Ash felt the space around him collapsing; despite wanting to dodge it, he was defenseless against it.

His vision blurred as his mind screamed in pain—the spatial distortion made his body convulse and expand at the same time.

His eyes fluttered open as he met the scorching heat of a desert, burning sand beneath his feet.

He looked around to see if he was still inside the dungeon, but something told him otherwise—it wasn't a dungeon because the world looked endless, not limited like dungeons. Sand sprawled as far as he could see.

He felt a weight on his back and realized Jessie was still lying there. He checked to see if she was alright but found her unconscious.

It wasn't because of the poison—according to him, it was due to the space travel they had just experienced.

The effect was similar to entering a dungeon but multiplied several times over.

He laid her down on the sand and gave her cheek a light slap, trying to wake her up. Her eyes opened, noticing his face close to hers.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jessie shouted, trying to move her body, but it was still numb. She could move it to some extent, but it ached every time she tried.

A circle lit up beneath her body, healing her; she felt her vitality returning, though it would take a few more rounds of healing to return to top condition.

"I was just trying to—" Ash tried to explain but stopped as he felt a heaven-crushing pressure descend upon him.

A rift opened in the sky—like reality itself breaking apart. A massive eye peered through the rift, gazing down upon the two of them.

Ash felt his body convulsing and folding under the immense pressure. He tried to resist, but it was impossible to stand even for a tenth of a second.

His body collapsed, his head pressed against the ground under the overwhelming force.

[King's Domain]

He also activated his upgraded talent that enhanced his stealth abilities.

[Phantom Veil]

Despite everything, it was clear this entity was unaffected by his petty attempts at concealment.

The eye scanned them for a second—or perhaps for an eternity. Ash felt completely exposed before it, as if he couldn't hide even a single thought.

The eye itself felt divine—something beyond mortal comprehension, boundless and omniscient.

It was the worst kind of helplessness—knowing there was nothing one could do, no action that could change the outcome.

Then the eye shifted its gaze to Jessie.

Multiple notifications appeared on Ash's system screen.

[You have been recognized by the Universal System]

[You have entered the plane three months prior to the Trial time]

[Your system will now synchronize with the Universal System]

[You have been favored by the System]

[Your reputation has increased]

[Title Unlocked: Early Bird]

[Leaderboards will activate once the Trial begins]

[Universal Quests unlocked]

[Worldwide Quests unlocked]

[Your performance will be judged by the System during the Ascension Trial]

Ash felt the pressure lift as the eye disappeared, the fissure in reality closing as if it had never existed.

He saw Jessie lying on the ground, smiling from ear to ear.

She stood up, feeling better after some healing. "I thought we were going to die," Jessie chuckled, amused as she looked at her screen.

"So this is how the system will change for everyone during the trial," Ash said, examining his own screen.

It all made sense now—they had just traveled through the dungeon into the plane where the Trial would be conducted. He had known that once the Trial began, everyone's system would evolve into the Universal System.

They would have to survive on this plane, and when the Trial ended, the plane would merge with their original world—the dungeon becoming the pathway between the two.

Because of the accident, they had arrived here ahead of time. The system had likely detected an anomaly in the world and came to erase it—but for some reason, it had recognized them instead of killing them outright. If Ash had known about Jessie's title, the missing piece of his theory would have fit perfectly.

Jessie herself was flabbergasted by the revelation. She had been unconscious, then overwhelmed by an insane pressure, and now realized they were already in the Trial—months before anyone else. It was both an opportunity and a danger.

She knew well the brutality of this world, and they were nowhere near ready for the Trial with their D-rank power. She had planned to reach upper-rank C within three months, but fate clearly had different plans.

Ash sighed, accepting his fate, and looked at his new system interface. It hadn't changed much, but several new features had been added.

[Name: Ash

Profession: Modern Assassin

Class: Venomblade

[Level: 11]

[EXP: 16040 / 20000]

[AGILITY: 6 (+12) | ENDURANCE: 5 (+20) | STRENGTH: 4(+14) | LUCK: 13 | WILLPOWER: 499]

Reputation: ★☆☆☆☆ (Silver)

[MP: 100 / 100 (Recovery Rate: 1 per 270 seconds)]

[Stat Points: 5]

Rune Mastery: Bronze (Form, Flow)

---

Skills:

[Mana Overdrive] – Permanently increases MP regeneration speed by 120%.

(1 MP / 270 seconds)

Bonus Effect: Killing an enemy instantly restores 1–10% of maximum MP.

[King's Domain] – Releases an overwhelming aura of bloodlust, forcing enemies within range to freeze.

Bonus Effect: Enemies with lower Willpower than Ash lose 20% combat effectiveness (attack/defense) while under its influence.

Cost: Varies by target.

[Heartpiercer] – Channels mana into the next attack, bypassing armor and dealing 350% damage.

Bonus Effect: Under King's Domain, multiplier increases to 450%.

Cost: 80 MP per attack.

---

Talents:

1. Phantom Veil – Enter enhanced stealth mode. Camouflage from the naked eye; movement speed increases by 20% while active.

First Strike: First attack deals 300% damage if undetected.

Cost: 3 MP/sec

2. Quantum Edge – Grants 2 random stat points distributed across different stats.

---

Titles:

1. Phantom Aura: Your aura mimics that of a higher existence, weaving fear and confusion into the hearts of foes.

Effect: Counts as one rank higher in aura pressure. Intimidation effects scale with Luck and Killing Intent.

2. Rank Slayer: You have defied expectations and cleared a dungeon ranked higher than your own.

Effect: Increases all stats by 10% when fighting above-rank beasts. Ignores pressure from enemies one rank higher.

3. Twin Fangs: Together, you have accomplished what others deemed impossible. Your synergy as a duo has been recognized.

Effect: When fighting alongside your bonded partner, all stats increase by 20%. Gain a sense of each other's movements during combat.

4. Whisper in the Dark: You kill not for glory but in silence. Your deeds become rumors, not headlines.

Effect: Reputation penalties from high-profile kills are negated.

5. Marked by Fate: You have been caught in the game of destiny—woven into its threads and marked by fate itself.

6. Early Bird: You have reached the destination earliest. Your efforts will be recognized by the System.

---

Store Coins: 56,480. ]

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