Chapter 25: Ravi Patel, Son of Ruin:
Ravi Patel, Son of Ruin
The rubble was still smoldering when Ravi fell to his knees.
The Temple of Lakshmi, where he had spent every morning of his life praying to the sound of bells, now lay buried under tons of stone, wood, and dead flesh. The carved columns that once upheld the blessed ceilings were shattered and cracked—like bones broken by the cruelty of an absent god.
He screamed. He wept. He begged.
— "Mother! Father!"
His hands were covered in blood, the flesh of his fingers torn as he tried to move rocks with bare nails. His eyes burned from the smoke. His throat was dry and raw from the dust.
The smell... the smell was the worst. Blood, human waste, burnt incense, and iron. And the cruel certainty: he was alone.
Hours passed. Or maybe days. There was no time there, only death.
And then...
A wind. Cold. Piercing. Almost supernatural. The surrounding flames danced against it. The dust lifted like a veil. And time... stopped.
From the heart of the chaos, a silhouette emerged.
Black veils floated in spirals, swirling like serpents in suspended space. Multiple arms held swords, flowers, and severed heads. Her skin was deep blue, like midnight. Her eyes… doubled, penetrating. Eternal.
Kali-Ma. The goddess of destruction.
She didn't smile. She didn't move. She simply spoke.
— "Son of Ruin... death shall be your forge. Do not fear dying... fear forgetting who you are."
Ravi wanted to ask. To scream. But before he could utter a word, a blue flame burst from the ground and engulfed his body.
Every dislocated bone realigned. Every torn muscle was rebuilt. And his eyes... began to see beyond flesh, beyond time, beyond pain.
🔹 Talent Awakened: [Eyes of Cyclical Ruin] – SS Rank
Every time he dies, he is reborn stronger, with memories and part of his previous power.
Once per day, he can restart a battle as if nothing had happened.
🌒 Before the End
Ravi was the only child of a poor but deeply devout family. They lived in a small village in northern India, isolated, where spiritual values came before everything. His father was a simple priest, and his mother tended to the temple gardens.
He dreamed of becoming a monk, and maybe, one day, building a hospital bearing his name. He was peaceful. Almost timid. He didn't know how to fight, never raised his voice.
His greatest dream?
To protect the ones he loved.
But when the sky tore open and monsters descended like plagues, Ravi could do nothing. He saw his mother's arms vanish under rubble. Saw the light fade from his father's eyes without ever understanding what had happened.
The old Ravi died then.
⚔️ After the End
Now, with talent pulsing through his veins like a new heart, he wandered alone through the remnants of the world.
The world... twisted.
Gravity was still wrong, as if the planet itself had bowed. All humans moved as if bearing iron weights on their shoulders—except for one family.
❖ Global Notification: Player Danilo Chicana has become the first to complete the 1st Floor of the Abyss. ❖
Ravi stopped where he was. The glowing blue panel hovered in the air, translucent—but the words struck his chest like spears.
Danilo Chicana. A name. A man. A feat.
While Ravi buried his parents with his bare hands, someone was conquering the tower. While everyone crawled to survive, one man rose as a monarch.
The rage... came like lava.
— "So that's how it is? The tower chooses kings while the faithful die like dogs?"
But it wasn't envy.
It was… hunger.
"If someone like him made it… then so can I."
Ravi clenched his fists. The embers of talent burned beneath his skin. He could feel the possible deaths. The futures. The versions of himself that would fall—and rise again.
— "Danilo Chicana... you opened the door. Now, I'll walk through and forge my own path... from the ashes."
—
He walked toward the closest tower entrance materializing nearby: a black wall with impossible steps and guardians carved with hollow eyes.
The crowd watched from a distance, still crushed by gravity, fearful and hopeless.
But Ravi?
Ravi smiled.
— "How many times will I have to die to become what the world needs?"
The answer echoed inside him, like a whisper from Kali herself:
— "As many as it takes."
And then… he stepped into the tower.