The roar of the abyss shook the air like thunder.Flames of molten gold illuminated the cavern as the dragon lunged upward, its body tearing through the river of magma like a living storm.
Hayate gritted his teeth and swung his blade, the black flames surrounding him twisting violently against the radiant light. Every strike sent shockwaves across the bridge, scattering molten dust into the air.
[System Alert: Entity Class – Abyssal Dragon (Lv. 128)][Recommended Action: Retreat.]
"Like hell I'm retreating!" Hayate hissed, slashing upward as the creature's claws came down.
Sparks ignited, metal clashed, and the sound echoed endlessly. Each strike made the ground tremble. His allies could barely stand against the pressure.
"Hayate! It's too strong!" Rina screamed, pulling Lancel back as a wave of molten rock surged across the battlefield.
Hayate dodged, his hair flying wild in the heat, eyes glowing with crimson determination. "Then I'll just have to get stronger!"
He planted his sword into the ground. A golden sigil appeared beneath his feet, glowing brighter and brighter. The System's interface opened before him, but the usual calm blue text was gone — replaced by blood-red lines of code that pulsed with unstable energy.
[Unauthorized Skill Activation Detected][Warning: Power Source — Divine Fragment.]
[Proceed? Y/N]
He didn't hesitate. "Yes."
The moment he spoke, the air exploded with light. The flames around him shifted from black to gold, twisting into a swirling vortex that surrounded his entire body. The dragon roared again — but this time, the sound was met with an equal force.
"System, Synchronize — Overdrive!"
[Overdrive Mode Activated. 120 Seconds Remaining.]
In that instant, Hayate's world slowed down. He could see the creature's movements clearly — every spark, every tremor. He stepped forward, his figure blurring. One clean slash — and part of the dragon's scales shattered, spilling molten blood.
The System chimed again:
[Critical Strike x3! Damage: 82,913]
Rina gasped from the distance. "What kind of power is that?"
But Hayate wasn't listening. His pulse raced, his mind burning with the thrill of the fight. So this is the strength I was meant to have…
Then, mid-swing, pain exploded in his arm. His vision blurred for a second — the flames turned unstable. Something dark was spreading beneath his skin.
[Warning: Power Overload Detected. Source — Corrupted Divine Energy.]
He looked down. On his forearm, faint lines of gold and black formed a strange, spiraling mark — like the shape of a sun being devoured by darkness.
Rina's eyes widened. "Hayate—your arm!"
"I know!" he shouted, biting back the pain as the mark crawled upward. Each heartbeat made it grow faster, reaching toward his chest.
[Synchronization 60%… 70%… 80%…]
Hayate's blade clashed once more with the dragon's claw, and this time, the impact split the ground beneath them. Lava poured upward like rain, staining his armor.
"GET BACK!" he yelled. Rina and Lancel barely made it to safety before the bridge cracked apart.
Hayate leapt forward, slashing upward again, his aura blazing brighter than ever — black lightning mixed with gold flame. The dragon shrieked in agony, thrashing violently.
And then, from the depths of the abyss, a second roar answered.
Another dragon emerged — larger, darker, its body wrapped in shadow. Its eyes glowed purple, filled with an unnatural hunger.
Lancel's voice broke in panic. "Two of them?! That's impossible!"
The System's voice glitched:
[Error: Entity not registered in database.][Possible origin: Divine Mutation.]
The moment the shadow dragon appeared, the mark on Hayate's arm pulsed faster. It burned like molten iron. He dropped to one knee, gasping.
"Rghh—what is this feeling?!"
The voice of the evil goddess whispered in his mind, cold and mocking.
"Do you feel it now, my chosen mistake? The power you borrowed is mine. That mark on your flesh — it's my curse and my claim."
Her laughter echoed across the battlefield.
Hayate gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face. "Get out of my head."
But the voice only grew louder.
"You can't escape me, Hayate. That mark binds you to me. Even if you grow strong enough to kill gods, you'll still be mine."
Something inside him snapped. The golden flames surged violently, merging with the black lightning until they became something entirely new — crimson light.
He rose to his feet again, eyes glowing like twin suns. "Then I'll just rewrite that too."
[Overdrive: Final Phase Unlocked.]
He leapt forward, the sword in his hand transforming — its blade extending with raw light. One strike, fueled by pure defiance, tore through both dragons at once. The explosion shook the entire abyss, sending shockwaves across the molten rivers.
For a moment, silence followed. The two beasts fell, dissolving into mist.
Rina ran to him, shouting. "Hayate!"
He turned slowly, his expression blank. Then he fell to his knees, clutching his chest as the mark on his body continued to glow.
[Overdrive Timer: 00:00][Mode Deactivated.]
The flames faded, but the mark didn't disappear — it had now formed completely, wrapping around his arm and chest like a tattoo of gold and black light.
Rina knelt beside him. "You're hurt—"Hayate smiled faintly, exhaustion in his voice. "No. I just… leveled up."
[Quest Complete: Survive the Awakening Beasts][Reward: Skill – Flamebound Resonance (Mythic Tier)][Hidden Quest Unlocked: The Goddess's Mark.]
Lancel exhaled shakily. "You killed two dragons."
Hayate stood, the System light flickering across his face. "No… not killed. They were just the beginning."
He looked down at his marked arm, the glow pulsing softly. Somewhere deep in his soul, he could still hear the goddess's faint laughter.
But instead of fear, he smiled — a cold, determined smile."Then let's see how long you can laugh… before I destroy your throne."
[Quest Updated: The Goddess's Mark – Begin Investigation.]