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Inferno: Battle of Legends
Manuscript 1: Souls
The first discovery of Souls was made in 1973 by the magician of the tower, Azrael Valenforth, a pivotal figure whose name was lost to time. Until that moment, it was believed that magic and power were divine gifts from the gods. Wrong. It came from within themselves
Before this discovery, the Great Interdimensional War had begun, tearing apart the realms of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. Their faith in God diminished, to the point where it disappeared. This was when Valenforth began questioning the origin of everything. His hunt for answers led him to a revelation that would change the course of history: Souls.
There are 3 basic principles
- Every creature possesses a Soul.
- Souls are the source of all things.
- Souls cannot die.
The Soul was the unseen force driving life, power, and existence itself. But what exactly is a Soul? It defies easy explanation. The Soul is an infinite entity in a world of finite creatures.
But the relationship between a Soul and its hos, the creature or person housing it, is far from simple. Each Soul has its own characteristics, likes, dislikes, tendencies, and impulses. These elements can shape the creature it inhabits, influencing everything from personality to abilities. A Soul that aligns well with its host creates harmony, making that individual powerful, balanced, and in control.
However, not all Souls are compatible with their hosts. Some Souls are far too volatile or overpowering. This creates the Soul-Body disease, in which a Soul kills the host, and moves on to another.
There are no exceptions to this rule of life. Everyone, everything has a Soul.
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Kai trudged onward, each step a battle against his aching body. The rocky expanse of the mountains stretched endlessly around him, jagged peaks jutting into the sky like the teeth of some ancient, slumbering beast. The wind howled between the cliffs, cold and unrelenting, carrying the scent of pine and stone. Far below, the valley was distant—just a dark ribbon of shadow snaking along the base of the mountain range. Up here, the world felt raw, brutal.
Every inch of Kai's body screamed for rest. His chest throbbed from the slashes the shadow-beast had carved into him. Each breath was shallow, his body still reeling from the near-fatal blow. Blood stained his tunic, the edges of his makeshift bandages already darkening with fresh stains. Fatigue weighed on him, a constant pressure, but he couldn't afford to stop now.
The outline of the ruins emerged through the swirling mists, a crumbling silhouette against the sky. Silent and imposing, their cracked stone pillars reached toward the heavens like skeletal fingers. Ancient carvings, weathered by centuries of wind and erosion, adorned the temple's facade—runes and symbols of a forgotten era, their meaning lost to all but the mountains themselves. The place reeked of power—the kind that could swallow lesser men whole.
If this were the Kai from three days ago, the Kai who had lived a mundane life in another world, he would have turned around and fled. His survival instincts would have kicked in, and he'd be halfway back to safety by now. A part of him still wanted to run. The pain in his body whispered that it wasn't too late, that he could still go back—find a way to return to his old life, to see his mother again, to tell her he was sorry.
But that part of Kai had died somewhere on the mountain, left behind with the bloodstains on the rocks.
Though, playing a game for 10h+ daily also had it's advantages. He remembered the exact part of the map he was in, and tutorial or not, the ruins held something precious—the Obsidian Edge. And Kai was ready to claim it.
As he neared the entrance, a faint hum tickled at the edge of his consciousness. His lips curled into a knowing grin. He'd been expecting this. There, hovering just out of sight for most, was the familiar icon—the [SHOP]. He didn't know if he would get access of the shop, but it looked like the System recognised him as a [PLAYER] rather than a[CHARACTER], or maybe the loss of blood was making him hallucinate. Either way, Kai wasn't about to question it.
He clicked on the small icon, and the air shimmered as a list of goods appeared. There were no physical merchants here, no bartering or haggling—just the System's cold, indifferent marketplace. Efficient. Clinical.
With a thought, he materialized the shadow-beast's carcass. Once a terrifying foe, now mere loot. The System's invisible gaze appraised it, and a chime resonated in Kai's mind.
[Shadow-Beast CARCASS SOLD: 250 CREDITS]
A grim smile touched Kai's lips. Credits meant survival.
His fingers danced through the ethereal catalog, trembling with exhaustion and anticipation. His body screamed for respite, but the System offered salvation.
A [HEALING POTION] caught his eye—larger, more potent than before. Its crimson glow promised renewed vitality.
[HEALING POTION PURCHASED: 100 CREDITS]
The vial materialized, its warmth palpable even through the glass. But Kai wasn't finished.
There—a STRENGTH ELIXIR. Rare. Powerful. The golden liquid within swirled like caged lightning, a temporary key to unlocking inhuman strength.
[STRENGTH ELIXIR PURCHASED: 150 CREDITS]
His remaining credits vanished.
Kai uncorked the healing potion, its scent sharp and invigorating. He downed it in one swift motion. Warmth exploded in his chest, a surge of energy racing through his veins. Wounds knitted, pain dulled, and strength returned.
