The words hit Krad like a sledgehammer to the chest, but instead of fear, something else flickered in his eyes.
"Wait, hold up! You're telling me Earth got turned into some kind of... what, cosmic game board?" Krad's voice rose with disbelief, but there was an edge of excitement underneath. "By actual gods?"
Drugo's emerald eyes bored into him. "Thirteen divine beings. Humanity once worshipped them, feared them, prayed to them. But when they descended, they didn't come to save us. They came to reshape everything. They corrupted reality itself, overlaying our world with their twisted rules—stats, levels, experience points. All of it."
Krad's golden eyes widened, but he didn't look scared. He looked angry. "So this whole thing... it's not virtual reality. It's our actual world!?"
Hanan's voice was quiet but firm. "Yes. The cities you remember are gone. Mountains have risen where oceans once were. Forests have swallowed kingdoms. The gods reshaped everything to their liking, and humanity was forced to evolve or die."
Krad ran a hand through his hair, processing. "So people aren't just playing a game. They're living in one. We're all just... pieces on their board?"
Drugo's growl rumbled deep in his chest. "The gods are never satisfied. They watch us fight, bleed, and struggle for their entertainment. When things get boring, they stir up conflict. Drop new monsters into the world. Pit nations against each other. And when they grow truly bored?" His fists clenched. "They reset everything. Wipe entire civilizations from existence like erasing words from a page."
"That's completely insane!" Krad's fists balled at his sides, but his voice didn't waver. "Why would they even do that?"
Hanan's silver eyes shimmered with ancient sorrow. "Because they feed on it. Every emotion we feel—fear, rage, triumph, despair... it all fuels their power. We're an endless source of entertainment and sustenance. They're eternal. We're just their favorite toys."
Krad took a step back, his mind racing. The pieces were falling into place, forming a picture more messed up than anything he could've imagined. But instead of breaking down, something hardened in his chest.
"And the Moon Eater? What's that got to do with me?"
Drugo's expression darkened. "The Mighty Bakunawa, the Moon Eater, was one of the few creatures that ever dared to challenge the gods' authority. It devoured the moon itself, swallowed light and cast the world into shadow. The gods tried to destroy it, but the Moon Eater couldn't be killed. So they did the next best thing... sealed its essence inside a mortal vessel."
Krad's jaw tightened. "And that vessel is me."
Hanan nodded slowly. "The moment you channeled that power in the forest, the seal broke. The Moon Eater recognized you. It's awakened inside you now, Master Krad, because you're one of the Godslayer. That's why the void brought you here."
"But I didn't sign up for this!" Krad's voice cracked with frustration, but not fear. "I didn't ask to become some monster's host!"
Drugo's glare softened just a fraction. "Nobody gets a choice in this. The gods manipulate fate like puppeteers pulling strings. But fate has a twisted sense of humor. By choosing you, the Moon Eater has disrupted their perfect balance."
Krad's eyes narrowed. "So what does that mean for me? I'm supposed to fight gods now? With what, pointy ears and some glowing eyes?"
"You're more than that now, Master Krad," Hanan said gently. "The Moon Eater's power is immense, but it's wild and dangerous. If you can learn to control it, you could become something the gods actually fear."
"Or," Drugo added grimly, "it could consume you completely. The Moon Eater's hunger is endless. It exists to devour. If you lose control even once, it won't just destroy your enemies. It'll eat your soul, and everything you care about along with it."
Silence crashed down like a hammer. The weight of their words should have crushed him, should have sent him running. Every logical part of Krad's brain screamed that this was impossible, insane, way too much.
But deep in his chest, something else burned. That same raw power. That unstoppable heat coursing through his veins.
He wasn't sure if it was the Moon Eater's influence or just who he'd always been, but one thing became crystal clear.
There was no going back. And honestly? He didn't want to.
A grin slowly spread across Krad's face, wild and reckless. "You know what? Fine. If these gods want to treat us like toys in their sandbox, then maybe it's time someone kicked over their castle."
Hanan's eyes went wide. "You mean---"
"I'll learn to control this power," Krad cut her off, his voice gaining strength. "But not to play by their rules. I'll use it to break their game. Whatever it takes."
Drugo studied him for a long moment, then something like approval flickered in his eyes. "Big words for someone who's barely Level 10."
Krad's eye twitched. "Level 10? Seriously? You're gonna judge me by a number?"
Drugo's smirk was infuriating. "That number is everything. Your fancy new elf body doesn't change the fact that you're still weak as a twig."
"Oh, shut up, Retired Tree Man."
The insult hung in the air like a lit fuse. Hanan gasped, her face going pale. Drugo's smirk vanished instantly, replaced by pure, unadulterated rage. His fists clenched, and the ground beneath them began to rumble. The thick roots along the walls started twitching, writhing like they were alive.
"What did you just call me?" Drugo's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"You heard me, Retired Tree Man!" Krad jabbed a finger at him, undeterred. "All you do is throw roots around and act like some all-knowing forest spirit!"
Hanan frantically stepped between them. "Stop it! Both of you!"
But Drugo was already moving. The ground split open as massive roots erupted upward, writhing like angry serpents. They shot toward Krad with terrifying speed.
"Oh, come on!" Krad barely rolled aside as the thick vines smashed into the floor where he'd been standing. The impact shattered stone tiles, sending chunks of debris flying.
Krad scrambled to his feet, glaring. "Seriously? This is how you settle arguments? By launching tree tentacles at people?"
"Careful, elf boy," Drugo growled. "I may be retired from the battlefield, but I still remember how to crush pests."
"Retired because you lost, right?" Krad shot back, breathing hard. "I bet a squirrel could've taken you down!"
A furious roar erupted from Drugo. "You insolent---!"
The roots lashed out again, but this time, Krad reacted faster. Pure instinct kicked in. Energy surged through his veins, wild, uncontrollable. He thrust his hands forward, and without thinking, a shockwave of silver light exploded from his palms. The vines recoiled violently, as if burned by moonfire.
"Whoa!" Krad stumbled back, staring at his hands in shock. Silver energy still crackled around his fingertips. "Did I just---"
Drugo's eyes widened. "The Moon Eater's power..."
Before anyone could process what just happened, a chilling sound echoed through the air.
DING!
[ System Alert! ]
[ Player Conflict Detected! ]
[ Initiating Duel Mode in Restricted Zone. ]
"What the---?!" Krad yelped as a translucent countdown timer materialized above their heads.
[ 10... ]
Drugo cracked his knuckles, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "No more talking. Let's see if that sharp tongue can keep you alive."
[ 9... ]
Hanan grabbed Krad's arm, her voice frantic. "You have to cancel it! Say Decline Duel before the timer runs out!"
[ 8... ]
"Decline? Are you kidding? This psycho started it!" Krad protested, still glaring at Drugo.
[ 7... ]
"You provoked him!"
[ 6... ]
"Yeah, but he's the one with tree rage issues!"
[ 5... ]
Drugo slammed his fists together, the ground trembling beneath his feet. Vines snaked around him, pulsing with raw power. "Better start praying, elf boy."
[ 4... ]
Krad gritted his teeth, but his eyes blazed with determination instead of fear.
[ 3... ]
"I'm not backing down!"
[ 2... ]
A wild grin spread across Krad's face, the same reckless smile he used to wear before street fights back home. "Let's see what this Moon Eater power can really do!"
[ 1... ]
[ Duel Start! ]