The radiance intensified, and suddenly Levi could see something in the atrium that hadn't been there before—a crystalline shard about the size of his fist, pulsing with inner light.
It was beautiful, perfect, and he knew without being told that it was what he needed.
He reached for it, and the moment his fingers made contact, the world exploded into memory.
A figure in white robes stood on a mountaintop, arms raised to the sky.
His face was kind but determined, and his eyes held the depth of eternity.
Around him, other figures in different colored robes—gods, Levi realized—watched with expressions ranging from admiration to suspicion.
"You cannot give mortals the power to ascend," one of them said. "It upsets the natural order."
"The natural order," the figure in white replied, "is that power should serve love, not the reverse. These mortals have shown they understand that truth."
"Aseraph," another voice said, and Levi realized he was seeing through the memory of the Light God himself. "Please reconsider. We are your friends. We want what's best for you."
But the speaker's face was blurred, hidden by some kind of divine censorship.
Only the voice remained, and it carried a note of false sincerity that made Levi's blood run cold.
"My friends," Aseraph said sadly, "I fear you have forgotten what friendship truly means."
The memory faded, leaving Levi gasping in the real world.
The Fragment of Dawn was warm in his hand, and he could feel its power integrating with his own.
[FRAGMENT ABSORBED]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: SIGNIFICANT]
[LEVEL UP!]
[NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED]
[MEMORY FRAGMENT ARCHIVED]
Proctor Vex was retreating, her shadow form dissipating as the radiance continued to burn around Levi.
"This is not over," she snarled. "The gods will not allow another Aseraph to rise."
"Then they'll have to stop me," Levi said calmly.
She vanished, leaving only the echo of bitter laughter.
Levi turned to find his companions staring at him in awe and terror. Elena was the first to speak.
"Your eyes," she said softly. "They're not just glowing now. They're... luminous. Like stars."
"I know," Levi said. "I can feel it."
"What are you?" Kane demanded, his sword now fully drawn but trembling in his grip.
"I'm someone who's tired of losing," Levi replied. "And I'm someone who's going to pass this examination."
[MISSION COMPLETE: SURVIVE THE 50TH EXAMINATION]
[BONUS OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: RETRIEVE FRAGMENT OF DAWN]
[ADDITIONAL BONUS: PROTECT ALLIES]
[TOTAL EXPERIENCE GAINED: MAJOR]
[SYSTEM INTEGRATION: 45% COMPLETE]
As they made their way to the surface, Elena walked beside him, her expression thoughtful.
"This changes everything, doesn't it?" she said quietly.
"Yes," Levi admitted. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Be careful. Power like that... it attracts attention. And not all of it will be friendly."
"I know."
"Good." She smiled, and it was like sunlight breaking through clouds. "Because I have a feeling you're going to need all the friends you can get."
[RELATIONSHIP STATUS UPDATE]
[ELENA VOSS: TRUSTING → DEVOTED]
[ROMANTIC PROGRESSION: 40%]
[BOND STRENGTH: DEEPENING]
As they emerged into the daylight. The Fragment of Dawn pulsed gently in his pocket, the power he'd claimed and the enemies he'd made.
But he also felt something else—hope.
For the first time in fifty attempts, he'd not only survived the examination, he'd excelled. He'd protected his companions, faced down a divine avatar, and claimed the first piece of his god's scattered power.
Maya would live.
Elena believed in him.
And somewhere in the darkness, forces were gathering that would test everything he'd learned.
Levi smiled. Let them come. He was ready.
[CHAPTER COMPLETE]
[PREPARING FOR NEXT PHASE...]
=
The Guild's medical bay buzzed with activity as healers examined the returning candidates.
Levi sat on a cushioned bench, watching Elena work her way through a series of standard post-examination questions with Guild Administrator Reeves—a portly man whose nervous energy made him sweat through his formal robes.
"Any unusual encounters during the examination?" Reeves asked, his stylus hovering over a crystal tablet.
"Define unusual," Elena replied diplomatically. "Shadow beasts are fairly standard for Sector Seven."
"What about... divine manifestations? Unexplained light phenomena? Reports of avatars?"
Elena's expression didn't change, but Levi caught the slight tension in her shoulders. "Nothing like that. Just the normal examination procedures."
Reeves made a note and moved on to the next candidate.
Elena caught Levi's eye and gave him an almost imperceptible nod. She was covering for him, protecting him from questions he wasn't ready to answer.
"Levi Ashworth?" A different voice called out.
Master Thorne approached—a tall, stern man with graying hair and scars that spoke of decades in the field. He was the Guild's senior examiner, and his word carried significant weight.
"Yes, sir?"
"Congratulations on your successful examination. Your performance was... noteworthy." Thorne's gray eyes studied Levi with uncomfortable intensity. "Particularly for someone with your track record."
"Thank you, sir."
"Don't thank me yet. There are questions that need answering." Thorne gestured toward a private office. "If you would?"
As they walked, Levi noticed Kane and his crew huddled near the main desk, their voices low but urgent. Kane caught sight of him and his expression darkened.
"This isn't over," Kane mouthed silently.
The office was spartanly furnished—a desk, two chairs, and walls covered with maps of various dungeon sectors.
Thorne closed the door and activated a privacy ward, the air shimmering briefly as the spell took effect.
"Sit," Thorne said, settling behind his desk. "I've been doing this job for twenty-three years, Ashworth. I've seen every type of cheat, every enhancement drug, every magical augmentation that desperate candidates try to use."
"I haven't cheated," Levi said firmly.
"Haven't you?" Thorne leaned forward. "Forty-nine failures, then suddenly you're not just passing but performing at an elite level? You drove off shadow beasts that should have torn you apart. You displayed light magic that our sensors registered as divine-tier energy."
[DIVINE SIGHT ACTIVATED]
[SCANNING SUBJECT: MASTER THORNE]
[CLASSIFICATION: HUMAN]
[HIDDEN ATTRIBUTES: TRUTH DETECTION MAGIC, ANTI-DIVINE WARDS]
[THREAT LEVEL: MODERATE]
"I've been training," Levi said carefully. "Sometimes improvement comes in sudden bursts."
"Training with whom? Where? Our records show you've never been affiliated with any magical academy or private instructor."