He wasn't fully healed—but he was ready.
Kai's eyes fixed on the looming temple before him. Whatever horrors awaited inside, he would face them. He had to. The first step was to complete the tutorial. And one that was out of the way, he would hone his body into a killing machine. He would ascend all the way to the top. He was going to make himself a God.
With renewed determination, Kai stepped forward. The temple's shadows seemed to reach for him, but he no longer feared the dark.
He was a hunter now.
At the temple's threshold, Kai paused. Intricate carvings adorned the massive doors, depicting scenes of battle, triumph, and otherworldly creatures. He traced a finger along one carving—a human figure, arms raised in victory, standing atop a mountain of fallen foes.
He pushed the doors open, the grinding of stone echoing through the cavernous interior. Darkness swallowed him whole as he stepped inside, the outside world vanishing behind him as the doors swung shut.
For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of his own breathing. Then, a flicker of blue light illuminated the chamber.
[TUTORIAL STAGE 3: ACTIVATE YOUR SOUL]
[OBJECTIVE: REACH THE CENTER OF THE TEMPLE AND AWAKEN YOUR INNER POWER].
[WARNING: FAILURE MIGHT RESULT IN DEATH.]
Kai's lips curled into a feral grin. Now things we're starting to get interesting. "At least you're consistent. Guess dying once just wasn't enough for me." he muttered with a sharp laugh.
As if in response, torches blazed to life along the walls, revealing a vast hall stretching before him. At its far end, a pulsing light beckoned—his destination. There was an eerie quietness around him, around this place. As if nature had quieted down to see the blood spectacle about to happen.
Kai's footsteps echoed in the colossal chamber as he walked deeper into the hall. The flickering torchlight barely touched the vaulted ceiling above, casting long shadows across the smooth stone floor. Towering pillars lined the room, each carved with intricate runes and long-forgotten battle scenes. The silence was thick, almost oppressive, as if the air itself was waiting for something—something that Kai couldn't quite put his finger on. But whatever it was, he was ready. He had to be.
In the center of the room stood a massive stone statue, nearly three times his height. The figure was armored, wielding an enormous sword that gleamed even in the low light. Its face, obscured by a helm, was frozen in an expression of battle-hardened determination. Every detail of the statue spoke of power, of a warrior who had once ruled the battlefield.
"Big guy," Kai muttered to himself, his hand instinctively reaching for the makeshift weapon at his side. "I'm guessing you're not here for a friendly chat."
He approached the statue cautiously, eyes darting from one corner of the room to the next. It was too quiet. Too still. Something was wrong.
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Then, without warning, the ground beneath him trembled. A low, grinding sound filled the air as cracks appeared in the base of the statue. Dust fell from its shoulders as the stone began to shift. Kai stepped back, heart hammering in his chest, his body tensing for the inevitable.
With a thunderous crash, the statue's eyes lit up with a cold, unnatural glow, and the warrior sprang to life. Its massive sword rose high above its head, and the stone giant turned its gaze directly toward Kai.
The system chimed in his head once more:
[BOSS: CHAMPION OF THE RUINED TEMPLE]
[DIFFICULTY: EXTREME]
Kai's grin widened. If someone were to see the absolute psycopathic glint in his eyes, they would think he was on drugs.
The Champion moved faster than its size should have allowed. Its bronze sword whistled through the air, cleaving down toward Kai like an executioner's blade. He barely managed to throw himself to the side, feeling the wind of the massive strike as it crashed into the ground, sending shards of stone flying.
"Okay, no time to admire the architecture," Kai muttered, scrambling to his feet. The Champion's sword lifted again, and Kai darted forward, staying low, aiming for the gap between its legs. He knew he couldn't rely on brute strength to win this fight. He needed to be faster, smarter.
As the Champion's massive sword swung toward him with terrifying speed, Kai vanished into the shadows just as the blade crashed into the ground, shattering the floor beneath it. He reappeared behind one of the temple's crumbling pillars, his breath ragged but steady. Shadow Step—his lifeline in this fight. Or at least Kai hoped it was.
The Champion swung its blade again, its stone form unnervingly fast for its size. Kai knew he couldn’t face it head-on, not with his limited strength. He dashed out from the cover of the pillar, flickering between the shadowy corners of the room, reappearing briefly before vanishing again as the giant sword crashed down just behind him.
"Come on, big guy. I’m not going down that easily," he muttered, a feral grin creeping across his face. He lived for this kind of chaos.
But as the battle wore on, Kai could feel himself slowing. His stamina was running dangerously low, and Shadow Step took more out of his limited mana with each use. He had to do something—fast.
Ducking under another wild swing from the Champion, Kai flickered out of sight once again. As he reappeared in the dark corner of the room, something caught his attention—the shadows themselves seemed to pulse, as if alive. He felt a strange pull, a connection to the darkness he’d been slipping through.
