[Vexum, The Shattered One]
[Level: ???]
The being standing at the far end of the chamber wasn’t just powerful, it radiated something far beyond divine.
Its body was cloaked in an aura of dark energy that curled and twisted around it like sentient smoke, but Alex’s focus couldn’t be torn away from its face.
From across the room, those hollow, pupil-less eyes stared at him without blinking.
Empty. Cold. Yet somehow, more present than anything he had ever felt.
Even without pupils, Alex could feel its gaze, as if it was pressing into his chest with an invisible weight.
And worse, the sensation that crept into his bones wasn’t unfamiliar.
This was the same presence he’d felt long ago, back when he stood in the [Church of the Dawn], when he opened the [Door of Destiny].
The sheer force that had poured from the door had annihilated Aldritch and hundreds of others without mercy.
It had taken every ounce of Alex’s strength just to stay conscious and pass the door.
If this was the being behind that event…
His eyes narrowed. Just how strong was it? And more importantly, why was it here?
All around the chamber, the GBlasters remained motionless, still poised like lifeless statues.
Their mouths hung open unnaturally wide, black energy humming faintly from the cores embedded in their throats.
Though dimmed for now, Alex wasn’t foolish enough to think they were inactive.
One command from the entity before him, and he’d be dead before he could even react.
Steeling himself, he raised his gaze and met the creature’s stare directly.
[So, you have come here, human,] the being spoke, its grin stretching unnaturally across its face.
A jagged black crack ran from the corner of its left eye across its face, pulsing with dark energy like a wound leaking corruption.
[Your resolve must be considerable, you managed to clear all four of my trials.]
“…”
Alex didn’t answer right away.
His expression darkened, tension rising within his frame.
“What the hell are you?”
The words came out low, but firm.
[Hm?]
It tilted its head as if amused, yet its eyes never lost their intensity.
“I’ve encountered gods,” Alex began slowly, “I’ve fought monsters, demons, even brushed against the Hatred Demon itself.”
“But you, you don’t feel like any of them.”
He took a small step forward.
“What are you, really?”
Because whatever stood before him wasn’t just another threat.
It wasn’t divine, and it wasn’t demonic. It was something else. Something far above.
Even in this suppressed state, Alex could feel it, this being had barely let out a sliver of its true presence.
It could’ve crushed him instantly if it wanted to.
The only reason he hadn’t passed out yet was because Vexum was holding back.
Yet, that dark aura was increasing. Slowly. Methodically.
Alex saw it leaking from the crack above its eye, from its open mouth, and from the circular voids in each of its palms.
It spread into the air like ink into water, polluting the chamber bit by bit.
Still, Alex stood his ground.
[Do not worry, child,] it said, raising one hand near its lips and giving a mocking bow, [If I wanted to kill you, you would have died long ago. You’re far too weak to offer resistance.]
“…”
Alex said nothing.
He simply kept his focus, ignoring the spike of unease that clawed at the edge of his thoughts.
[And as for your question…]
Its head twisted around, spinning in a slow, unnatural 180 degrees until it faced him upside-down.
A chilling, broken laugh followed.
[I am… simply an observer.]
“Observer?” Alex repeated, narrowing his eyes, “So, you’re… another entity?”
The term made his skin crawl.
He had already met enough beings beyond comprehension, yet this one still felt different.
Vexum’s twisted smile grew larger.
[You could call me a ‘new’ entity, yes. But we’ve spoken before, you and I. In fact… we speak quite regularly.]
That statement froze Alex in place.
“What… do you mean by that?”
Vexum didn’t respond right away.
Instead, it lifted both of its arms into the air.
Waves of energy spilled from its body like smoke igniting the atmosphere, and all the GBlasters stirred in response.
Their mouths began to glow again, the dark cores humming as they re-aimed, right at him.
Alex didn’t move. He refused to flinch. Only one possibility made sense now.
“The only thing that speaks to me regularly, the only voice I hear…”
His voice trailed off. His eyes widened.
“…The system…”
[Hahahaha.]
It erupted into laughter.
A raw, unnatural sound that echoed through the chamber like grinding metal and broken glass.
Even the GBlasters trembled in place as if laughing along.
“You’re the system?” Alex whispered, instinctively stepping back.
His heart pounded, his thoughts a storm of disbelief.
Vexum shrugged, casually.
[One of them, yes. There are five of us.]
“Holy shit…”
The realization hit harder than anything else Alex had experienced.
Alex had not expected to be able to meet one of them so soon, but that also brought more questions: why was this place even allowed to be entered.
After all, the fact that the [Door of Destiny] was available meant that Vexum wanted someone to find him at some point.
Also, the second part of his advancement task the system itself gave him was to enter and survive inside the [Door of Destiny].
And if what Vexum said was the truth, then HE was one of the five creators of Universal Descent.
Alex hadn’t known whether the system was just an entity or multiple ones joined together, but now the truth was there.
Beside Vexum were four others like him, entities that had all the power in this world.
[Calm yourself, child,] it said gently, [Remember when you once asked whether we were good or evil? And we told you, we are neither. We are neutral.]
Alex’s lips pressed into a thin line, still watching every movement closely.
[We are simply observers. That is all.]
The GBlasters’ mouths closed in unison, the threatening light in their cores fading for now, though Alex still felt the pressure they radiated.
Then Vexum took a step forward.
Despite his floating robe concealing his feet, the movement was smooth and silent, the ground beneath it untouched.
[This is the first time any of us have ever interacted directly with a being,] he said slowly, [How… curious. I wonder if the others will be surprised.]
“The others?” Alex asked quickly, “Can you reach them now?”
He didn’t want to fight them, he wasn’t that arrogant.
But if these were the ones behind the entire world, then part of him wanted to see them.
To understand who had created everything he had endured.
[I can, yes. But you cannot meet them, not yet.]
It tilted its head slightly.
[My domain is the only one open. We allowed it just to see if anyone would be insane enough to reach one of us. And here you are.]
Alex clenched his fists.
“But if I win the Chosen Games…?”
[Then perhaps, yes. You may meet all five of us.]
DING!
[You have proven your worth to one of the “creators.”]
Alex blinked.
“Wait, what? I didn’t even do anything.”
[You understood what I am, and held your ground in the face of death. That is enough.]
Its laughter returned, softer now.
Alex’s mind spun.
So this had all been a test, not of power, but of composure, clarity, and will.
Vexum raised one hand and snapped his fingers.
A pulse of black energy spread outward, and the great golden door behind him slowly creaked open, revealing only darkness within.
[Go now.] It bowed deeply, one hand gesturing toward the now-open doorway, [May we meet again, FateBreaker.]
Alex stared at the void behind the door, his heart hammering.
Then, slowly, he stepped forward and passed through the veil of darkness, never once taking his eyes off Vexum.
And…
DING!
[You reached the end of the “Palace of Destiny.”]