THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Then, without warning, he\'d been yanked from reality and dropped into the domain of a goddess, a place where the very air suffocated him, where he was mere inches from eternal servitude. If not for the system intervening at just the right moment, he doubted he\'d have escaped at all. And then, of course, there was that mysterious entity, a force so overwhelming it felt like it could unhinge the very world with a single glance.

As the moonlight spilled gently through his window, David slumped into his favorite chair, the plush cushions doing little to ease the tension knotted in his muscles. The soft silver glow cast shadows across his room, adding a stillness that only seemed to deepen his inner turmoil.

He closed his eyes, attempting to quiet his thoughts, but they only swirled faster, tangled and chaotic. He\'d only decided to prevent the cataclysm from ripping the world apart. That alone was already a monumental task, daunting yet somehow within reach. But now, things had become exponentially more complicated.

His mind lingered on Angelica and the promise he\'d made to save her. Originally, he had thought the former David nothing more than a lost remnant, a memory of a failed son. But after he met with the goddess, he realized he was dealing with something else entirely—a figure once labelled the "Hero of Nothing" and the "Blight." David needed answers now, answers that required he sift through layers of lore and legend about the first David, piecing together why this soul was entrusting him with a second chance.

Then there was the goddess. Trapped in a land of fanatical worshippers, she seemed bound by forces beyond her control, a prisoner in her own domain. Why was he, of all people, being pulled into this? The more he delved into the mysteries of this world, the more he realized how tightly woven his fate was with beings of extraordinary power.

The system had given him a role— .net

Chronomancer of the Tapestry.

It sounded grand, yet it came with responsibilities and enigmas he hadn\'t anticipated and known yet. And, more perplexing, the entity that had appeared the moment he received this role had nearly shattered his resolve with a mere glance.

David opened his eyes, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on him, a pressure that seemed to drain him more than any physical battle ever could. He hadn\'t come to this world to carry the burdens of gods, legends, and imprisoned souls. David was thrust into this new world without his say, he\'d taken on the role of a pretend hero only to protect the bonds he was beginning to form. But every time he thought he understood his path, it twisted, revealing hidden layers, veering in directions he couldn\'t have foreseen.

His gaze drifted toward the window, where the moon hung heavy in the night sky, its light casting an ethereal glow across the room. There was a peace to it, a reminder that, despite everything, the world kept spinning.

As he sat there, he realized he had more questions than ever, but something steadied him—a faint, stubborn resolve that flickered inside, like a candle\'s flame refusing to be extinguished. The road was dark, uncertain, and filled with shadows, yet he felt a growing strength in knowing he wasn\'t alone.

David yearned to be surrounded by his loved ones, yet recently, they all seemed preoccupied, slipping away in small but obvious ways. Though he missed their company, David had a suspicion about the real reason for their distance. Soon, they\'d be leaving the castle, parting ways until destiny would bring them together again.

This separation would make them stronger, different — transformed, and that gave him some comfort. At least now, with Angelica by his side, he could rely on her to protect them from afar. But that wasn\'t enough. To stand against the Demon and ultimately the system itself, he\'d need far greater strength.

Reaching into his pocket, David pulled out Aurumaris, the crimson stone casting glimmers in the silver moonlight as he held it between his fingers. The stone seemed to pulse, catching every beam that spilled through the tall window, its warm red aura almost inviting him.

If only he had a way to ascend to divinity, he thought, then he\'d be able to consume the stone and unlock its latent powers. He closed his eyes, gathering himself, feeling the weight of his ambitions mixed with a growing impatience.

Letting out a sigh, he leaned back, eyes settling on the ceiling\'s intricate carvings, a flood of memories washing over him. In his focus on the present, he\'d been brushing aside the system\'s notifications, ignoring its messages in his drive to control his fate. But perhaps he\'d overlooked something crucial. With a deliberate thought, he summoned the system interface and opened the messages that had been patiently waiting for him.

The notifications blinked in his vision, each line crisp and relentless.

"[You have defeated a lesser demon,]"

the system announced, stark and matter-of-fact.

A second message followed, bolder and demanding his attention.

"[Congratulations, you have completed the sub-quest.]"

Then, at the bottom, he found what he least expected. His heart raced as he read the words.

"[Path to divinity has been opened. Will you ascend?]"

David took a long, deep breath, fingers curling tightly around Aurumaris. He could feel its energy resonating, a distant pulse calling to him. This was exactly what he had craved, yet a part of him hesitated. Here he was again, standing at the edge of a path lit by the system\'s hand, guiding his steps whether he wanted it or not. Every instinct fought against relying on it, but reality left him no choice. He couldn\'t afford to turn his back on this, not now, not when everything he cared for was at stake.

With a clenched fist, determination settling in his chest, David whispered, "Yes."

A sudden, searing pain shot through David\'s chest, so intense that he staggered and collapsed to the floor. His breath hitched, body convulsing as he tasted blood, metallic and sharp, on his tongue. He coughed, staining his hand crimson. The system\'s voice echoed coldly within him.

"[Reconstruction of host heart],"

it declared.

"fuck… my heart."

He clutched his chest, feeling as if it was tearing apart with each passing second. The pain escalated, clawing through his core with the force of a raging storm.

His heart had ruptured, struggling to accommodate an overwhelming, foreign power surging through his veins. His vision darkened, and in his desperation, he did the only thing he thought might save him—he swallowed Aurumaris.

"[You have consumed the remnants of a Sovereign],"

the system announced, its tone as indifferent as ever.

"[Ascension process shall quicken.]"

A surge of dread tightened in David\'s gut. He could feel the immense power coursing through him, a strength so vast it crushed him from the inside, shattering his bones as it burned through his veins like liquid fire.

He bit down hard on his lip, trying to muffle the screams rising within him, but the agony was too much. The pain tore him apart, every nerve aflame, until his body could hold back no longer.

A pair of soft hands cupped his cheeks. He barely registered the warmth, but it was there, grounding him in his suffering. Luna knelt beside him, her face lined with concern as she willed her own power to form a shimmering dark orb around them both, encapsulating them in a protective sphere of inky shadows. Within that cocoon, David\'s last restraints broke; he unleashed a piercing scream, his voice filling the confined space, echoing and reverberating in a harrowing, primal release of pain.

"Aaaaaagh!" The sound reverberated, resonating with the depth of his agony, a raw cry that seemed to tear through the void itself.

Suddenly, the crushing pain in his chest climbed to a dizzying peak, and he felt his mind unravel. His skull burned white-hot as his thoughts collapsed, and in a final rush of agony, his very brain felt as if it had burst, leaving him plummeting into a dark, endless abyss.

Outside, the black sphere trembled violently, shaking with the energy of David\'s transformation, shuddering as if it struggled to contain a storm within. The chamber beyond was still, the air thick with an unnatural silence, broken only by the pulsations of power that radiated from the shadowed orb. A soft, menacing glow emanated from within, hinting at the

cataclysm

taking place inside.

"[Warning]."

The system droned, its voice a distant hum in David\'s fading awareness.

"[The Divine Edict of the Stars has felt your ember.]"

Beyond, the night stretched deep and vast, yet now there was something new—a presence born of suffering and power, something unprecedented. A new force stirred in the darkness, an unbidden radiance poised to pierce through the night. David\'s transformation would become a beacon, a birth of power destined to bring light where shadows dared to reign.