Realmshift: Triad Ascendancy.

The Purple Gate I.

[SILVER]

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go," Arkane says as we step through the Purple Gate.

The space around us twists and shifts, the air growing thick and oppressive. Unlike other dungeons we've entered, this one feels... off. Suffocating. Eerie. A sense of isolation settles over me-I can't sense anyone else.

I glance around and realize I'm inside an ancient structure. Strange symbols cover the walls, their meanings unknown to me. The dim lighting casts long shadows, making the place feel even more unnerving.

"Grey? Arkane? Beatrice?" I call out, but my voice echoes back unanswered. No response.

I take a breath, pushing down the unease. We must have been separated when we entered. First things first-I need to assess my situation.

"Status menu."

The translucent screen appears before me. A quick scan confirms that all my abilities are intact. That's a relief.

I activate King's Gambit, splitting my mind into multiple chambers while levitating slightly off the ground. My eyes dart across the room, analyzing my surroundings. The structure, the layout, the weathered stone-it all points to one thing.

This place resembles an Egyptian pyramid. And judging by the symbols carved into the walls, it's not just any ruin.

"Fine... this won't stop me." I smirk to myself, activating Savant's Insight. My vision sharpens, my thoughts accelerating as I turn my focus to the symbols. They resemble hieroglyphics-though likely created by the system rather than any real-world civilization.

The meanings begin to unravel before me.

"The world doth quake, in shadow drown'd, as evil's will doth smite the ground."

The inscription ends there. I float forward, the cryptic words lingering in my mind. The world engulfed in evil? What does that even mean?

I push the thought into one of the chambers of my mind, shelving it for later. Right now, something more pressing demands my attention.

A low, guttural growl echoes through the chamber. Then another.

Emerging from the shadows, their skeletal frames wrapped in tattered, ceremonial wrappings, are creatures unlike any I've faced before. Their elongated limbs crack and pop as they move, their joints bending unnaturally. Glowing red runes pulse beneath their decayed flesh, as if something is burning inside them. Their faces are concealed beneath gilded masks.

One lets out a rattling shriek, its jaw unhinging wider than it should, revealing rows of jagged teeth where none should exist. The others follow suit, surrounding me, their movements twitchy, unnatural, like puppets guided by an unseen hand.

I crack my knuckles.

"Alright then... let's dance."

Before I can fully react, one of the puppets appears behind me, its fist already swinging toward my back. But I'm faster. In an instant, I channel mana into the spot it's aiming for, turning that part of my body intangible. The puppet's strike phases right through me.

I smirk, glancing over my shoulder. Nice try...

Without hesitation, I activate Sukuna's Marks. Power surges through me, my vision sharpening, my instincts heightening. I slip away from the puppet's reach in a blur, reappearing in front of it. Raising a hand, I utter a single word:

"Dismantle."

An invisible force cleaves through the air. The puppet barely has time to react before its body splits cleanly in two, crumbling into dust.