A wild idea sparked in his mind. What if he could do more than just step into the shadows? What if he could harness them, make them last longer, stretch them?
With the Champion advancing, Kai didn’t have time to think it through. He had to act.
He concentrated hard, reaching out with his mind to the shadows. Instead of simply blinking between them, he focused on elongating them, pulling the darkness toward him like an extension of himself. To his surprise, the shadows responded—stretching, swirling around his feet like living tendrils.
The Champion’s sword swung again, but this time, Kai wasn’t just using the shadows to escape. He willed the shadows to lengthen, reaching across the room. He stepped into them, and this time, the teleportation felt smoother, more natural. He didn’t just flicker from one place to another—he flowed through the darkness, moving farther, faster.
He appeared on the opposite side of the room, feeling the power of the shadows coursing through him.
[MANA: 2/10]
The system wasn't letting him off easy. One more Shadow Step, and he would be out of mana. He’d barely be able to do anything except dodge, let alone use any new abilities.
The Champion of the Ruined Temple, its molten core exposed and glowing with malevolent energy, gave a guttural roar as it raised its massive sword for another devastating strike. Kai’s eyes widened, adrenaline surging through him. There was no time to think—he had to move.
He blinked into the shadows, just as the sword came crashing down. The heat of the molten core surged past him, the force of the strike nearly sending him off balance.
[MANA: 0/10]
[SHADOW STEP UNAVAILABLE]
His heart dropped as the realization hit him. He was out of mana. No more Shadow Step. No more tricks.
Sweat poured down his brow, every inch of him burning from the heat radiating off the Champion. He was on his own now, and the Champion wasn’t slowing down. It turned toward him, the glow of its molten core flickering like a death sentence. He was cornered.
Kai cursed under his breath. "Great. Out of mana, out of time."
The Champion’s sword came down again, faster this time, its molten energy searing the air. Kai tried to roll away, but exhaustion slowed him, and before he could react, the edge of the massive blade caught him in the side.
Pain erupted through his body as he felt the blade tear through flesh, the impact sending him flying across the temple floor. He slammed into the wall, hard, the force of the blow knocking the wind from his lungs. Agony coursed through him as blood poured from his wound. He glanced down to see the sharp edge of the Champion’s sword impaling him through the side, the war, blood gushing out dripping from his side.
[WARNING: CRITICAL HEALTH LEVELS.]
[WARNING: CRITICAL STAMINA LEVELS.]
The pain was blinding. His vision blurred, his body screaming in protest as he gasped for air. The Champion loomed over him, stepping closer with its molten sword still embedded in his side, the ground quaking with each step.
This was it. He was going to die here.
Kai's mind raced, his vision growing dim. He could feel the system interface buzzing at the edge of his thoughts, offering up the promise of rewards—XP, loot, a victory that he was close to claiming. A victory he has claimed when he used to play this game with his father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father. Father.
He grimaced through the pain, one hand gripping the Champion's sword still lodged in his side. With the other, he fumbled into his inventory, feeling for the bone daggers he had taken from a previous kill. His fingers found the cold, familiar hilt, and he gripped them tightly, drawing them out just as the Champion raised its sword for the final blow.
The Champion’s molten core glowed brighter, preparing for the killing strike. Kai could feel the heat intensifying, the molten power crackling around the warrior’s blade. But he had one chance left, and it wasn’t going to be a clean one.
With a desperate cry, Kai gritted his teeth and wrenched the bone dagger forward. He drove it upward, straight into the exposed crack in the Champion’s molten core, using the last of his strength to plunge it deep.
The blade connected.
A pulse of energy exploded from the core, and the Champion froze mid-strike. Its sword hovered in the air, inches from cleaving Kai in two, but the blade faltered. The molten glow in its chest flickered, and the cracks across its body widened, spreading like spider webs.
Kai staggered back, pulling himself off the sword that had pierced him. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground beneath him, but he didn’t stop. His vision swam, but he forced himself to stay conscious.
The Champion let out a deep, guttural roar, its molten core shuddering as it began to collapse inward. Cracks spread through the stone armor, and with one final groan, the massive warrior crumbled to the floor in a pile of molten rubble.
Kai collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath, his body wracked with pain and exhaustion. The room was silent, save for the faint sound of molten rock cooling and hardening into stone.
A soft chime echoed in Kai's head as the system appeared once more:
[BOSS DEFEATED: CHAMPION OF THE RUINED TEMPLE]
[REWARD: Obsidian Edge]
[REWARD: HEALING POTION]
Kai laughed weakly, his voice barely more than a rasp. "About time."
