phoebe raised an eyebrow before a glint of light flashed through her pupils. She was a curious but kind woman.

“What even is your ability, Katherine? I’ve never seen you use it.”

“It is called Moment’s Bliss: capable of both memory and time manipulation, though I do not completely understand it myself. As for the name... I’m sure you all can guess the reason behind it.”

My lips spread into a soft smile at the blood rushing to my cheeks. The scene of the elements coalescing around Zane in harmony and willingness brushed past my mind.

Shun's Codex may have access to similar abilities on a weaker scale, but the probability of Ki Deviation occurring would be certain if utilised at his current level. There were many drawbacks to the Codex; however, its versatility was unique.

“Did our Katherine become more bold or something?”

“...Seems like it.”

I stared at my boots; a slight shyness prevented me from offering a reply to such a question. I opened the palm of my hand and threw on a black fur coat, covering the remnants of the attire I wore. Gold linings matched the gold pantheress roaring on the back. The fit was perfect, and the warmth was just right.

“...The Pantheon Line. Isn’t that a limited edition Pantheress Coat?”

“Yes! My master bought it for me as a birthday gift!”

For Aiden to notice this indicated that he must have wanted to buy one for Sanura in the past. It was hard to contain my excitement when I recalled both Zane and Lyon stopping by to wish me a happy birthday.

“Guh! Never change, Katherine!!”

Gerard threw his hands up, pretending to block out the sunlight he saw in me. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the playfulness of his antics that lightened the party’s mood. Shun glanced at everyone smiling before walking off alone.

“We’re done here. Let’s go back.”

“Wait. Shouldn’t we cause a Dungeon End?”

He turned his gaze to Phoebe while Gerard and Aiden narrowed their eyes before looking at me last.

“What do you want to do, Katherine?”

I recalled Gilja and the promise made between us. I looked ahead with confidence, knowing that she would uphold it.

“I believe a Dungeon Clear is sufficient.”

Shun’s lips curved upward as he walked away.

“Then let’s move.”