The air was thick with bloodlust.
Across the cracked plains of Heavenscar, the last six contestants stood in a perfect circle. The sky above had turned into a vortex of void and lightning, as if the world itself knew the end was near. Fractured towers of crystal floated in the horizon, each glowing with the souls of the defeated.
Yamino stood in the center, his body flickering between broken and reborn, soul mist flowing from the cracks in his armor like steam from a volcano. His halberd rested against his shoulder, and the wild grin on his face carried both exhaustion and exhilaration.
Around him, the final players took position:
1. Vehras the Bloodforged, still burning from the last clash, bloodsteel plates reforming across his shoulders.
2. Sereia the String Queen, pale and smiling, her threads humming with vengeance.
3. Xerael, a seraphborn rogue wreathed in divine shadow, blades like angelic fangs.
4. Valka, an elemental titan, her skin flickering between magma and thunder.
5. Mourne, a reaper-born archer cloaked in dead silence, his arrows sealed with death rites.
And then… the sky cracked with an ominous bell.
[ FINAL PHASE INITIATED – ALL LIMITERS REMOVED. ]
[ Death Is Disabled. No Resurrection. Final Rule: Survive. ]
They didn't speak. No one needed words.
Vehras cracked his knuckles.
Sereia's strings rose like a spider sensing prey.
Valka raised a wall of lightning, Mourne notched three arrows without drawing breath.
Xerael vanished.
Yamino opened his system.
[ SOUL CORE LEVEL: 21 ]
[ CLASS: SHINOGAMI – Sovereign of Grim Beasts ]
[ KING SKILL: SOLO KING – Status: Partially Awakened. New Ability Unlocked. ]
He stopped breathing.
Eyes scanned the new text flashing in his vision.
---
[ SUB-SKILL UNLOCKED: DEATH SENTENCE (EXECUTION) ]
Effect: Within the domain of the user's presence, all beings deemed 'lesser by will or strength' can be instantly executed if judged guilty by the king's will. Requires soul authority. No defense. Cannot be dodged. One-time use per awakening phase.
---
Yamino's fingers trembled slightly—not in fear, but in anticipation.
A king who had killed 10,000 in ten days...
A monster who had devoured divine blood, danced with reapers, survived two deaths...
And now the system bowed to him.
He took one slow step forward, head low, voice quiet.
"You five are strong," he said. "But I'm no longer in your league."
Vehras grunted. "Try me."
Sereia licked her lips. "More pain?"
Valka raised her fists. Mourne's bow thrummed with death. Xerael's blade was at Yamino's throat before anyone could blink.
And that was when he activated it.
"Execution."
---
Time stopped.
The sky went dark.
Reality froze like a photo mid-burn.
From Yamino's chest, an enormous shadow burst forth—a crown of black fire, floating above him like a halo forged from tyrant stars.
A colossal throne materialized behind him, invisible to all but felt by everything.
And the domain stretched.
Not a physical space.
A spiritual kingdom.
Every participant inside it—
—became his subject.
They felt it.
The declaration.
The judgment.
Yamino's eyes glowed like twin abysses as his voice echoed across the domain:
> "You are all guilty—of standing in my way."
---
Vehras exploded into blood mist.
His armor cracked, spirit shattered, soul dissolved.
Sereia's threads snapped one by one, her form unraveling into puppet dust.
Valka screamed as her magma heart burst into light.
Mourne tried to fire—his body crumbled mid-draw.
Xerael never reappeared. His divine essence burned like paper in wind.
---
All of it.
In one second.
The battlefield was quiet again.
No corpses. No smoke.
Only Yamino remained, standing alone, cloak fluttering.
The throne behind him faded into soulfire.
The crown vanished.
And then...
[ SOLO KING – DEATH SENTENCE SUCCESSFUL ]
[ ALL HOSTILES ELIMINATED. ]
[ FINAL ROUND COMPLETED. ]
Silence.
Then—
[ C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ]
[ You are the final survivor. ]
[ SYSTEM RESETTING... ]
Yamino looked at his hands.
He hadn't even moved.
Not truly.
They had all fallen before the battle began.
He exhaled deeply, a laugh escaping him.
"Guess that's the difference between kings and everyone else."
.
.
.
Darkness. Silence. Rebirth.
After the Execution, the world dissolved. Yamino blinked—and suddenly he wasn't on the battlefield anymore.
He stood in a pure white void, serene and endless, a place that looked like it didn't belong to the game anymore, nor to any world he knew. No temperature, no gravity. Just light and eternity.
[ FINAL REWARD SELECTION: BEGIN ]
A calm, godlike voice echoed—not in the air, but inside his soul.
In the black world below, the rest of the survivors—999,900 players—reappeared at the beginning hall. Cries of joy, confusion, and awe rippled through the crowd. Everyone had survived. Everyone except the final 100.
And each of the survivors now received a weapon of their choosing, a personalized skill tailored to their soul, and a digital badge proclaiming their survival.
But Yamino... he was not one of them anymore.
He stood alone in the white dimension—a champion above champions.
