"Only when I touched godhood did I learn what humanity truly meant."
"A knife in the back... and a smile up front."
The sky above Gate Azariel bled red.
Not the crimson of war banners or sunsets, but the raw, scorched red of a broken world—shattered by the power Kael and his raid party had unleashed. Floating stone platforms drifted through the void, suspended above a churning core of molten ether. Below them lay the final raid zone: an island of jagged obsidian, its surface etched with glowing runes.
And at its center—the crystallized corpse of the Final Archon, the world boss they had just slain.
Silence settled over the battlefield. Weapons were sheathed. The adrenaline of victory still hummed in the air.
Kael Arin stood motionless, his sword lowered, shoulders rising and falling with exhaustion. His long black coat was torn at the sleeves, his six Beast Companions flickering in and out of visibility, their forms translucent from near-fatal injuries.
And in his hand—the reason they had fought so hard.
[System Notification: You have obtained the Mythic Artifact – "Key of Azariel".]
Bound to: Kael Arin
Type: Dimensional Key
Status: ??? (Unknown Interaction Detected)
The key was pitch black, its surface devouring light. Ancient carvings along its hilt pulsed faintly blue—markings no player had ever deciphered, not even the most obsessive dataminers.
He was the first to hold it.
"Kael."
Lena's voice came from behind him. His guild's Vice Commander, her tone soft, almost reverent.
"It's beautiful. The Key, I mean."
He didn't answer. He knew her admiration was fleeting. Her words always carried weight… until they didn't.
Then came Julius.
Their guild leader. His oldest friend in the game.
"Brother." Julius stepped onto the platform beside him, his sword still drawn but lowered casually. A gleam of pride lit his eyes. "We did it. You did it. We're finally on the world stage."
Kael exhaled, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't deny the rush. After years of being an average player—after grinding his way up with no legendary class, no cheat skills—he had finally done it. A mythic drop.
And more than that… he knew this key was different. It wasn't part of the normal loot table.
He opened his mouth to speak—
Shkkt!
A dagger slid between his ribs.
Not a critical hit. Not a flashy skill. Just a clean, quiet stab.
-4,729,110 HP (Bleed)
Kael staggered forward, confusion flooding his mind.
As he turned—
Another blade pierced his side.
Lena.
Then—
"[Divine Execution]."
Julius's radiant greatsword came down on Kael's shoulder.
The world blurred.
His beasts roared in protest, but their forms froze mid-action. His party UI flickered red—his bond with them had been severed.
He collapsed to one knee, coughing blood. His health bar plummeted. The Key burned in his grip.
"You understand, right?" Julius crouched beside him, voice gentle, almost sorrowful. "You're not one of us. You were never supposed to find this."
A pause.
"You were just… convenient."
Lena leaned in, her expression blank. "We appreciate your service, Kael."
"Game Over."
The system prepared to trigger his death logout—
Then—
[Key of Azariel – Triggering System Override]
[Synchronizing Host Soul Signature…]
[REWIND PROTOCOL: Activated]
[Warning: Temporal Singularity Detected]
Kael's vision flooded with blue fire.
"They stabbed me at the gates of Azariel, moments before I claimed godhood."
"But the Key didn't die with me. It took me back."
When his eyes opened again—
It was 2048.
No gates. No monsters. No powers.