The battle was over, but his body was a wreck. Blood oozed from the gaping wound in his side where the Champion had impaled him, the blade’s exit point still aching with every shallow breath. His vision swam, each pulse of his heart making the pain throb in unison. His clothes were soaked with sweat and blood, sticking to his skin as he stumbled forward. His legs were trembling, his body screaming at him to collapse and rest, but the glimmer of the reward—the Obsidian Edge—pulled him onward.
Amidst the shattered stone and rubble, the Obsidian Edge stood out, its blade resting atop the remains of the fallen Champion. Its surface shimmered in the dim torchlight, an inky blackness so deep that it seemed to swallow the very light around it. The weapon pulsed faintly, almost as if it had a heartbeat of its own.
The jagged edges of the blade looked brutal, forged from some ancient material Kai didn’t recognize. It was a blade meant to kill, not just wound. And he needed it.
Kai winced as he stepped closer, his injured leg dragging slightly with each step. He was losing too much blood, the deep gash in his side making every movement feel like a fresh stab wound. His hand trembled as he reached out for the blade, the cool touch of its hilt a strange contrast to the fiery pain surging through his body.
The system chimed again, though its sterile voice seemed almost mocking given his state.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Congratulations! You have acquired the Obsidian Edge!
[Weapon Type: Blade]
[Attributes: +15 Damage, +20% Agility, special ability: "Shadow Strike" — grants the user increased speed and lethality in combat when facing creatures of the Hell Realm.]
Kai’s vision blurred momentarily as he swayed on his feet. The edge of consciousness seemed close, threatening to pull him under. He gritted his teeth, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he grabbed the weapon tighter, willing himself to stay standing.
The reward should have felt like a triumph, but the overwhelming pain stripped away any sense of accomplishment. The victory was hollow when you were on the verge of death. His side screamed with agony where the Champion had run him through, and his leg had gone numb from the blood loss. His body was done, but his mind clung to the system’s next line as if it were his lifeline.
[REWARD: HEALING POTION]
His fingers fumbled as he grasped the potion, struggling to keep a steady grip as the blood loss made his hands shake uncontrollably.
His vision darkened at the edges, and his heart pounded erratically in his chest. If he didn’t drink it now, there’d be no waking up again. Kai uncorked the vial with a desperate jerk and downed the healing liquid in one breathless gulp. The taste was metallic and bitter, burning down his throat like fire. For a moment, he thought it might not work fast enough.
But then the magic took hold.
The pain in his side dulled to a deep, aching throb, and the gash slowly began to close, the torn flesh knitting together beneath the magic’s touch. His leg, though still weak, regained some semblance of feeling, and the searing heat of his wounds faded into a distant echo.
Kai let out a long, ragged breath, collapsing to his knees as the healing washed over him. His body was still exhausted, but at least he wasn’t actively dying anymore. He glanced at his side where the Champion’s blade had once been lodged and saw the scar tissue forming rapidly, the magic working faster than any normal recovery could manage.
The system’s chime returned, but this time there was no sense of victory, only the cold reality of his unfinished journey.
[WARNING: TUTORIAL UNFINISHED.]
Kai's heart sank at the message, the weight of disappointment crashing down on him like a boulder. "What do you mean, unfinished? I just fought a goddamn Champion!" he growled, his anger boiling over. This was not how it was supposed to be.
Suddenly, the system flickered and glitched, the words stuttering like a broken record, each echo amplifying his growing rage.
[SOUL NOT ACTIVATED. SOUL NOT. Ş̶̧̧͇̙͇͉͔͇̪̈́̊O̵̙̞͇̟͓̔̈̉͆̐̉̐̆̽̍̊̓̉U̸͙͋̾̈́͒̀̈̍̅̋̀̐̋͝L̶͍̰̞̬͚̀̐̍́̊͆͌͆͒̋͋ NOT. S̵̛̥̑͊̍̋́͗̍̉̍̓͝O̴̧̩͍̼̲̻͚̲͔̘̐͋̀U̷̠̻̱͙̗̮̮͍͕͋͜L̴͍͉̱͈̮͍̎̈́̅̂̍̎̉̏̒͋̕.̶̞̰̜̹̜͓̓̂̆̊̀́ ̶̢̧͈̳̻̱̱͎̝͇͐͆̑̀N̷̘̄O̶̡͔̯̼͉͉̖̥̦͔͇̫͗͑͗͌̇͜͜T̵̥̼̬͚̖̜͈͕̼̄̐̐.̸̧͓̪͛̈́̓͋͑̿̑̀̅̽̾̉̈͘.]
The words flickered, an unsettling rhythm, sending chills racing down his spine. Kai clenched his fists, his mind racing with questions. What did this mean? Why was he being toyed with?
Then came the final, haunting message, echoing through the massive chamber, slicing through his anger like a knife:
[CHARACTER: SOULESS]
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Name: (Kai) Mikhail (Orphaned)
Age: 15
Class: [Unassigned]
Level:0
Health: 3/50
Stamina: 1/30
Mana: 10/10
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