"Path of Transcendence" is a dark fantasy novel that follows Cedric Valtieri, the protagonist blessed by Solmora, the Goddess of Sun and Judgment.
In the world of Aevorath, darkness looms as a massive demon invasion threatens to wipe out humanity.
Cedric, chosen by the goddess, takes on the heavy burden of protecting it. Armed with divine power, he fights tirelessly, facing overwhelming odds at every turn.
However, fate is cruel. No matter how hard Cedric and his allies struggle, the world is destined for destruction.
One by one, even the strongest heroes fall. Friends, mentors, and comrades—all meet tragic ends.
In the end, after a long and brutal battle, Cedric himself is slain by the Demon King, marking the fall of the last hope for humanity.
The world is lost, consumed by darkness.
****
In the depths of an ancient cathedral, a young man with striking heterochromatic eyes—one deep black, the other a vivid electric blue sat on the cold stone floor.
His name was Kyle Valemont, though the soul inside him was no longer the original Kyle.
He stared at the glowing status screen in front of him, his mind racing with disbelief and confusion.
=============[STATUS]=============
[Name]: Kyle Valemont
[Age]: 18
[Class]: Swordsman
[Title]: ????
[Blessing]: Echoes of the Roaming Storm
[Mana Core Rank]: Iron
[Mana Core Grade]: Grade 1
[Affinity]: Lightning, Wind, Ice, Water
======[STATS]=========
Strength: F
Agility: F+
Endurance: F-
Intelligence: F+
Mana Capacity: E-
Charm: C-
Luck: Unpredictable
======[MASTERIES]=======
Swordsmanship: Apprentice -28%
Lightning Magic: Apprentice - 0%
Wind Magic: Apprentice - 0%
Ice Magic: Apprentice - 0%
Water Magic: Apprentice - 0%
========================
Kyle's eyes widened as he read through the details. "This guy… was he really just an extra?" he muttered under his breath.
The original Kyle might have been a nobody in the grand scheme of things, but his potential was anything but ordinary.
"Four elemental affinities? Are you kidding me? Even the main characters in 'Path of Transcendence' only had two at most!" Kyle exclaimed, his voice echoing through the empty cathedral.
His stats were mediocre at best, but his affinities were something else entirely.
But what truly caught his attention was the line under
[Blessing]: Echoes of the Roaming Storm.
"A blessing…?" Kyle whispered, his voice trembling. In the world of "Path of Transcendence", blessings were divine gifts bestowed by gods or goddesses.
They were incredibly rare—so rare that only one person in the entire novel had one: Cedric Valtieri, the protagonist, blessed by Solmora, the Goddess of Sun and Judgment.
Kyle's mind raced. "If Cedric was blessed by Solmora, then who blessed me? A god or goddess of storms? And why? What's so special about this body?"
He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "This doesn't make sense. Kyle wasn't even mentioned in the novel. Why would a god bless someone who wasn't part of the story?"
A chilling thought crossed his mind.
"What if the god realizes I'm not the real Kyle? What if they figure out I'm just… Ethan, some guy from Earth who got shoved into this body?" The idea sent a shiver down his spine.
He could almost imagine a divine being smiting him on the spot for stealing someone else's life. "Scary… really scary," he muttered, rubbing his arms to calm himself.
But as the panic subsided, curiosity took its place. "Why did the god bless Kyle in the first place?" he wondered aloud.
"Was it just random, or is there something more to this?" He glanced at his status screen again.
His swordsmanship and stats were decent, but nothing extraordinary compared to the main characters of the novel.
His affinities, though—those were the real deal. They had to be connected to the blessing as all his masteries are at 0 %.
Kyle sighed and leaned back against the cold stone wall.
"And what was Kyle even doing here in this ancient cathedral? Was he trying to unlock some hidden power? Or did he just stumble in here by accident?"
Kyle stared at his status screen again, trying to make sense of the numbers and letters.
He knew the basics of what each stat meant, but he still wanted to double-check. After all, this wasn't a game anymore—this was his life now.
"Alright, let's break this down," he muttered to himself.
"Strength is basically how strong I am, right? How much force I can put into a punch or a swing of a sword. Got it."
He moved his finger down the list.
"Agility is about speed and reflexes. How fast I can move and how quickly I can react. That's important if I want to dodge attacks or strike first."
Next was Endurance.
"That's my stamina and defenses. How long I can keep fighting without getting tired and how well I can take a hit. Not great right now, but I can work on it."
He frowned slightly as he read Intelligence.
"This one's a bit trickier. It's not just about being smart—it's about understanding and controlling mana. Since I've got four elemental affinities, I'll need to boost this if I want to use magic effectively."
Next was Mana Capacity.
"This is straightforward. It's about how much mana my mana core can hold."
Then came Charm. Kyle couldn't help but smirk.
"Well, this one's obvious. It's about how good-looking I am. Not that I'm complaining—this body's definitely an upgrade from my old one."
He ran a hand through his long bluish-black hair, feeling a little smug.
Finally, his eyes landed on Luck. This one confused him.
"What does luck even mean here? Is it just random chance, or does it affect things like finding rare items or surviving close calls?" He scratched his head, frustrated.
"And why does it say 'Unpredictable'? Is that because I'm from another world? Maybe my soul messing with the system?"
He sighed, leaning back against the cold stonewall of the cathedral.
"This is so confusing. In games, luck is usually just a hidden stat that affects random outcomes. But here… who knows? Maybe it's tied to fate or something. Or maybe it's just the system saying, 'Good luck figuring this out, buddy.'"
Kyle chuckled dryly, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well, if my luck is 'unpredictable,' maybe that's a good thing. It could mean I've got a chance to change things—to break away from the doomed fate of this world. Or… it could mean I'm in for a whole lot of trouble."
He checked the date on his phone: 'March 2nd, 2550'.
The entrance exam for the Solvayne Magic Academy was just a month away. With his potential, he could easily make it into the top rankings—maybe even catch the attention of the main characters.
A small smirk crept onto his face.
"It would be pretty embarrassing for the god who blessed me if I didn't even attend the academy, right?" he said, trying to lighten the mood.
But deep down, he knew the stakes were much higher.
This wasn't just about passing an exam or impressing some nobles. This was about survival—and maybe, just maybe, changing the fate of a doomed world.
Kyle clenched his fists, determination flickering in his eyes.
"No point in sitting around feeling sorry for myself.
If I'm stuck in this world, I might as well make the most of it. I'll get stronger. I'll train. And who knows? Maybe I can change the ending of this story."
The gamer inside him stirred, eager for the challenge.
After all, if there was one thing Ethan knew how to do, it was grinding through impossible odds to reach the top.
And in a world like this, where demons roamed and heroes fell, he was going to need every bit of that determination.
"Alright, Ethan—or Kyle, or whoever I am now," he said, standing up and brushing off his clothes. "Let's see if we can turn this 'extra' into the main character."
With that, he took a deep breath and stepped out of the cathedral, ready to face whatever this world had in store for him.
****