chapter 2

CHAPTER 2: THE SURFACE BURNS

“From the pit I rose… not to live again—but to end what dares breathe above me.”

— Jin Ezra

The sky above Harthmoor was golden and clear. The capital city—sprawled across stone terraces—buzzed with life, unaware of the god-tier threat rising beneath its very soil.

Deep underground, somewhere between the layers of forgotten ruins and cursed catacombs, Jin Ezra opened his eyes.

Not the mortal eyes he once bore.

Not the eyes of the betrayed soldier.

These were eyes that burned black—haloed by a deep violet glow. Eyes not meant for man.

🕳 Underground Vault – “The Grave of 10,000 Chains”

Jin Ezra stood atop a bed of shattered obsidian chains, his body radiating a soft, vibrating aura. Echoes of screams from past sacrifices still haunted the stone walls. His bare feet crushed bones that hadn’t seen sunlight in centuries.

The Eclipse Core pulsed silently in his chest—like a second heart.

Ding!

[New Objective: REACH THE SURFACE]

“Beware. The world believes you died 7 years ago. You are now hunted by memory... and prophecy.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Then let the world tremble at a ghost it buried too soon.”

💀 Encounter – Bone Knight [Lv. 110]

A rumble echoed through the vault as the walls shifted. Out from the dark corridor limped a twisted creature—its armor rusted, its skull glowing with greenish fire.

[Bone Knight – Guardian of the Seal]

HP: 2,500

Weapon: Cursed Halberd

Skill: [Pierce the Unworthy]

It charged without hesitation.

But Jin didn’t move. He raised a single hand, and his shadow stretched unnaturally across the floor.

SHLICK!

Shadow tendrils burst from the ground, impaling the Bone Knight’s legs mid-charge.

Jin’s voice was cold.

“Stay still.”

With a motion like pulling a thread, he dragged the creature forward—and devoured it.

The knight’s soul erupted into violet flame as it was ripped from its bony cage.

Ding!

[DEVOUR SUCCESSFUL]

You gained: [Pierce the Unworthy] + 120 STR + 80 AGI + 1 Memory Fragment.

⚔ Jin’s First Shadow Ally: Varik, The Bonebound

From the ashes of the knight, Jin raised a hand.

“Rise… and follow your true king.”

A hand of black bone cracked free from the dust. Then another.

The Bone Knight kneeled before him—transformed. Its green soul fire now burned violet.

[Shadow Ally Gained: Varik – Lv. 110]

Role: Tank / Executioner

Loyalty: 100% (Bound by Eclipse Oath)

Weapon: Twin Bone Axes forged from his old spine

🌒 Breaking Into The Surface

Jin strode through the final passage, followed by the echoing thud of Varik’s heavy footsteps.

At the final barrier—a sealed obsidian gate etched with divine runes—he placed a single palm on its surface.

The Eclipse Core inside him spun violently.

“Permission denied.”

He smiled.

“I’m not asking.”

With a growl of ancient rage, he forced Rule Breaker into the structure. The divine runes screamed and cracked. The gate shattered like glass beneath thunder.

Light—real sunlight—flooded the chamber for the first time in centuries.

🌆 City of Harthmoor – Eastern District

A small chapel stood on the city’s outskirts. A humble structure of stone and ivy, where children played and old women lit candles.

But above it… the sky twisted. A black hole of shadow pierced the heavens—just for a second.

Then he stepped through it.

Clad in darkness. Surrounded by silence. With a shadowy knight beside him.

The world stopped breathing.

Ding!

[WORLD ALERT: UNKNOWN ENTITY HAS BREACHED SURFACE]

[Warning Issued to all Divine Sensors in Proximity]

– Codename Triggered: "THE GODLESS ONE RETURNS."

And for the first time in years…