The sun had barely crested over Vardra's fractured horizon, casting long orange shadows across the reinforced walls of Kairis Ash's new home. Inside, the house was quiet — Elyra and Aeren still asleep, Kaiyara busy training in a secluded courtyard, and Kairis finally free for the first time in days.
He moved to the central room, sitting cross-legged on the floor, and activated his system interface. The dark matter swirling inside his body pulsed faintly, sensing the dormant energy from his previous kills. The room filled with a holographic display — stats, quests, abilities, and more.
> [System Activated – Apostle of Void Interface]
A low hum echoed in his ears, the interface unfolding around him like an ethereal cathedral of data.
Kairis tapped the "Status" tab. Numbers updated dynamically:
Level: 18
HP: 4820
MP: 2510
Strength: 46
Dexterity: 44
Agility: 45
Intelligence: 42
Divinity: 40
Authority: 38
Void Mastery: 50
He exhaled, a faint smirk crossing his face. "Not bad… these past few hunts actually paid off."
Scrolling further, he could see his abilities:
Graviton Blade (Active): Wielded as a sword that manipulates space on a micro-scale. Level 2 now, range extended slightly.
Gyro-Telekinesis (Active): Pull or push objects, enemies, or self through controlled gravitational fields. Now faster and more precise.
Black Hole (Active): Micro-scale singularity. High HP cost, now slightly more stable.
Gravity Surge Core (Passive): Enhances gravitational manipulation by 30%. Enables micro-flight and kinetic acceleration.
Analyze (Passive): Detects stats, HP, and abilities of non-awakened creatures; awakened targets still partially hidden.
A small notification blinked:
> [Reward: Gacha Token – 1 draw available today]
Kairis smirked. "Let's see what the void decides to give me today."
He activated the gacha, a sphere of swirling violet and black energy spinning rapidly. Symbols flickered and danced, chaotic yet strangely rhythmic. After a tense few seconds, it stopped, and a small window displayed:
> Reward: Void Shard – Passive Ability Upgrade
Enhances all void-related abilities by 15%. Reduces HP cost for Black Hole by 10%.
He tapped the shard into his system, feeling his internal gravity pulse stronger, more refined. The void inside him hummed approval.
For the first time in weeks, Kairis allowed himself to breathe. He walked to the balcony and watched Vardra wake beneath him — fires smoldering in some sectors, drones patrolling the skies, and far-off tremors hinting at mutant activity. Humanity clung stubbornly to life.
He let his mind wander briefly to Elyra and Aeren, sleeping peacefully in the room down the hall. Despite their age, he could sense their raw potential, even if they hadn't awakened yet. One day, they might wield powers like his. He frowned slightly, protective instinct flaring. They wouldn't be exposed to the monsters until he was certain they could survive — and thrive.
Kaiyara appeared beside him quietly, leaning on the railing. "Relaxing already?" she teased, eyes sharp and calculating.
He didn't turn. "The void doesn't rest. But humans do… and some humans are worth observing."
She laughed softly. "You'll never change, will you?"
"No. And I don't intend to."
Kairis moved to the training courtyard. Automated dummies and small simulators dotted the area — remnants of the Association's technology. He unsheathed his Graviton Blade, letting its black edge shimmer faintly as he moved through a series of strikes.
The sword bent space slightly with each swing — the air around it warping, making the movements feel both fluid and unnatural. He darted through a series of simulated enemies, using Gyro-Telekinesis to toss projectiles, lift dummies, and manipulate space to avoid attacks.
> One wrong move and my HP would drop fast in a real fight, he mused, spinning to catch a falling dummy midair and hurl it into another.
The training pushed him further than before. His control over gravity sharpened — micro-flights became smoother, pulls and pushes faster, and his spatial awareness heightened. By the end of the session, he was sweating, bruised, yet exhilarated.
> "The void doesn't just give power," he muttered, eyes glowing faint purple in anticipation. "It punishes mistakes. And I like punishment."
After the session, Kairis sat cross-legged once more, scrolling through the interface. He noticed new features had unlocked due to his title of Apostle of Void:
Store: Can exchange gacha tokens, acquire unique items from the void.
Roulette: One daily draw, can give abilities, weapons, or passive upgrades.
Quests: Auto-updating missions with risk/reward scaling.
Stats Overview: Full 3D mapping of abilities, including void efficiency, HP/MP usage, and kinetic range.
He tapped the "Quests" tab. A new one had appeared automatically:
> [Mutated Forest Tiger – Vardra, Sector 7]
Objective: Hunt and neutralize.
Reward: Experience, Dark Matter Core, Rare Materials.
Difficulty: Extreme.
He grinned faintly. "Nothing too easy… nothing too boring."
Leaning back, Kairis watched the violet hues of the evening stretch across Vardra's broken skyline. Humanity had clawed its way this far, but the apocalypse didn't rest — and neither would he.
The monsters were evolving, the rogue awakeners lurking, and the world of Apocalypse Black continued to twist and mutate. Yet, for the first time in weeks, he felt the void resonate clearly within him, a quiet yet thrilling promise of power waiting to be honed.
> "Level 18," he murmured, flexing his fingers. "Stats in the 40s… not bad. Not bad at all."
He looked down at Elyra and Aeren, playing quietly in the distance. His voice, soft but firm:
> "Someday, you'll understand why I fight… why I survive."
The system chimed again, almost impatiently. Another notification appeared:
> [Daily Gacha Available – Spin Now?]
Kairis smirked, eyes flashing faint purple as he whispered to himself:
> "Let's see what the void wants to throw at me today…"