Upon hearing her words, I couldn’t hide my shock. God’s Gift?

The very artifact that unlocked our first skills—the foundation of this entire game.

The smooth, pearl-like orb—pure white and completely mesmerizing. It was the same one that gave me my ooze skill on Skill Acquisition Day.

It was one of the most valuable and closely guarded items in the existence of Dungeon End, watched over by both the government and the religious faction.

Then Arlo, mirroring my surprise, spoke up. “God’s Gift? Now that you mention it... doesn’t its size perfectly match the crevice in the door?”

I froze, my eyes darting back to the door. The circular crevice Arlo had pointed out, it did match. Perfectly. The size, the shape, the smooth edges—it all aligned with the artifact.

The others seemed to realize it too.

"Jasmine," Valerian said, his tone steady and commanding. "What do you know about it? God’s Gift. You held a pretty high position in the religious faction before joining us, didn’t you?"

Jasmine shook her head slowly. "I did," she admitted softly. "But even with my position, I wasn’t high enough to learn much about God’s Gift. All I knew was the official story—that it connects us to the divine and unlocks our potential. I never dug any deeper."

Arlo, stepped forward with his usual enthusiasm. "Then let’s go back!" he said, his voice bright. "We could meet with the leader of the religious faction and ask directly. Come on, they can’t turn us away. We’re the strongest party to ever exist! With Jasmine’s history, they might even throw the artifact at us just to stay on our good side."

Before anyone could respond, Elara cut in. "Arlo," she said, folding her arms and fixing him with a glare, “you might have been late to the party—literally—so let me spell it out for you. Jasmine’s history with them is exactly why that plan won’t work.”

Arlo blinked, thrown off by her tone. "What do you mean?"

Elara sighed, clearly irritated. "Jasmine didn’t just leave the faction. She left to join Valerien. That’s not just quitting a job, Arlo—that’s treason to them. She chose to follow someone with a dark class, someone they see as dangerous."

She gestured toward Valerian, who stood unmoving, his focus still on the door. "And Valerian? He’s not exactly winning any popularity contests with the ruling class. The religious faction, the government, even his own family—they all despise him. If they weren’t afraid of the fallout, they’d have wiped us out ages ago."

Arlo’s confident grin faltered, replaced by a frown. "Wait, you’re serious? Why would they hate him that much? He’s literally the strongest adventurer this dungeon has ever seen So you’re saying... if we go back, they’ll just slam the door in our faces?!"

"Or worse," Elara said bluntly. "The only reason they haven’t come after us is because they know Valerian is too strong. But handing over the artifact? That’s never going to happen willingly."

A heavy silence fell over the group. The reality of their situation was undeniable—God’s Gift was a symbol of power, something no faction would let go of without a fight.

Valerian finally turned to his team, his gaze steady and unyielding. “Then we’ll take it,” he said, his voice calm but carrying weight. “If they won’t give us what we need, we’ll take it by force. We’ve come too far to stop now.”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Hidden behind the pillar, a strange pride bubbled up inside me. Damn, I knew my Bloodzerker was cool, but this cool?

Yet, this dialogue wasn't how it played out in the game at all. Where was this dialogue coming from? The door had opened automatically when I played—I hadn’t needed to go back to Arn City or fetch a key. So, what the hell was going on?

As the group turned to leave, an eerie silence settled over the room. The torches flickered weakly, and the air grew heavier.

Then it happened.

The massive door behind them groaned, the sound deep and resonant, vibrating through the chamber. The ground beneath me quaked as the giant stone slabs shifted, their carved surfaces beginning to glow faintly with a sinister, dark light.

“What the—?” Elara’s sharp voice cut through the tension as the group spun around, their faces flickering between confusion and alarm.

The door, which had seemed impenetrable moments ago, was now creeping open. Thick, black smoke poured from the widening gap, curling and twisting unnaturally, almost as if it had a will of its own.

“What’s happening?” Jasmine asked, her voice trembling as she instinctively stepped closer to Valerian.

No one had time to answer.

Suddenly, they appeared—dark, shadowy hands, countless writhing appendages surging out from the door’s crack. They moved with terrifying speed, slithering through the air like living serpents.

“Valerian, move!” Cyrus shouted, his usual composure shattered into a sharp, urgent command.

But it was already too late.

The hands struck like a coiled trap, latching onto Valerian’s arms, legs, and torso. Their grip was relentless, dragging him toward the door with an unnatural force.

“L-LEADER!” Arlo’s voice cracked as he lunged forward, his hand outstretched in desperation. But the shadows were too fast, wrapping around Valerian like chains forged from living nightmares.

Valerian fought with everything he had, muscles straining as he wrestled against the overwhelming force of the shadows.

“Stay back!” he barked, his tone sharp and unwavering, even as the odds mounted against him. He swung his greatsword in a wide, powerful arc, slicing through several of the dark tendrils. But for every one he severed, two more sprang up, stronger and more determined.

The room grew darker, the torches flickering weakly as the shadows deepened, their oppressive presence suffocating the air. Valerian’s team scrambled to help, but the sheer number of the writhing hands made it impossible to get close.

And me? I just stood there, frozen behind the pillar. My mind raced. This scene wasn’t just unexpected—it was entirely foreign. None of this had happened in the game. None of it.

What the hell is going on?!

Elara’s voice cut through the chaos. “Leader! Stop struggling! Use your abilities—fight back!”

Valerian’s head snapped toward her, his eyes blazing with frustration and helplessness. “I can’t!” he shouted. “The second they touched me, my ability was sealed!”

The realization hit them fast, freezing his team where they stood. Fear and disbelief painted their faces as the gravity of the situation sank in.

But then, Valerian’s expression shifted. The frantic thrashing stopped, his body relaxing as tension drained away. It wasn’t surrender. The fire in his eyes didn’t dim—it sharpened.

He turned sharply to his team. “Cyrus!”

Cyrus froze mid-movement, his hands trembling in the air. The composure he always carried shattered, leaving wide-eyed panic in its place. “No… don’t say it—” he pleaded.

“The time has come!” Valerian barked, cutting him off. “Find him! Help him! That’s an order!”

Cyrus’s faltered, his posture lowering at the weight of those words. “Valerian…” he whispered, his voice heavy with pain.

Before anyone could act, the shadows surged again, tightening around Valerian. With one final pull, they yanked him off his feet. The door behind him groaned as it opened wider, ready to swallow him whole.

But it wasn’t just him.

Out of nowhere, I felt myself being dragged too. There were no tendrils grabbing at me, no visible force pulling me in, but something unseen—something powerful—linked me to Valerian. It was as if our fates were tied together, his every movement mirrored in mine.

“What… what’s happening?!” I gasped. I clawed at the ground, my fingers scraping against the unyielding stone, but it was no use. The pull was relentless. I tried to scream, but no sound would come out.

No one noticed me.

With a final, brutal tug, the force wrenched both Valerian and me into the darkness beyond the door. The last thing I saw was the fierce glow of his blazing eyes before the door slammed shut with a thunderous boom.

“VALERIAN!”

And then—

I woke up.