Three weeks had passed since the dungeon was closed. Because the core had been destroyed, it would take three months for it to regenerate, and this time it would be upgraded by one level, which would greatly benefit the village. The village of Jedna had never been this lively before. Tourists had started coming to the village, and trade had begun to grow. There was an atmosphere of celebration and joy everywhere, as if it were a festival. For the first time in its history, a party of adventurers had successfully cleared this dungeon. The village that was once quiet was now filled with excitement, and the people honored the adventurers who had risked their lives.
Shiva's rank had been raised to C-rank—an advancement that surprised him the most. He still remembered how, just a few weeks ago, he had been at rock bottom, barely able to defend himself. But now he had cleared a dungeon and earned recognition among his peers. The feeling was strange—satisfying, yet unbelievable.
These weeks of peace were comforting, but along with them, Shiva had gained something that night. That night, when Shiva was in his room, his spirit Prakash told him that when he had defeated the Evil God, at that very moment, some strange powers had tried to enter Shiva's mind. Those powers were blocked and trapped in the Spirit Realm. Shiva went to the place where that thing had been imprisoned.
When Shiva reached that place, he felt as if something was connecting him to it—as if it were a long-forgotten bond. Shiva asked Prakash, "By the way, what is this thing?"
Prakash replied, "Perhaps these are memories. From them, a glimpse of divinity is emerging—such a glimpse that holds the power to destroy any evil."
Shiva thought for a moment and, without saying a single word, extended his hand toward those memories that were calling out to him. He hesitated slightly, then touched them. His mind began to spin, and after a blinding flash of light, he found himself somewhere else, in a body over which he had no control.
He was fighting.
"Chandra… why are you not letting us move forward…" (Some words were spoken that Shiva could not understand.)
"As long as I stand here, it will remain my duty to protect the final legacy of that great god—his last remnant."
Then came the arrival of three divine beings, and the one they called Chandra was sealed. He was corrupted until he lost his divinity and became an Evil God—or rather, a mere pawn. After long torment, his death finally came at Shiva's hands.
The final fragment of Chandra's soul spoke,
"I do not know how to thank you for freeing me from this torment. But I can give you only the inheritance of one of my powers. As long as you remain under moonlight, no harm will come to you. You will be completely protected."
Before Shiva could say anything, that existence disappeared.
Shiva remained there for a long time, lost in thought. Then he exited the Spirit Realm and fell asleep.
Over the next few days, Shiva and his friends—Ansh, Kavi, and Siya—trained together, laughed together, and spent their days reminiscing about their shared adventures. But deep inside, Shiva felt that something was changing. His friends had been unusually quiet lately, and an unspoken tension had begun to surface in their conversations.
One evening, the four of them gathered at their favorite place in the village inn. The warm glow of the fire spread through the room, and the familiar aroma of roasted meat filled the air. They sat around the table, eating in comfortable silence, when Ansh suddenly cleared his throat.
"Shiva," he said, his tone far more serious than usual. "I need to tell you something."
Shiva looked up. There was seriousness on Kavi's face, and then his gaze shifted to Ansh and Siya.
"What is it?" Shiva asked, concern evident in his voice.
Kavi hesitated for a moment, then looked at the others and said,
"We've been talking… and I've decided to leave the party."
Shiva was stunned. The words did not register at first.
"Leave? Why?"
Kavi took a deep breath, his eyes filled with emotion.
"You've grown a lot in a very short time, Shiva. When you joined us, you were struggling, but now… you've surpassed me. I feel like I'm holding you back. That's why I've decided to take the God Trial."
Shiva frowned.
"The God Trial? What is that?"
Before Kavi could say anything more, Ansh leaned forward, his expression serious.
"It's a test held by the gods, Shiva. Every god has a temple, and these temples are spread across different villages. But if you want to become stronger, you must take the God Trial, which is held in the capital of all gods—Swargna, the Divine City. The God Trials are tests through which the gods put their heirs. If you pass, you can unlock more of your god-given powers and may even become a god yourself."
Siya nodded and said,
"Right now, we can only use a small fraction of our powers. Even at our strongest, we can only use about ten percent. But if we pass the God Trial, we can grow stronger—reaching mid-tier power or even beyond."
Shiva's mind spun.
"But… if this trial can make you so strong, why doesn't everyone take it?"
Ansh and Siya exchanged glances, then said in a serious tone,
"Because the God Trials are extremely dangerous. If you fail, you lose everything—your powers, and in some cases, even your life."
Kavi nodded.
"This wasn't an easy decision, Shiva. But I've reached my limit. If I stay here, I won't grow anymore."
A tight knot formed in Shiva's chest.
"So you're going to take the trial? What about us?"
Kavi smiled sadly.
"You'll always be my friend, Shiva."
Ansh spoke,
"It's not just Kavi. Siya and I have also decided to take the God Trial."
Shiva's heart sank.
"All of you are leaving?"
Siya reached across the table and held his hand.
"We're not leaving you. We're just moving forward in different directions."
Silence filled the room. After a while, Shiva said,
"Just promise me… you'll come back."
"We will," Kavi said.
All of them hugged Shiva together.
At that moment, Shiva heard the gentle voice of his spirits in his mind—
"Let them go, Shiva. But be careful."
That night, they all left.
As the door closed, the inn felt emptier than ever.
Shiva whispered,
"Stay safe… and come back."
At the same time, far away,
In a dark forest, a mysterious figure watched the village from afar. A dark intent gleamed in its eyes before it disappeared into the night.