"Frey, I think it's about time you tell us what's going on." Adrian's voice was sharp, urgent. He narrowed his eyes at the massive creature they had just fought.
"That thing wasn't just a mindless monster—it was a soldier, bred for war. And that purple energy… there's only one thing I've ever heard of that can destroy mana."
Before Elara could finish her sentence, Adrian spoke the words aloud.
"Demonic energy."
A chilling silence followed.
Elara clenched her fists. "It was using the power of demons… But that shouldn't be possible. There's a treaty between us and the Demon Generals who govern the Demon Realm. If something like that is crawling its way here and attacking us, it's a provocation for war."
Adrian's expression darkened. He turned towards Frey. "You already anticipated that there was a portal here, which means you knew something. This incident concerns all of humanity, so tell us what you know, RIGHT NOW."
For the first time, Frey hesitated.
Adrian could feel it, a creeping, foreboding sense of doom, like the weight of an unseen force pressing against him. His hands trembled slightly. And then there was something else.
A fact that made him more uneasy than anything.
[MAIN QUEST – SHADOW OF THE TRANSMIGRATOR]
PROGRESS: 99%
Frey exhaled slowly, as if making up her mind.
"On the Judgment Day, at the chime of midnight, the gods' chosen ones will awaken to protect humanity from the oncoming darkness."
Her voice was solemn.
"These words were spoken a hundred years ago, not by one oracle, but by all five, simultaneously. Normally, when a calamity is near, the oracle occupying that land will receive a prophecy. But this time… they all spoke at the same time."
Elara nodded grimly. "Right. At first, people dismissed it since nothing happened for years. But then, the Avatar of the God of Flames was chosen. That's when they started taking it seriously."
Frey closed her eyes, reciting the prophecy in full.
On Judgment Day, at midnight's chime,
The bells shall toll, a fate divine.
When echoes fade, a king shall rise,
Ending peace with crimson skies.
To hail his birth, the riders four,
Shall march through blood and open war.
The gods who swore to guard the lands,
Shall break their thrones with guiding hands.
Their chosen ones, with might untold,
Shall clash with darkness, fierce and bold.
And from their war, shall fate be spun,
The dawn of hope, or night begun.
A heavy silence settled over the group.
Kleines took a deep breath. "So this portal… it's connected to all of that, isn't it?"
Frey gave a short, grim nod. "This portal is feeding on the dense mana inside the dungeon. Soon, it will fully stabilize and turn red, becoming a gate that swallows the entire dungeon. And when that happens, legions of those creatures will come."
Adrian's hands clenched into fists. "War is coming."
"Yes," Frey said. "And it cannot be stopped."
Kleines turned to Elara, desperation in his eyes. "Can't we seal the portal before it opens?"
Elara shook her head. "It's too late for that. We would've had to act before it took in this much mana."
Frey's voice was distant, resigned. "There is no method. This is ordained by fate. The portal will remain open until its purpose is fulfilled. Vermaris will burn."
Her words sent a chill through the air.
Adrian stood deathly still.
Something about this… it felt too familiar.
An inevitable war. A prophecy dictating destruction. Fate itself binding everyone to a single path.
It was as if he had seen all this before.
[MAIN QUEST – SHADOW OF THE TRANSMIGRATOR]
PROGRESS: 100%
A sharp pain pierced Adrian's skull.
He staggered back, gasping.
"Adrian?!" Elara's voice was distant, muffled.
His vision swam. The world around him twisted, and then he saw it.
A sky drowned in fire. The cries of the dying. Black smoke swallowing a burning city whole. A faceless figure standing atop a mountain of corpses, crowned in shadows. A horseman moving across the battlefield bathed in crimson blood.
A familiar voice, whispered, hollow and absolute.
"It's time Theo. You slept within shadows long enough. It's time to wake up. You still have work to do. Lives are at stake. Gods have made their move. It's time to make ours."
He couldn't breathe.
The weight of something unseen pressed against his soul. He felt cold, yet a flame deep inside him burned hotter than ever, rebelling against the shakles of fate.
Adrian clenched his teeth. His mind screamed against the pressure. No. No. This isn't how it ends.
The last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him—
USER – ??EO? ?????HA?T ???????RN / ADRIAN ????????
USER – THEO? RIV??HA?T IGNI???RN / ADRIAN HO?????Y
USER – THEON RIVENHART IGNISBORN / ADRIAN HOLLOWAY
[MAIN QUEST – SHADOW OF THE TRANSMIGRATOR]
[COMPLETE.]
And then, Adrian collapsed.