I Level Up by Killing Gods

Kael sat in the stark, icy room, his hands resting on the metal table as he leaned back in his chair. The whirr of a camera in the corner was the only sound.

He had no idea how long he'd been waiting, but it didn't bother him. His thoughts turned in the silence, sorting through what he'd seen and heard, piecing it all together.

The door hissed open, pulling his attention. A woman walked in, her heels clicking sharply on the floor.

She wasn't like the stiff interrogator who had come before her. She moved with a confidence that felt just shy of arrogance, her sharp green eyes studying him as if he were a puzzle to be solved.

She was striking—not conventionally beautiful but impossible to ignore. Her auburn hair was tied back in a loose braid, and thin, gold-rimmed glasses perched neatly on her nose.

A burgundy coat hung over a tailored black outfit, her posture poised and deliberate. She had the kind of presence that didn't need a weapon to feel dangerous.

"Kael," she said, her voice smooth, with a sharpness that hinted she wasn't one to waste time. She took the chair across from him, setting a sleek tablet on the table. No introductions, no pleasantries.

Kael raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

She tapped on the tablet, glancing at it briefly before her eyes locked back onto his. "I've been looking through our system," she said, her tone calm but precise. "And something... unusual came up."

Kael tilted his head slightly. "Unusual?"

Her lips twitched into a faint smile. "There's no record of you in any forcefield city. No ID, no address, no medical file. According to the system, you don't exist."

Kael's expression hardened, his guard going up. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," she leaned forward, "that it should be impossible for you to be a Lightforged. Etherion exposure inside a forcefield is necessary to awaken a Light Core. Yet, here you are—not only walking into a Void Breach but walking out of one."

Kael stayed silent, his face unreadable.

"And not just any breach," she continued, her tone sharpening. "An E Rank breach that escalated to an A Rank. That doesn't happen. And then you—some beggar from the outskirts—just stroll out alive?" Her piercing gaze stayed locked on him. "It doesn't add up."

Kael's lips twitched into the faintest of smirks. "Like I told the other guy—I got lucky."

She chuckled, though it was devoid of humor. "I don't believe in luck," she said, leaning back in her chair. "I believe in patterns, logic, and reason. Every outcome has a cause. Sometimes it's obvious; sometimes it's hidden. But it's always there."

Her gaze bore into him. "And I love a good mystery. The more tangled, the better."

Kael studied her, trying to gauge what she wanted.

"So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying," she began, "that none of this should be possible. That you, an Etherion-less beggar, don't just survive an A Rank breach. That all of this happening together is no coincidence."

She let her words hang for a moment, her tone softening slightly, though her sharp gaze didn't waver. "I think you stumbled onto something, Kael. Something big. Maybe it's valuable, maybe it's dangerous—I don't know yet. But I'm not here to take it from you."

Kael narrowed his eyes. "Then what are you here for?"

She smiled faintly, leaning in. "To give you a choice."

"How?"

"I can get you into the Lightforged Academy," she said. "You'll train with the best, get access to the Nexus, clear Reaches, face monsters most people can't even imagine, and claim power and glory others only dream of."

Kael's brow arched. "And the catch?"

"Two things," she replied smoothly. "First, you'll give an official statement saying Squad 164 cleared the breach. They died protecting you, buying you time to escape. The breach's escalation, their sacrifice—it all ties up nicely."

Kael's jaw tightened. "And the second?"

Her smirk returned, this time with a hint of amusement. "You let me study you. I don't know what makes you tick yet, Kael. But I will."

Kael leaned back, crossing his arms. He didn't trust her—couldn't—but her offer hung in the air, tempting him. "And if I refuse?"

She shrugged, unbothered. "If found guilty of illegal breech interference amd tampering you spend about a decade locked up, if not you go back to the slums. No training, no Nexus, no answers. Live your life in the dirt, wondering what might've been."

Silence stretched between them as Kael weighed his options. He didn't trust her, but she wasn't wrong about one thing: this was an opportunity. Dangerous, maybe, but still an opportunity.

"Why me?" he asked finally.

Her expression softened, just slightly.

"Because you're an anomaly, Kael. Anomalies are rare, and I want to understand them. If you let me, I'll help you understand yourself, too."

Kael studied her closely but found no cracks in her facade.

Finally, he gave a small nod. "Fine."

Her smile widened, sharp and knowing. "Good choice." She stood, smoothing her coat.

At the door, she paused, looking back at him.

"One more thing. What really happened in that breach? Don't say luck."

Kael held her gaze, his expression calm.

"I already told you—I got lucky."

Her smirk deepened. "We'll see."