Chapel of Anticipation — Moments after awakening

  The Grafted Scion’s footsteps scraped the stone, every limb braced for bloodshed. Blades clanged and rattled against its armor as it shifted its grotesque bulk, lunging forward like a spider made of swords.

  Kai didn’t move.

  Didn’t flinch.

  Didn’t even blink.

  Instead, he exhaled a long, lazy breath and let his fingers slide down the hilt of his blade.

  The HUD flickered in the corner of his vision:

  Limit Breaker: Active

  Status: Unbound

  Perks:

  ? Phase Dash [ON]

  ? Auto-Parry [ON]

  ? Instant Cast: All Known Incantations

  ? Overflow Recovery: ∞ FP / ∞ HP

  ? Rune Drain Immunity: ENABLED

  “Let’s see what you’ve got, spaghetti limbs,” he said, cracking his neck.

  The Scion lunged with a multi-blade flurry—six arms striking in a spiral.

  Too slow.

  Kai vanished.

  A blink later, he reappeared mid-air, upside down, casually tapping the Scion on the helmet with his boot before Phase Dashing behind it in a golden streak.

  “Oops,” he said, drawing his sword. “Behind you.”

  He slashed once.

  The impact exploded with golden force, sending half the Scion’s limbs scattering like broken doll parts.

  It screeched—metal grinding against stone, blood spraying from unnatural seams.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Kai watched it flail, then sighed.

  “Man. Back in NG+2 you scared the hell outta me. But now?”

  He pointed a finger.

  Spell Cast: Ancient Lightning Spear [Overcharged]

  The sky cracked open above them.

  A divine bolt surged down with a deafening roar, slamming into the Scion’s chest and vaporizing the front half of its body.

  Its torso hit the stone in two twitching, molten pieces.

  Kai sheathed his blade.

  “I was just warming up.”

  He looked around, half-expecting the screen to fade to black, or for a cutscene to trigger.

  Nothing.

  The wind blew through the broken arches of the chapel. The silence was almost unsettling.

  “…Still no HUD reset,” he muttered, checking his stats again. “Health untouched. No rune loss. No reset prompt.”

  He walked over to what was left of the Scion and gave it a nudge with his boot.

  Dead. For real.

  And he was still here.

  Still breathing. Still feeling the wind and salt in the air. Still… alive.

  The realization crept in slow.

  “This… isn’t the intro cinematic anymore, is it?”

  Kai walked back into the chapel. It was eerily quiet. The same place he’d seen a thousand times, but now—every sound echoed too naturally. His footsteps weren’t game-audio; they were real. The breeze didn’t loop like an ambient track. It swirled with every breath.

  He found the Site of Grace nestled in a corner of the chapel—glowing gold like a curled flame. A familiar sight, but it hummed louder than he remembered. A pulse beneath his skin.

  The prompt hovered as always:

  [Rest at Site of Grace]

  He sat. The light washed over him like warm water.

  Instead of a cutscene, something… clicked. Deep inside.

  He felt the connection. Not a save point. A tether. A place in this world that knew him, welcomed him.

  “I’m not dreaming,” he said quietly, staring into the golden flame. “Am I?”

  No one answered.

  He checked his inventory—runes, gear, spells. Everything was there. He could summon, craft, teleport… but no system menu. No ‘exit to main.’ No desktop overlay. Nothing.

  Then something new appeared.

  New Entry Unlocked: Soul Stability — 100%

  Limit Breaker Perk Expanded

  [True Physical Integration Confirmed]

  His breath caught.

  He stood slowly and looked around. Every texture, every crack in the wall, the way the air moved—it was too perfect.

  Not hyper-realistic graphics.

  Reality.

  The portal shimmered ahead—the one that would drop him into Limgrave. It flickered like gold mist, swirling with soft chimes.

  Kai stepped toward it… then stopped.

  “This is permanent, isn’t it?” he whispered. “I’m really here.”

  He thought of his room. His computer. The world outside. The things he’d left undone. Unsaid.

  He didn’t feel panic. Or sadness.

  Just… weight.

  And then came something else—something unexpected.

  Excitement.

  Because even if he couldn’t go back…

  Even if this world had become his new reality…

  He wasn’t weak.

  He wasn’t afraid.

  And he damn sure wasn’t going to be “maidenless” again.

  Kai grinned and cracked his knuckles.

  “All right then, Elden Ring… round seven.”

  He stepped into the portal.