UNMEI: Pantheon's Game-Chapter 134: Berserk

The glow of the core faded in his palm, and Dune exhaled slowly.

Green Neba Core: 9.9%

He stared at the floating numbers in the air, the last fragment of light dissolving into his skin. Just a little more, and he'd break the 10% mark, the threshold for the Trial.

He leaned back against the stone wall of the dorm balcony, the evening air brushing through his hair, cool and quiet.

The moon above Bloodrose was round and pale, suspended over the academy grounds like an indifferent eye.

Five days. Five days before the Trial. Whatever that meant.

He didn't know what to expect. No one did. The professors were tight-lipped. The nobles whispered nonsense. And the other students were either pretending to be ready... or already breaking.

But he wasn't like them. He had walked through things far worse.

It couldn't be worse than the Trial of Gods, right? The Blessing Ceremony...

Dune's fingers tensed unconsciously at the memory. His breath caught, just for a second. That place... the divine battlefield of agony and rebirth. The flames of judgment that devoured his body, again and again, until pain became his only companion.

He had died there. Thousands of times. Screaming until his voice bled out. Failing until failure became second nature. And yet...

Here he stood. Alive, Changed and Stronger.

A quiet smile tugged at the edge of his lips.

I'm still here.

And unlike the Blessing Ceremony, this time, he wouldn't walk in blind. He had power now. Allies. A mind sharper than when he first came to Bloodrose. Even if the trial tore everything apart, he would face it head on.

Because that's what it meant to keep moving forward.

Dune stepped out of his room at Bloodrose Academy, the cool morning air brushing past his face. He paused, and immediately noticed a familiar presence leaning against the wall.

"You're awake?" Mindya asked, arms crossed casually.

Dune raised an eyebrow. "Obviously. You're seeing me, aren't you?"

She shrugged and began walking beside him without asking. "You're quiet. Did something happen?"

Dune glanced sideways. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Mindya looked around, feigning innocence. "Nope. Nothing."

There was something off in her tone, but before Dune could press further, a sudden wave of noise hit them, voices rising from the courtyard ahead. Dozens of students and even a few instructors had gathered, reading hastily printed papers, exchanging whispers.

Dune's brow furrowed. "What's going on?"

"You haven't heard?" Mindya asked, eyes wide with excitement.

"Heard what?"

"Someone broke into castle territory. Killed the guards like they were nothing," she said, her voice almost gleeful. "Some think she's a Zeten. She's already got a name.

"Ember Rose."

Dune blinked. "You're serious?"

"She wears red and black. Black mask. They say her Neba burns like fire, red, wild, unstable. Or maybe it is Zeten. Either way, she tore through the defenses. Can you imagine how strong she is?"

Her eyes shimmered. "I want to be like her."

Dune crossed his arms, unconvinced. "And yet, the castle's not in chaos? That doesn't add up. Probably just some made-up story to stir people up."

"It's true." Another voice cut through the crowd.

Atlas stepped forward, a sheet of paper in hand. "She's real," Atlas said.

"They're trying to keep the news quiet, but I have contacts. She's strong, too strong. The castle's in partial lockdown. Movement is restricted, and they're checking people. They're scared, even if they won't admit it."

Mindya grinned, clearly enjoying Dune's surprise. "Told you."

Dune looked away, absorbing the information in silence.

Another Zeten wandering around Rendely?

When we are this close to the trial?

.

.

.

Nely sat in a dimly lit bar, shadows dancing across her face as flickers of candlelight brushed against the polished wood.

She wore her usual black-and-crimson attire, inconspicuous enough to go unnoticed, yet sharp enough to cut through any gaze that lingered too long.

Around her, voices buzzed. Laughter from rich merchants echoed alongside the quiet pride of students adorned in the familiar uniforms of Bloodrose Academy. She sipped her drink in silence, watching them.

After an hour of quiet observation, she left, walking through the winding streets of Rendely under a deepening night sky. The city's heartbeat pulsed beneath her feet, unaware of the storm hidden within her.

Back in her hotel room, she lay on the bed fully clothed, letting the silence press into her chest until sleep claimed her.

And then, the dream returned, or the memories she didn't want to remember.

She stood in a burning field, the taste of ash and blood thick in the air. Her hands, soaked red blood, trembled as they gripped a cracked sword. Voices screamed around her, voices she knew.

Arlo.

Aria.

Lode.

They reached for her, pleading, broken, and helpless. She couldn't stop. Her red Zeten had fully awakened, roaring through her veins like wildfire. Her sword moved on its own, cutting down those she once considered as allies.

She woke with a jolt.

Her eyes widened in the dimness of the room, heart pounding like war drums in her ears. Sweat slicked her forehead. Breathing heavy, she sat up, blinking away the horror still etched in her mind.

"I need to go..." she muttered, pushing herself to her feet.

[ Name: Nely ]

[ Age: 16 ]

[ Title: Ember Rose ]

[ Neba core: Green – 10% ] - Beast Sythern

[ Zeten: Red – 8% ]

[ Abilities: Creation ]

[ Special Zeten Ability: Berserk ]

Can activated anytime. But overuse of your Neba or Zeten also triggers uncontrollable strength increase. You cannot be killed in berserk mode unless your body is fully destroyed.

[ Weakness 1: Berserk mode only deactivates when no living beings are nearby or you've burned through your life force. ]

[ Weakness 2: Berserk mode consumes blood as energy. If blood isn't replenished, it will reactivate and draw it forcefully from nearby beings. ]

[ Artefacts: None ]

A gnawing thirst twisted in her gut. The red Zeten stirred again, whispering for more blood.

Without hesitation, Nely summoned her mask. A sleek black design wrapped around her face, fitting like a second skin. Her usual clothes dissolved, replaced by a new outfit, black with crimson linings, light enough for speed, armored enough for carnage.

Her red eyes flickered in the mirror, bright, unstable and hungry.

She opened the window and leapt, boots hitting the rooftop below with barely a sound. A flicker of shadow, and she was gone, sprinting through Rendely's sleeping streets, an ember slipping through the cracks of the night.

The hunger inside her wasn't just a craving.

It was a curse.

And it was growing stronger.

Every heartbeat she passed made it worse. Her body screamed for blood, her Zeten clawed at her sanity. She gritted her teeth as her steps grew faster, sharper, her breath shortening with every turn.

She had to find something.

Someone.

Or she'd lose control again. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

And this time, she didn't know if she'd come back.