As the elevator slowly ascended toward the upper levels of the Church of the Dawn, all Alex could do was wait.
And as the elevator went up extremely slowly, and it would take around five minutes before Alex reached his location.
The rhythmic sound of gears turning echoed around him, and he focused on his thoughts while waiting for the elevator to reach its destination.
“…Oh, right,” While the elevator climbed, Alex remembered something crucial: his Potential Extraction ability.
He tapped into his panel, and the notification popped up in front of him.
[“Potential Extraction” is available!]
He had almost forgotten about it amid the chaos of acquiring the villa with Alice and battling through the previous nights of the event.
Now, he realized this was the perfect moment to enhance his gear.
Well, to be honest, there wasn’t much he could use that perk on currently, at least anything that was worth using it on.
But even then, Alex had already thought of what to select next, and so he pointed at the [Awakener’s Set] he was currently wearing.
“Potential Extraction,” he whispered.
A soft glow enveloped his body, transforming the armor he wore. The texture shifted, the material becoming more refined and powerful as the light intensified around him.
Ding!
[You have successfully enhanced “Awakener’s Set.”]
[New Mythical Item: “Superior Awakener’s Set.”]
Alex felt the surge of power course through him, a rush of exhilaration as the stats updated before his eyes.
[Superior Awakener’s Set (Mythical): +3000 Physical Resistance, +3000 Magic Resistance, +1500 Strength, +1000 Agility.]
…
[Magic Resistance:] 1165 + 3000 (Spirit * 1)
[Physical Resistance:] 480 + 3000 (Vitality * 1)
[Attributes:] Vitality 480; Strength 1025 + 1500; Agility 305 + 1000; Spirit 1165 + 1000.
His overall attributes had dramatically improved. Now, even monsters that dealt over 3000 points of damage wouldn’t scratch him, and his physical damage and agility had nearly doubled.
This enhancement meant that his fights as an assassin would become significantly easier.
Lost in his thoughts, Alex almost didn’t notice when the elevator came to a stop. The doors slid open, revealing the interior of the real cathedral.
Instantly, he felt a chilling aura wash over him.
Before he could gather his thoughts, a figure stepped forward from the shadows.
It was Aldritch, the leader of the Church of the Dawn, standing with an imposing presence. He held a black staff in his right hand, its tip glowing faintly in the dim light.
“Hello there, FateBreaker,” Aldritch greeted with an unsettling smile.
Alex froze, raising his staff instinctively, “Stay back!” he warned, aiming the weapon at the church leader.
“There’s no point in doing that. You can’t deal damage to me,” Aldritch replied nonchalantly, his confidence apparent.
With a sudden flick of his wrist, Alex unleashed a barrage of spells—Grand Fireball, Boulder Smash, Crimson Shard, and Lightning Strike.
Each spell lit up the chamber in brilliant colors, crashing into Aldritch with explosive force.
-0! -0! -0! -0!
Alex’s eyes widened in disbelief.
His spells had dealt zero damage.
Not even one damage, which was the average even when a person had overwhelming defense compared to the other’s attack: straight up zero.
“Is that… all?” Aldritch tilted his head, a grin still plastered on his face, as if he were humoring a child’s attempts at being threatening.
Alex realized at that moment the magnitude of Aldritch’s power.
Even in his previous life, he had known Aldritch to be one of the most formidable NPCs in Universal Descent, yet he had never encountered him directly.
The stories had painted him as an almost mythical figure, though he didn’t know if he had survived the previous apocalypse.
“You’re here for the door, aren’t you?” Aldritch cut through Alex’s thoughts, a knowing look in his eyes.
The boy’s heart raced; if Aldritch knew about it, then the intel from his previous life was indeed accurate.
“Yes,” Alex admitted, nodding cautiously.
“Very well,” Aldritch said, his smile widening. “Follow me, then.”
…
Alex followed Aldritch through the dimly lit corridors of the cathedral, feeling a mix of intrigue and apprehension.
