When the spinning stopped, Cale staggered to his feet, groaning as he steadied himself. His vision swam for a moment, his head pounding.

"Great," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "Why has being sucked into a portal become a recurring theme in my life?"

The dizziness subsided, and he finally took in his surroundings. His breath caught.

The chamber stretched endlessly before him, monumental and imposing. Towering pillars carved with glowing patterns reached high into an unseen ceiling.

The polished floor beneath his boots gleamed like a mirror, reflecting the faint, ominous light that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

On either side of the chamber stood rows of statues—knights, easily five meters tall, encased in grand, ornate armor. Their weapons rested at their sides, their stony faces turned inward, locked in eternal vigilance.

And at the center of it all, a throne.

It loomed over the room, shrouded in faint shadows, yet its presence was impossible to ignore.

A grand and magustic figure sat on it. Although obscured a bit by the faint shade of darkness in the chamber, he could still tell it was a statue, measuring about twice the size of the knights statues lined on opposite sides of the chamber.

The figure of the statue, it donned with a Ragal air. Depicted to wear a crown, or something that looked like one.

Cale’s chest tightened.

[System Alert: You have encroached into an unknown Domain.]

[Your Domain activation has been resisted.]

The notification snapped him out of his trance. His breath hitched as he took a step back, his instincts screaming at him to leave.

The aura radiating from the throne was suffocating, thick and heavy like the air before a thunderstorm.

“Just great,” he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing.

This scene brought back memories. Quite an awful one. He couldn't help being reminded of the demon king’s throne room.

The strange aura that permeated the air, although it was different, it bore one similarity.

It screamed danger.

Just as he stared at the throne with a serious expression, the massive statue on the throne stirred—or, at least, its eyes did.

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Twin orbs of fiery light blazed to life in the darkness, locking onto Cale with unnerving precision. The air itself seemed to grow heavier, colder, as the statue’s gaze bore into him.

“Intruder…”

The word reverberated through the chamber, deep and ancient. The statue’s mouth didn’t move, but the voice was unmistakably its own, resonating as though it came from the very walls.

Cale’s grip on his daggers tightened instinctively.

“Who dares encroach upon my domain?”

The voice hit him like a hammer, shaking him to his core. He swallowed hard, fighting the urge to step back.

The Core’s voice whispered in his mind, uncharacteristically cautious. “Master, I suggest you exercise extreme caution. This presence… it feels ancient. And far beyond your current strength.”

“Well, thanks for stating the obvious,” Cale muttered, his tone tinged with sarcasm but edged with bitterness.

His thoughts churned. Was he too hasty?

The memory of that old man’s warning resurfaced in his mind, unbidden. The cryptic words about this ruin, about the dangers that lurked within. Maybe he should’ve listened. Maybe he should’ve waited, gained more power, made preparations.

As he thought of this, he suddenly sighed When had life ever been easy?

Ever since he’d been tossed between worlds, it felt like life had been set to hell mode. This place might be dangerous, sure, but could it be worse than what he’d already endured?

The demon king’s hoards, the relentless army that swept across nations like a plague...

No, danger was nothing new to him.

As if in response to his thoughts, the figure on the throne leaned forward. Its shadowy form became more defined—a humanoid shape cloaked in a swirling, shifting darkness.

Twin eyes, molten gold, burned brightly from its obscured face.

“You’re no ordinary intruder,” the entity rumbled, its tone laced with curiosity. “I sense the mark of a Dungeon Master upon you. Yet, you are... incomplete.”

“Incomplete?” Cale retorted, his voice steady despite the suffocating pressure bearing down on him. “And you’re what? The welcoming committee?”

The entity chuckled, a deep, resonant sound that seemed to reverberate through the very walls of the chamber.

“Bold. But arrogance often precedes a swift end.”

Cale’s gaze flicked around the chamber, searching for anything that could give him an edge. The space was vast, its exit obscured, leaving him trapped with the oppressive throne, the towering knight statues, and the growing tension.

“What is this place?” he asked, trying to buy time.

“My throne,” the entity replied sharply. “A remnant of a kingdom long forgotten. A sanctuary for the strong and a grave for the foolish.”

“Sounds cozy,” Cale quipped, though his mind raced.

The Core’s voice returned, calm yet tinged with urgency. “Master, I believe this entity is a fragment of the original Dungeon Master who ruled these ruins. Its power is immense, but it’s... incomplete, much like yourself.”

“Good to know,” Cale muttered under his breath. “But care to explain what the actual fuck it means to be incomplete?”

“It means it lacks a connection to the Abyss, just like you,” the Core replied matter-of-factly.

“Let me guess, it can’t draw energy from the Abyss?”

“Correct. Its connection was severed, likely in the events that destroyed the original Master. Still, traces of Abyssal energy linger in this place. It must be the reserves from the past.”

“Abyssal energy. Great.” Cale’s grip tightened on his daggers. “Any advice?”

“Survive.”

“....”

“Fantastic. You’re so helpful.”

The entity rose from the throne, and for the first time, Cale realized just how massive it was. From his perspective, it was as if a mouse were staring up at a human. Shadows swirled around the figure.

“Prove yourself, fledgling Dungeon Master,” the entity declared, its voice echoing like thunder. “Or perish.”

The ground trembled.

The towering pillars began to crack and shatter, sending debris cascading to the polished floor. Fissures erupted across the ground, revealing swirling voids of dark energy. From these voids emerged twisted abominations. The very creatures Cale had just been battling a while ago.

“Great,” Cale muttered, rolling his shoulders. “More things trying to kill me.”

The first creature lunged with speed, its monstrous limbs defying logic. Cale sidestepped just in time, his daggers flashing as they sliced through its flesh.

The abomination screeched, black ichor spraying from the wound.

Another beast charged from behind, its massive claws slamming into the ground where he had been standing a second earlier.

“These creatures are manifestations of the throne’s will,” the Core remarked.”

“No kidding!” Cale growled, twisting to avoid a swipe that would’ve split him in two.

The battle raged on, relentlessly. Each movement drained Cale’s stamina, his muscles burning from exertion. Yet the creatures showed no signs of thinning.

All the while, the entity on the throne watched, its blazing eyes unblinking.

“You fight well,” it remarked, its deep voice managing to pierce through the chaos. “But is it enough?”

Cale clenched his teeth, his breaths coming in ragged gasps. His movements grew slower, and the weight of fatigue bore down on him. He needed a way out, now.

Suddenly, a notification appeared.

---

[System Alert: Domain Insta

bility Detected.]

---

Cale’s eyes lit up, not from the alert, but from the eerie sensation that washed over him right at this moment.