System: Daily login!!, jackpot on the first day!!!

As the light faded, the forest remained quiet. The Holy Ground dimmed to a soft golden glow, now part of the land itself, purified and blessed.

Where the Matron once stood, only three objects remained, glowing, untouched by corruption:

A large, gleaming Magic Stone, brimming with condensed mana, the size of a human heart. Its energy pulsed in time with the world, a perfect catalyst for spells or weaponry.

The second one is The Final Rune. It shimmered as the other two runes in their possession pulsed in recognition.

The last one is A small, jagged relic. It looked like part of a broken divine mask, blackened at the edges but still humming with ancient power.

It didn't glow like the others; it whispered softly in a voice that wasn't human, beast, or spirit.

Caldwell approached it first, his instincts screaming with unease.

As he picked it up, the air grew colder, not in temperature, but in presence, as if the world had paused to witness his act.

Asahi stepped beside him, cautiously watching. "...What is that, Caldwell?"

Caldwell turned it over in his hand, staring at the ruin-scarred mask fragment.

"...I don't know. The System didn't-"

A voice cut him off.

"That's something precious"

"!!!"

The entire party snapped into formation, weapons drawn. Daniel summoned a radiant cross instantly, Reza's sword surged with aura, and Asahi's mana-wings flared wide. Even Rijal raised his staff without hesitation.

They scanned the trees... nothing.

"Who said that?" Daniel asked, tone sharp.

"Wow~ Wow~ Easy~"

The voice was relaxed, amused even, but it didn't belong to anyone they could see.

Not yet.

Then, without warning, the air shimmered.

Like the veil between worlds blinked.

And then... He was just there. As if he had always been.

Standing not five feet from Caldwell, leaning slightly, that infuriating half-smile tugging at his lips.

"It's me. Why so serious?"

For a moment, no one moved.

Not Reza, not Daniel, not Asahi.

Not even Caldwell, though his knuckles had turned white around the hilt of his Excalibur.

The stranger's gaze dropped to the broken relic in Caldwell's hand. His tone was casual, too casual.

"...This thing?" he said, voice smooth, carrying a weight that didn't match his playful demeanor. "A fragment of divinity. That piece you're holding... it once belonged to a god who gave up his name. A forgotten god"

Silence.

The kind of silence that comes before something breaks.

Caldwell's grip shifted. Subtle. But telling. His stance tensed like a bowstring pulled to its limit.

"…You." His voice dropped an octave. Rough, quiet, dangerous. "Where the fuck have you been, Fik?!"

The tension snapped.

The name cut through the air like a blade. Reza flinched slightly. Asahi's wings twitched. Rijal blinked in disbelief.

Taufik then turned his gaze from the relic to Caldwell.

"Huh? Me?" he said, almost innocently, tilting his head like a cat caught playing with something it shouldn't.

"I've always been here," Taufik said, eyes gleaming with something strange. "Watching. From the best spot. Always here"

"…And you were just watching when we almost became that thing's food?" Caldwell snapped, voice edged with betrayal. "What the hell, Fik?"

Taufik sighed deeply, then rolled his eyes with exaggerated annoyance at his cousin.

"But you didn't die, right?" he replied, as if that excused everything. "I chose the five of you for a reason. I trust your abilities. Don't complain too much. You think I'd just stay silent if I knew you'd die?"

He scoffed. "Please. If that happened, Grandma probably wouldn't talk to me anymore"

The casual mention of "Grandma" earned a brief silence. Caldwell's eye twitched. While the others just stared.

Without waiting for permission, Taufik reached forward and plucked the fragment from Caldwell's hand.

It shimmered slightly as it touched his palm, glowing faintly in response to his presence.

"…Hmmm~ Interesting~" he murmured, turning it over slowly, his tone shifting into something more focused. His playful expression returned as he looked back up at them.

"You guys, come here"

The five exchanged glances. Tension still hung in the air, but curiosity now outweighed suspicion.

Asahi stepped forward first, tilting his head. "What is it, Master? Something good?"

Taufik grinned.

"Calling it 'good' is absolutely right," He held the relic high, its glow intensifying slightly. "I'm going to use this to make the five of you stronger"

Reza narrowed his eyes. "That thing can do that?"

Taufik's expression sobered just a little.

"Not directly. But yes, eventually. This thing…" He turned the fragment between his fingers, and then with a faint pulse of will, the mask piece broke apart into glittering particles of light, swirling slowly in the air. "…This is the Seed of Godhood. What's left of the blessing this world's forgotten god once gave to the land. The Matron absorbed it, which is why she became so powerful, strong enough to warp even holy territory. But now…"

He closed his hand, the particles gathering in his palm.

"…Now it's yours"

The air shimmered around them. The light from the seed split into five radiant threads, each drifting toward one of them.

Daniel blinked as the light passed into his chest. "I can feel it…"

"A resonance," Rijal murmured. "Like it's… tuning my mana"

Caldwell grunted, stepping back slightly. "Feels like something's digging through my instincts"

Asahi exhaled slowly, his eyes glowing. "It's... not just power. It's potential. Like a door that opened in my soul"

Taufik smiled faintly. "Exactly. It won't make you gods overnight. But it planted the possibility. It's a step on the path"

Reza crossed his arms. "Why give it to us now? Why not keep it for yourself?"

