SAI SHINU
The world inside the Astral Gate was quiet now.
No howls of beasts, no clash of blades, no thunder of blood and wind. Only the silence of death, painted across the endless pale floor and the dark ceiling above.
I stood over him—Namae's master. His body was ruined, motionless, a husk left behind by the crimson rift. Yet even in death, he still felt… heavy. As if the air itself clung to him in fear.
My eyes drifted to his hand. There, upon his finger, gleamed a ring. Black metal, lined with threads of crimson that pulsed faintly like living veins. Against my better judgment, I reached for it. The instant it left his flesh, the air around me shifted.
And then—
[System Notification]
You have acquired a Godglyph.
Godglyph Unlocked: Blood Veil
Harness blood itself as armor. The strength of the veil scales with the presence of blood in your vicinity.
I froze, staring at the words suspended in the air before me. My chest tightened. A Godglyph…?
I clenched my fist. The system vanished, but its weight remained in my bones.
"…So this is how you did it."
My thoughts turned, unwilling, to the chimeras. The thousand twisted creatures that had clawed at me, teeth gnashing, eyes glowing with hunger. How could one man summon such an army?
My gaze fell again to the ring. Hesitation gnawed at me, but curiosity won. I lifted it.
The moment my fingers wrapped around it, the air shimmered once more.
[System Notification]
Artifact Identified: Storage Ring
Bound storage space detected.
Contents: Classified.
My blood ran cold. The truth struck like lightning.
The beasts… they weren't summoned. They were stored. Each twisted monster sealed inside this tiny circle of metal until he called them forth.
I swallowed hard. My stomach turned as I imagined the endless screams, the pain, the corruption it must have taken to trap them. And yet, the ring felt calm in my palm. Silent, obedient—like it had always been waiting for a new master.
Slowly, I turned to face the corpse. My eyes locked on the head, still intact despite everything.
I knelt. My hand hesitated above it for a moment. Then, with a whisper meant for no one but myself, I spoke:
"You won't torment anyone else."
I willed it, and the system answered.
[System Notification]
Item stored: Head of Unnamed Master
The body remained, but the head vanished in a blink, swallowed into nothing.
The silence deepened. For the first time since the fight began, I let myself breathe. My shoulders sagged. The Astral Gate itself began to flicker, the vast endless plain trembling, cracks of light splitting across its dark sky.
It was fading.
I stepped forward, the weight of the ring heavy in my grip, the knowledge of the Godglyph heavier still.
The door of light opened. I walked through.
And there she was.
Namae.
Her wide eyes locked on me as I emerged. No words yet, only the weight of her gaze, heavy with questions, fear, and something I didn't dare name. Blood still clung to me. Shadows still curled at my feet. And in my hand—her master's ring.
I met her stare, silent, my chest rising and falling with the echoes of everything that had just happened.
The Astral Gate closed behind me.