Axton blinked, finding himself standing in a place that didn't resemble any dungeon, field, or world he had ever seen.

All around him stretched a boundless expanse of white.

The place was eerily silent — no wind, no sound, just an endless, divine emptiness.

His body felt strangely light, as though he were standing inside a dream.

"Where... am I?" Axton muttered under his breath, turning around slowly.

Before he could take another step, a shadow fell over him.

He froze.

A massive face suddenly appeared — vast, featureless, and impossibly large.

Its skin was smooth and pale, almost translucent, and its entire form was veiled beneath a white cloth that fluttered gently despite the absence of any wind.

It was only a face — no body, no limbs — floating above him like a celestial existence.

Then, row of text appeared in front of his eyes.

[Goddess of Fate]

Axton's throat went dry.

His heartbeat thundered in his chest like a war drum.

The mere presence of the entity crushed down on him like the weight of the entire world.

His knees trembled under the pressure, and for a brief moment, he couldn't even breathe.

"A mere mortal," a calm, feminine voice echoed across the space.

It didn't sound loud, yet it reverberated in his skull like an earthquake.

The Goddess of Fate was speaking to him.

Her tone was neither angry nor kind — just impossibly indifferent, like one who had seen countless lives come and go.

"A mere mortal," she repeated, her voice now colder. "Dares to steal from me? Me, the divine deity of Fate?"

Her words struck Axton like thunder.

"Steal… from you?" he whispered, confused.

The colossal face lowered until it filled his vision. Even though her features were hidden beneath the white cloth, he could feel her eyes studying him — sharp, divine, piercing straight into his soul.

Axton instinctively stumbled backward, but it was useless. Wherever he moved, her gaze followed.

"I will be taking those eyes back, mortal," she declared.

Axton's heart nearly stopped.

'Eyes? What eyes?' His mind spun. 'Does she mean… the mystic eyes? But I haven't even used them yet!'

The moment the thought crossed his mind, a powerful gust of divine pressure swept through the air.

A colossal hand, made entirely of light, reached down from the heavens and gripped him in its palm.

"Wha…!" Axton choked, struggling as the fingers tightened around him like chains.

No matter how much he kicked or fought, it was like trying to break free from a mountain. His body felt so small, so insignificant.

Then another hand appeared — more ethereal, ghostly — its fingers glowing faintly as they reached toward his eyes.

"No! Stop!" Axton screamed, thrashing wildly.

The two massive fingers drew closer, glimmering with divine radiance. The air around them hissed and burned with energy that could erase entire worlds.

But just before the fingers touched him…

*Shing*

A bright light erupted from Axton's wrist.

Both he and the goddess froze in surprise as a glowing bracelet materialized around his arm — the divine bracelet appeared, gleaming with mysterious symbols.

Axton's eyes widened. "The divine bracelet… again?"

He had no idea why it had appeared now, but he didn't care. If this was going to save his life, he'd take it.

The Goddess of Fate paused, her massive head tilting slightly.

'That artifact…' she murmured internally. 'Could it be that one?'

The divine fingers touched the invisible barrier surrounding Axton — and were instantly repelled.

*Crack*

A spark of divine lightning burst between them, causing both Axton and the goddess to flinch. The air trembled from the impact, and for the first time, the deity recoiled.

Underneath the white cloth covering her face, her lips curled into a sinister grin.

"How fascinating," she whispered.

She tried again — pushing her power against the barrier — but each time, it pushed back harder, forming cracks of light that burned her divine essence.

A small, thin line of blood trickled from beneath her cloth.

Then, without warning…

*Shing*

The bracelet pulsed again, releasing a blinding explosion of light that filled the entire domain.

When the light faded, Axton was gone.

The goddess looked down at her empty hand, her expression unreadable.

Then, slowly, she began to laugh — low at first, then louder, echoing across the endless divine realm.

"An anomaly amongst the animals," she said, amusement dripping from her tone. "How amusing."

Her laughter grew louder, wild, echoing through the world.

"Can you reach your potential, mortal?" she whispered.

"Can you climb high enough to join the place of divinity?"

The colossal hands dissolved into countless glowing particles, fading until only silence remained.

******

*Shing*

Axton reappeared right outside the door of the mythical dungeon — standing on the floating cloud platform where he had entered.

He stumbled forward and dropped to his knees, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath.

His hands trembled uncontrollably.

'What the hell… was that?' he thought, dazed.

He looked down at his wrist. "It's gone…"

The bracelet had vanished again as if it had never existed.

Axton clenched his fist tightly.

That divine relic… it had just saved his life from a god.

The thought sent chills down his spine.

He replayed the entire moment in his head — the crushing pressure, the divine hand, the goddess' voice — and every time, his heart raced faster.

He'd faced monsters before, humans, even demonic beasts. But this… this was different.

He had stood before a deity… and survived.

'If that bracelet can stand against a goddess,' Axton thought, 'then I need to find it. No matter what it takes.'

The determination in his eyes hardened.

There was clearly more to that divine bracelet than he could comprehend. And now, the Goddess of Fate herself knew his face.

That was not something to take lightly.

Axton slowly pushed himself to his feet and dusted off his cloth. His mind was still spinning, but he forced himself to focus.

As he turned around, the soldiers who had been waiting for him straightened instantly.

"Welcome back, sir!" one of them shouted.

"Congratulations, Commander!" another added, grinning. "You actually cleared a mythical dungeon all alone!"

Their eyes sparkled with admiration. Axton's name was spreading fast among the ranks, and this victory only added to his growing legend.

But he barely heard them. His thoughts were far away, still lingering in that divine realm.

He stood silently as they cheered, the wind brushing against his hair.

One of the soldiers, noticing his distant expression, stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Commander, is something wrong?"

Axton looked at him quietly for a moment before speaking. His voice was calm, but his tone carried a strange gravity.

"What can you tell me about the demon realm?"

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