For just a flicker, less than a heartbeat, Taufik's eyes dimmed.

"Because I'm already a god, remember?" he said with a lopsided smile. "This isn't meant for me. You guys found it, so it's yours"

"…Ohh~ You're right." Reza laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

He'd known Taufik since they were kids. Fought beside him, bled beside him. But right now, for the first time ever, he felt the gap between them. Not in friendship, but in something else, something intangible. A presence. A weight. Like Taufik stood on a level they could see… but not quite reach.

Taufik smiled gently, tilting his head at Reza's familiar gesture, and as if on cue-

---

[Congratulations. You have absorbed a "Fragment of Divinity" (SEED)]

[Effect: ???]

---

"Whoa~ This thing's the real deal," Asahi said, eyes wide with admiration. "...Thank you, Master. The Tokugawa Family will never forget this debt"

"Don't mention it," Taufik replied with a shrug. "I did it for my benefit too. No need to get dramatic. Just accept it for what it is"

"I dunno…" Rijal murmured, shifting awkwardly as he looked at the glowing system message. "I don't know if I'm worthy of this. You know what I did to you in the past. So, like… maybe I shouldn't-"

"You didn't do anything, Rijal," Taufik cut in gently, but firmly. "I did. To you, and your family. And it wasn't your fault. So stop carrying that weight. Just accept it"

He didn't push it further, he knew Rijal well enough to leave the rest unsaid.

Then he turned to Reza. "Reza. The Runes?"

"Oh, sure." Reza handed over the three gleaming stones. "Here"

"Thanks." Taufik pocketed them in one smooth motion.

Then, without changing tone, he said: "Your adventure ends here"

"…Huh?" Caldwell blinked. "We're just one step away from the second floor. Why stop now?"

Taufik's expression shifted, soft regret shadowed his divine calm.

"The First Floor Boss is too hard for you guys to handle," he said. "Don't get me wrong, this isn't about me looking down on you. It's me who miscalculated. I underestimated the Tower's calibration. Watching you fight made it clear: the power scaling is off. Way off"

"So you're going to handle this… alone, my friend?" Daniel asked.

"Yes." Taufik nodded. "I need to check everything myself. One floor at a time. Once I understand each layer, I'll assess and if necessary, fix the difficulty. This floor was too hard to clear"

"So our part ends here?" Caldwell asked again, tone unreadable.

Taufik gave a slow, apologetic nod. "I'm sorry. But yes. It ends here"

Caldwell let out a long, tired sigh. "...Thank God. If the second floor is worse than this, I'd rather take a nice nap"

Taufik chuckled, then waved his hand.

Five simple-looking pouches materialized out of thin air, floating gently into each of their hands.

"This?" Asahi asked, holding his up.

"A Magic Pouch," Taufik explained. "It can store anything. I've already filled them with the Magic Stones you missed. Use them wisely. They can strengthen your mana cores, upgrade weapons, and more. Don't waste them"

"…This tiny thing can do that much?" Asahi muttered in awe. "Amazing"

Taufik smiled again, softer this time.

Then he raised his hand one last time...

*FWOOOSH*

Five glowing portals opened around them, humming quietly, their energy stable and inviting.

"…You can return through these," he said, voice gentle but absolute.

Then he turned to his cousin. "Oh, right, Caldwell, tell the others I'll be back a little late, hehe~"

Caldwell snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Don't die, freak"

The group stood there for a long moment, none of them quite ready to move.

The portals shimmered softly... welcoming, final.

They didn't want to admit it.

But they knew.

This was a farewell.

Not the kind sealed by death or fate… ... but one forged by change.

Taufik was no longer just their comrade, their friend, their reckless center.

He had become something greater... and in doing so, something far lonelier.

The air was heavy, not with sadness, but with the quiet weight of what they couldn't say.

For Caldwell and Daniel, the ache cut deeper. They had burned their strongest cards just to survive. Daniel's Holy Ground, the Domain he created with blood, faith, and intent, should've ended the fight.

And yet it barely held the line.

To think of what might lie beyond…

Frustration twisted in Daniel's chest, but he said nothing.

Caldwell's fingers tightened around his Excalibur, but he gave no protest.

The silence spoke enough.

One by one, they stepped forward.

Asahi gave a respectful bow, eyes sharper than ever, resolute.

Rijal offered a quiet "thank you," his voice tinged with guilt and gratitude.

Reza gave him a look. Not a goodbye, just a promise, that they'd meet again.

And then came Daniel.

He turned to his portal, hesitating just a step away.

"Oh, Daniel." Taufik's voice cut the air like a smirk you could hear.

Daniel turned his head sharply. "What?"

Taufik grinned. "That move of yours, Holy Ground, It's good. Beautiful, even.

But sadly…" He chuckled. "It won't work on me"

Daniel's jaw clenched. "You-"

And before he could finish, before he could curse or laugh or demand an explanation...

They were gone.

Swallowed by light, one by one.

Leaving Taufik alone.

No footsteps.

No noise.

No celebration.

Only the whispering wind of a forest finally at peace…

… And a god who had just begun the loneliest path of all.

....

...

..

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