“Here is the information I have,” Kaelios repeated, his voice calm as three glowing panels shimmered into existence before Alex’s eyes.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Each panel hovered in front of him, etched with divine symbols and ancient markings, though their meaning was immediately translated into clear words for Alex to read.
[God of Darkness]
[Name: Veyrion]
[Description: The only thing I know is that he wields the “Sword of Darkness”, a passive Forbidden Skill that can cut through almost anything, much like “World Cleaver”, getting hit it means either death, or if you survive, being dragged into his domain for all eternity.]
…
[Goddess of Love]
[Name: Elenya]
[Description: Usually calm and affectionate, but can become dangerously powerful if angered, don’t expect mercy from her, human, she must fall like the rest.]
…
[God of Death]
[Name: Nocteron]
[Description: Anything he touches dies, literally, that is all I know, just don’t get touched.]
“…Oh.”
Alex’s eyes widened slightly, which was rare for him now.
Amng these gods was the one who had killed him in his past life.
[Veyrion.]
So that was the name of the [God of Darkness], the one who had ended his journey once before, erasing him with a blade he hadn’t even seen properly.
He’d never known his name before, never had a chance to.
Now, it stared back at him like a cruel memory dragged into the light.
Even more unsettling was the added detail about the [Sword of Darkness], a weapon so cursed it rivaled [World Cleaver] itself.
Alex remembered that sensation, the instant cold, the way everything had ended in one swift moment.
If he hadn’t died instantly, would he have been dragged into that twisted domain instead? Probably.
But now he knew what he was facing, that knowledge alone changed things.
He shifted his gaze to the next panel.
[Goddess of Love – Elenya]
Despite the name, Alex knew there was no such thing as a “peaceful” god in this world, not anymore.
Not in the [Chosen Games].
Love could be gentle, but it could also be wrathful, possessive, or vengeful.
Kaelios’ reminder confirmed it.
She was not to be spared.
And then came the last panel.
[God of Death – Nocteron.]
There were no elaborate explanations, just one brutal truth.
Everything he touched died.
It didn’t matter how strong you were, how durable, how many shields or barriers you had, if he touched you, it was over.
That alone made Alex pause.
That was the kind of opponent where a single mistake meant death.
He narrowed his eyes.
“That’s all I’ve got,” Kaelios added, his expression unreadable, “I only know this much because I’ve encountered them once, long ago, but aside from that… I don’t have more to offer.”
Even this limited information didn’t tell him what their real abilities were.
No details on their active skills, no insight into their true fighting styles.
But even so, it was more than what most had.
Alex let out a breath, eyes still on the panels before they slowly faded away.
“Oh well,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders, “I still have about an hour and a half before the monster tide trial starts… Might as well train. Bring out those [Light Dummies], Kaelios.”
The god smirked, nodding.
“You’ve got energy, I’ve been grinding for days just preparing for this war… But go ahead.”
Everyone was preparing.
Gods, chosen ones, monsters, even the realms themselves.
The only difference was that Alex had more to balance than most.
Trials, alliances, fights, and enemies on every side.
He was juggling too many threads, yet letting go of even one could mean death.
Still… he trained.
Kaelios snapped his fingers, and twenty glowing [Light Dummies] materialized around Alex in a loose formation.
These weren’t like ordinary dummies.
They moved with the speed of the [God of Destiny], fast enough that even seeing their strikes was a challenge.
His task was clear, defeat all twenty without getting hit even once.
And he wasn’t allowed to use any skills aside from his [Bleeding Dragon Claws].
Everything else, magic, summons, buffs, was off the table.
The reasoning was simple.
If the [God of Death] truly killed with a single touch, then being able to dodge perfectly wasn’t just useful, it was necessary.
He needed to train his body to react without the crutch of abilities.
But that didn’t make it easy.
Each dummy was fast, relentless, and eerily intelligent in how they moved.
Dodging one was already tough.
Dodging twenty, attacking, and staying untouched? Almost impossible.
An hour passed.
Alex gritted his teeth as another swipe from a dummy grazed his arm, just enough to count as a hit.
“Damn it.”
He backed up, chest heaving slightly, though he still had stamina left.
He was strong, absurdly so, but even he couldn’t brute force his way through everything.
“If these things are so powerful, why don’t you just use them in battle?” he shouted as he narrowly ducked under another strike.
“Who says I won’t?” Kaelios replied smoothly, amusement on his face, “You still haven’t seen all of my abilities.”
“…Great.”
Despite the mounting failures, Alex didn’t stop.
He kept pushing himself. He had to.
If Nocteron was faster than even these dummies, then one slip-up could mean real and permanent death.
Just as he stepped forward for one final attempt before the [Monster Tide Trial], a voice echoed within his mind.
“Use your wings.”
“…What?”
He blinked.
The voice had been subtle but clear, and the moment after it sounded, a burst of black smoke erupted near his shoulder.
Poof!
The miniature version of the Hatred Demon emerged, floating lazily in the air.
“You only use your wings for flight,” the demon said with a disappointed tone, “But if you managed them better, you could use them to dodge, to shield, even to strike.”
“How?” Alex frowned.
“I told you… you’d gain more from absorbing my soul.”
“You mean…?”
“This is one of those things.”
The demon snapped its fingers.
FWISH! BOOM!
A powerful force exploded behind Alex.
He let out a cry as searing pain tore through his back.
He staggered slightly, eyes wide.
Two enormous crimson wings burst from his back, unfolding like blades, sharp and gleaming.
“What the hell—?!”
Even through his armored coat, the pain was intense, like molten metal had been forced through his spine.
He clenched his fists, resisting the urge to fall to one knee.
Ding!
[You have unlocked the “Wings of Hatred”.]
The Hatred Demon grinned as its form began to fade.
“Have fun, human.”
And just like that, it vanished in the same puff of smoke it had arrived in.
Alex remained silent, panting slightly.
His fingers trembled as he reached back and ran them along the edges of the new wings.
They shimmered darkly, almost like they pulsed with a life of their own.
He had unlocked new power.
And not just any power, these wings felt deadly.
Without hesitation, he spread his other four wings, [Angel Wings] and [Wings of Destiny], alongside the new ones.
Kaelios stared.
“What in the world…”
He wasn’t easy to surprise, but even he leaned forward slightly at the sight of the six wings now spreading from Alex’s back.
The [Wings of Hatred] were massive.
Larger than the others by a significant margin, and unlike the soft glow of his [Angel Wings], these carried a violent aura.
Wanting to test them out, Alex approached one of his hands and only but slightly brushed his finger against them.
And yet…
“Ow!”
They were razor-sharp, and Alex bled from his finger even through the armor.
Ding!
[Wings of Hatred (Forbidden)]
[These wings are among the strongest in all of Universal Descent, on par with the “Fallen Angel” type.]
[They respond perfectly to their user’s will, allowing seamless flight and precise evasions.]
[Their edges are so sharp they can cut through armor, and even be used as weapons. However… every action made with them causes pain.]
“Of course it does…” Alex muttered.
The ache in his back hadn’t faded, it pulsed with every slight motion, but the potential these wings held was undeniable.
“Final attempt,” he said, raising his gaze to Kaelios, “Let’s test them.”
Kaelios gave a slight nod and snapped his fingers.
All twenty [Light Dummies] reset, forming a tight circle around Alex, each one standing completely still but ready to move the moment he did.
Alex exhaled slowly.
Six wings flared behind him. And nothing would touch him.