As they descended deeper into the underground, the atmosphere shifted; it felt charged with energy, a heavy presence that weighed down on Alex’s shoulders.
After what felt like an eternity of winding stairs and hidden passages, they arrived at a large, circular chamber.
The room was mostly empty, save for a massive gate at the far end, emanating a powerful aura.
Surrounding the gate were five chains, each a different color, glimmering ominously in the low light.
“Behold…” Aldritch announced, raising his staff as a panel appeared in front of Alex simultaneously.
[The Door of Destiny]
[For what is your purpose right now, human? Find out by opening it!]
[Though, opening it will not end the nightmare you are currently in.]
“What the hell?” Alex muttered, stepping closer to inspect the gate.
It was majestic and foreboding, its surface adorned with intricate carvings.
But the five chains caught his eye.
They were thick and heavy-looking, each pulsating softly as if they were alive.
He reached out to touch the chains, hoping for some kind of interaction. But no matter how much he pressed or pulled, nothing happened.
The gate remained sealed, its presence looming like a dark cloud.
“See anything?” Aldritch asked, his expression suddenly serious, “We’ve been at it for years, that thing just… doesn’t answer.”
“Nope, nothing of importance. Just tells me it’s the Door of Destiny or whatever,” Alex shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, even though his heart raced in anticipation.
“Damn,” Aldritch sighed, crossing his arms. “Well, at least it was worth the try…”
Before Alex could respond, Aldritch continued, “Make sure to remember the exit path by the time you want to get out of here. The guards of this church won’t be as nice as I am.”
With that, he gently swung his staff, and a dark mist enveloped him.
He vanished, leaving Alex alone in the chamber.
But the exact moment Aldritch disappeared, a notification pinged in front of Alex.
Ding!
[The Door of Destiny has noticed you.]
“Huh?” Alex muttered, glancing around the empty chamber.
The chains began to rattle violently, and the gate emitted a bright light, casting eerie shadows across the walls.
[FateBreaker, you are a formidable human.]
[Do you think you are formidable enough to open me, though?] ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
“Is that a challenge?” Alex smirked, his confidence growing.
[If you wish to do so…]
With a flourish, five square panels appeared in front of each of the chains, each featuring a small bar that resembled a coin slot, similar to those found in arcades.
[Find the five tokens and open me, then our destiny shall merge, and our strength shall grow.]
Before Alex could fully process what was happening, five holographic images of coins appeared in front of him.
[Find them all!]
[The Token of Wrath, The Token of The Abyss, The Token of The Undead, The Token of the Tower, The Token of Nightmares.]
[For the only way to move forward is to find them all, or else humanity will be doomed.]
[Good luck.]
With that, the light surrounding the door flickered and dimmed, leaving Alex in darkness once more.
“Where do I find them?” he shouted into the void, but there was no response.
Silence fell over the chamber, and the weight of the situation began to sink in.
Ding!
[You have triggered SSS-Level Ultimate Hidden Quest: “The Door of Destiny”; Find all 5 tokens and unlock the chains to enter the Palace of Destiny.]
“Great,” Alex muttered, running a hand through his hair.
He could already feel the pressure of the quest weighing down on him.
If he didn’t complete this, who knew what consequences would follow? Would he and humanity die at the hand of the gods again?
But before he could formulate a plan, he decided that the best course of action was to leave the church and head straight for the chaos outside.
…
With his heart racing, Alex sprinted back through the cathedral, retracing the steps Aldritch had taken him through.
He reached the entrance, pushing through the heavy doors and stepping back into the night of Dawn City, no guards visible anymore as they had all gone to find the [Night Howler Terror].
“IT’S THERE, GET IT!”
“FUUUCK- MY LEGGG!”
That thing was extremely powerful, so powerful in fact it was taking in dozens if not hundreds of guards and players by itself.
But thankfully for all them, Alex was about to step in.
“Ok…” he focused, “Let’s do this,” he opened his eyes, pointing at the [Night Howler Terror] in the distance, who moved at intense speed through the city.