For one impossible moment, the entire Gate forgot how to breathe.
The thing descending from the sky did not resemble any creature Ethan had ever seen.
It was too large to be called a beast and too unnatural to be called alive.
Its body seemed to exist in several places at once.
Vast wings, stitched together from fragments of moonlight and darkness, stretched across the heavens.
Hundreds of eyes opened and closed across its surface, each one reflecting a different sky.
One eye showed a dying star.
Another showed an ocean of black fire.
A third showed a city hanging upside down beneath an endless sea.
Ethan made the mistake of looking directly into one of them.
Pain exploded behind his eyes.
He staggered backward as blood dripped from his nose.
[WARNING.] [Do not observe higher-dimensional entities directly.] [Sanity Preservation Protocol Engaged.] “Oh, that’s a useful warning to receive afterward.” The shadow beneath his feet remained utterly silent.
That worried him more than the creature in the sky.
Captain Reyes had fallen to one knee.
Sarah was clutching her head, tears streaming down her face as she desperately avoided looking upward.
Even the Spear King had lowered his gaze.
“The Seventh Messenger,” the ancient king whispered.
There was something close to hatred in his voice.
“It still lives.” “You know this thing?” Ethan asked.
The Spear King slowly rose to his feet, his ruined armor groaning with age.
“Once, there were Nine.” The Messenger’s wings beat once.
The entire Gate trembled.
“Nine heralds who walked before the arrival of the Outer Court.
They carried messages between dying universes.” “Outer Court?” Ethan asked.
The shadow finally spoke.
“The gods have kings.” That sentence somehow made everything worse.
The Seventh Messenger moved closer.
Its countless eyes narrowed.
“Confirmed.” Its voice came from everywhere at once.
“The Mark of Devouring has manifested.” The system immediately flooded Ethan’s vision with warnings.
[HOST IDENTITY HAS BEEN DISCOVERED.] [RECOMMENDATION: FLEE.] [RECOMMENDATION UPDATED: IMPOSSIBLE.] [NEW RECOMMENDATION: ACCEPT DEATH WITH DIGNITY.] “I appreciate the honesty.” The Messenger ignored him.
Its attention remained fixed on the shadow beneath his feet.
“You should not exist.” “Many have said that,” Ethan replied.
“This one remembers.” The Messenger’s gaze intensified.
“It remembers the End.” The shadow stirred.
“I remember hunger.” The skies darkened.
“No.” For the first time, emotion entered the Messenger’s voice.
Not anger.
Fear.
“You remember more than that.” Silence.
Something shifted beneath Ethan’s feet.
His shadow expanded slightly, silver eyes opening one after another within the darkness.
“I remember…” it whispered.
The words came slowly, as though being dragged from somewhere deep and forgotten.
“…a throne.” The Messenger froze.
“I remember stars falling.” The Spear King tightened his grip on his weapon.
“I remember being called…” The shadow abruptly stopped.
A sound escaped it.
Pain.
“No.” Its voice became a hundred voices.
“No.
I do not remember.” The Messenger remained motionless for several seconds.
Then, unexpectedly, it laughed.
The sound was terrible.
“He does not remember.” The creature’s wings unfolded further.
“The Outer Court will rejoice.” A new notification appeared before Ethan.
[Main Quest Updated.] [Survive.] “That’s not a quest,” Ethan muttered.
“That’s a basic instinct.” The Messenger began descending.
The pressure alone was enough to crack the earth beneath Ethan’s feet.
Captain Reyes collapsed completely.
Sarah had lost consciousness.
Even the statues throughout the graveyard had begun to fracture.
“Can we fight this?” Ethan asked.
“No.” “Can we run?” “No.” “Do we have any options at all?” “No.” “You’re remarkably unhelpful.” The Spear King suddenly stepped forward.
Ancient blue fire erupted from the cracks in his stone body.
“The dead have one privilege the living do not.” The Messenger’s eyes turned toward him.
“And what is that?” The Spear King raised his weapon.
“We no longer fear dying.” The entire graveyard answered.
One by one, the statues awakened.
Thousands of ancient warriors rose from their eternal rest.
Kings.
Soldiers.
Monsters.
Heroes.
All of them drew their weapons.
A system notification appeared.