Before him materialized five pedestals, each glowing with thousands of phantom images.
> "You may choose five rewards of weapon-class. One skill. One wish."
Yamino stepped forward, his voice steady.
> "For weapons:"
"A cursed katana of the grim lineage—Xonixatu."
"The elemental gauntlet—Runefist, with all 18 runes."
"A box of ancient beast cores, infinitely regenerating."
"The primordial sword of titans—I want it to respond to my soul."
"And lastly... the Stigma of the 16 Primal Beasts."
Each item materialized one by one:
---
[ Xonixatu – Cursed Katana of the Grim ]
A shattered black katana sealed in chains, reeking of ancient death. It feeds on soul fragments and unleashes grim echoes with each slash. In Yamino's hand, it trembled as if recognizing its new master.
---
[ Runefist – Gauntlet of 18 Elemental Runes ]
A glowing silver gauntlet etched with deep, burning stones. Each rune held the core of a different element—fire, water, lightning, shadow, gravity, time, chaos... and more. The user can combine or override elements in combat. A spellcaster's nightmare made real.
---
[ Box of Ancient Beast Cores – Legendary Grade ]
An obsidian box, weightless, yet filled with power. It generates 20 ancient beast cores every 24 hours, each core containing power capable of leveling a mountain. The box can be upgraded into sentience or production god-tier cores over time.
---
[ Ancient Sword of Titans – Soul-Bound Greatblade ]
A colossal weapon forged from primordial ore before the age of gods. This sword grows in size and weight according to Yamino's will and soul state. When willed, it can cleave through dimensional barriers or shrink to dagger size.
---
[ Stigma of 16 Primal Beasts – ??? ]
Sixteen golden marks appeared across Yamino's back, shoulders, and arms—searing into his soul. Each represented a different ancient beast—Dragon, Phoenix, Leviathan, Roc, Fenrir, Ifrit, Behemoth, and others. Their true powers were dormant, waiting to be awakened.
---
Yamino's hands closed slowly. The items didn't just grant him strength—they redefined what he could become.
Now, the system asked:
> "Choose your skill."
> "Sovereign of Grim Beasts."
---
[ Sovereign of Grim Beasts – EX Class ]
You may summon up to 18 grim beasts, each one a creature of death, nightmares, or mythic end times.
To truly make them your followers, you must defeat each one in single combat and form a pact by death.
Upon death and contract, they evolve into a Grim Kijin—a fused soul warrior bound to your command.
Each grim beast has a will, identity, and unique ability.
---
> "Wish?"
Yamino closed his eyes. "I want my Dungeon Master skill to evolve to its final, ultimate form."
---
The world stilled.
Then—
[ Request Accepted. Processing Evolution. ]
[ Dungeon Master → Breaking into Subskills... ]
[ Evolving Subskills Individually... Success ]
[ Merging Skills into One... Error ]
[ Integrating Sovereign of Grim Beasts... Success ]
[ Merging Stigma of 16 Primal Beasts... Success ]
[ Final Evolution Triggered... Creating New Skill... ]
---
[ ULTRA SKILL ACQUIRED: DEITY OF DUNGEON ]
The sky shattered. The white void rippled into black and gold.
A book appeared before Yamino—bound in flesh, sealed with fangs and chains. It opened on its own, pages flipping until the final one revealed itself:
---
DEITY OF DUNGEON – Unique Ultra-Class Skill (EX+)
This is the apex form of all dungeon-type, beast-type, and domain-type skills.
It fuses creation, summoning, evolution, conquest, and soul-lordship into a single divine authority.
Core Effects:
Summon the Deity of the Dungeon –
The ultimate guardian created from your essence, your dungeon's history, and your soul lineage.
The Deity is a conscious being—part god, part beast, part will of the dungeon.
The Deity has its own personality and grows by consuming invaders and dungeon energy.
Contract Condition –
You must defeat the Deity in battle. Only then will you inherit its full power and title.
Once contracted, the Deity becomes your eternal companion and dungeon avatar.
Dungeon Soul Forging –
All grim beasts you conquer, beast cores you collect, and stigma beasts you awaken—
—can be absorbed into your dungeon.
Your dungeon becomes a living god, evolving endlessly based on your will.
Authority of Dominion –
You can reshape reality inside your dungeon. Control time flow, create life or death zones, or enforce rules.
Your dungeon becomes your inner world—a divine realm with a sovereign will.
King's Domain Layer –
Inside your dungeon, you have absolute authority over all beings ranked below your soul power tier.
Any enemy entering must pass your Trial of Sovereignty or be automatically expelled... or erased.
---
> Yamino blinked.
He could feel it.
A pulse in his chest... and something awakening below his consciousness.
A presence. Watching. Smiling.
The Deity of the Dungeon was real.
And it was waiting for him.
---
[ FINAL GIFT DELIVERED. YOU MAY NOW RETURN. ]
[ New Quest Created: Defeat the Deity of the Dungeon and claim full control. ]
Yamino took one step back—
The white realm collapsed.
And his next journey began.