[Hidden Event: The Last Charge.] [The Dead Have Chosen To Fight.] Ethan stared at the impossible army surrounding him.
“You can do that?” “We have had a very long time to prepare,” the Spear King replied.
The Messenger regarded the army with something resembling amusement.
“You would stand against a Herald?” “We stood against the Devourer.” “And lost.” “Yes.” The Spear King lowered his spear.
“But we were remembered.” For some reason, those words struck Ethan harder than they should have.
The Messenger began to glow.
Reality itself warped around its body.
“I did not come to destroy this Gate.” Every eye turned toward Ethan.
“I came to confirm a rumor.” The creature slowly lowered itself until one enormous eye filled Ethan’s vision.
“The Hunger has returned.” Ethan swallowed.
“I feel like we’re placing an awful lot of responsibility on a guy who couldn’t pay his electricity bill three days ago.” The Messenger ignored him.
“You are not ready.” “That’s probably true.” “You do not remember.” “Also true.” “You are weak.” “Painfully aware of that.” The Messenger remained silent for several seconds.
Then: “Good.” The answer caught everyone off guard.
“What?” “If you remembered now, reality would break.” The shadow beneath Ethan’s feet became still.
“If you awakened now, this universe would die.” Silence fell over the graveyard.
Even the wind stopped.
Ethan laughed nervously.
“That sounds exaggerated.” “It is not.” The Messenger slowly rose into the sky.
“The Outer Court believes the Devourer has returned.” “It hasn’t?” “No.” Every eye upon its body closed simultaneously.
“It is sleeping.” The shadow whispered.
“…Sleeping?” “Deeply.” The Messenger’s voice grew quieter.
“And all things eventually wake.” For the first time since meeting it, Ethan felt genuine fear.
Not for himself.
For everyone else.
“What exactly is the Devourer?” The Messenger hesitated.
Then, in a voice that carried the weight of dead universes, it answered.
“The last thing creation ever saw.” Nobody spoke.
The implications of that sentence settled over the graveyard like a funeral shroud.
Finally, Ethan managed: “That’s…
not ideal.” “No.” The Messenger spread its wings.
“Fortunately, you are still Ethan Vale.” The fact that it knew his name disturbed him greatly.
“How do you know my name?” “We know every name.” “That’s somehow creepier.” The Messenger began ascending.
“Grow stronger, Bearer of Hunger.” “Why?” “Because the gods have already begun moving.” As if summoned by its words, new notifications erupted across Ethan’s vision.
[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT.] [The First Divine Hunt Has Begun.] [Target: Ethan Vale.] [Reward: Godhood.] The world went silent.
Captain Reyes stared at him.
Sarah, having regained consciousness at some point, stared at him.
The Spear King stared at him.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” [Additional Information.] [Participants Eligible: All Living Entities.] “What do you mean all living entities?” [Clarification: Humanity is included.] Ethan closed his eyes.
“Of course it is.” Somewhere on Earth, millions of system windows had just appeared.
And every single one contained his name.
The Messenger’s laughter echoed across the Gate.
“The hunt begins.” Then it vanished.
Silence followed.
A long, uncomfortable silence.
Captain Reyes finally spoke.
“So.” “So?” “Humanity is going to try and kill you.” “That does appear to be the situation.” Sarah raised her hand.
“Does this mean we’re fugitives now?” “We?” “You saved me, so I’m pretty sure I’m involved.” “That’s not how involvement works.” The Spear King pulled his spear from the ground.
“You should leave.” Ethan blinked.
“That’s it?” “The Gate can hide you for a short time, but not forever.” “And the quest?” The ancient king was silent for a moment.
Then he removed the broken iron crown from his head.
“The dead have made their choice.” He placed the crown into Ethan’s hands.
It was surprisingly warm.
[Quest Complete.] [You have inherited the Legacy of the Last Spear King.] [Reward Acquired.] [New Class Unlocked.] [Shadow Legionnaire.] [Class Evolution Available At Level 50.] The system paused.
Then, almost as an afterthought: [Due to extraordinary circumstances, host has received one additional title.] [Title Acquired: The Most Wanted Man in Creation.] Ethan stared blankly at the notification.
“…I preferred Professional Disappointment.”