Huff!

I could hear my breathing in this dark, silent world, but what made it worse was the unnatural chill. I felt cold—unusually cold.

And then came the whispers.

There were too many of them, so I couldn't understand what they were saying.

"This is different," I couldn't help but mutter while observing my surroundings.

The Abyss was similar, but with a slight difference—the crackling sound of lightning and the feeling of despair one could never shake off. But here, I couldn't feel anything.

I felt empty...

"That's because this is the Void. A world where nothing can exist," a familiar cold voice rang from the left, drawing my attention.

My eyes flickered with surprise upon seeing the familiar figure of the Abyss approaching. A trail of blood moved ahead of him as he approached, leaving me slightly puzzled.

'If my memories are correct, the last thing I did was hold the Devil Grimoire. So how am I here with the Abyss?'

Only now did I remember the system's warning about my corruption level jumping by a whole 10% if I made contact with that book.

"I guess this is you trying to take over my body?" I asked, refusing to move from my position.

"No, this is where you pick a side."

A soothing voice came from the right, causing my eyes to dilate.

It was a voice I had heard so many times in the past it was nearly impossible to forget.

This was the voice that punished me numerous times for not bowing to the will of the heavens. It wanted me to lower myself, prostrate before the heavens, and admit how I should have been a good man even after getting betrayed by the people I once considered family.

Turning around, I saw a being covered in light but wearing the form of a human. It drifted over from the right while the Abyss walked over from the left.

"Pick a side and stay a side!" the Abyss said those words loudly, reminding me of its warning.

"This is the point where you choose whether you wish to remain a Gatekeeper or become a Dark Keeper," the Divine spoke up.

"If you pick my side, the Divine will be expelled, and you will be free to serve me and me alone. Every Dark Keeper in the universe will be your ally," the Abyss interrupted.

"But then you will become a mortal enemy to all Gatekeepers scattered across the universe!" the Divine countered. "You will miss your chance at redemption and atonement!"

"SILENCE!" I snapped, and both sides fell silent.

Exhaling loudly, I turned to the Divine and glared at it with disgust.

"Crime? Atonement? Redemption?" I snarled. "To hell with you and your stupid sense of justice. Since the heavens think they're above making mistakes, I will drag them to the ground."

Then, my head snapped in the direction of the Abyss, and my frown made its eyes narrow. It could tell I didn't have a favorable outlook on it either.

"If you believe I went through all of this just to let myself be manipulated and controlled, then you're even dumber than the Divine."

Huff!

Saying those words, I felt like a massive weight had been taken off my chest. The burning pain, anger, and hatred I harbored vanished with my rage, and for a moment, I felt peace again.

Something I could only feel with Reina's song of harmony.

"I choose my side," I said without hesitation and noticed the two beings step back with genuine shock in their eyes.

I shifted my gaze to the Divine and snarled with hostility in my eyes.

"I will not let the heavens dictate how I should live or die..."

Then, my cold gaze snapped back in the direction of the Abyss.

"Nor will I let the darkness make a pawn out of me."

"I will fight you both. And if I end up dying, I will die a death free of regret. NOW VANISH!"

BUZZ!

The entire world began trembling violently as light pierced into the dark world.

"Interesting..." the Abyss chuckled. "It's been a while since I've come across an interesting mortal."

Saying this, the Abyss turned around and began walking away.

"I wish you luck on this dangerous path you've chosen to walk. But don't expect me to do you any favors. That body will be mine when the time is right!"

Saying this, his body began to fade into the darkness like it never existed. For some reason, I didn't feel pissed off or threatened by his words.

In fact, there was an underlying tone of respect behind his voice, which in turn made me respect the Abyss.

"You will regret this!" the Divine snapped, and I rolled my eyes before turning to meet its gaze.

"You think you can resist the will of the heavens and suppress the insatiable hunger of the Abyss alone?" it growled like a wild beast. "You think you can do what no mortal has done?!"

"Yes." I nodded calmly with a raised eyebrow. "Now get the fuck out!"

"Good! Good... I can't wait to see you fall to your own stupidity!"

With that, the Divine vanished in an instant and the trembling world seemed to quiet down.

A strong force pulled me towards the light, and I didn't bother resisting.

---

My eyes fluttered open and I found myself in a familiar world. I was still in the center of the underground chamber, but the chains attached to the Devil Grimoire were gone.

Standing at the center of the room, I could feel the countless voices like the whispers of ghosts coming from all sides.

It was disturbing, but I already expected this when I decided to take the book.

[Devil Grimoire Claimed.]

[-2000 Fragments]

[The Devil Grimoire is a living artifact that cannot be controlled. It cannot be opened, and its spells cannot be learned. Once acquired, the Devil Grimoire acts independently, providing its user with dark spells necessary for every situation. Those who wield this weapon have no reason to fear—they are protected for all of eternity. That is, if they can resist the darkness that comes with this power.]

[Host has lost the backing of the heavens and has failed to secure the backing of the Abyss.]

[Title: Gatekeeper Relinquished]

[Title: Keeper Gained]

Ding!

---

Name: Adam Black

Level: 12

Race: Human/Demon

Devotees of Chaos: 300,000 [600 EXP daily]

Talent: Keeper

Talent Tier: SSS-Tier

---

[Stats]

Strength: 16 + 5

Speed: 13 + 5

Vitality: 14 + 5

Intelligence: 10 + 5

Health Points: 150/150 + 50

Energy Points: 40/40

Experience Points: 8,150 / 13,600

Equipment: Devil Grimoire

Corruption: 11.5%

Fragments: 342

---

[Skills]

Name: Door

Status: Upgradeable

Tier: C

Cost: 1 EP

Proficiency: 30%

Technique: Doorpost

Name: Blood Pact

Status: Upgradeable

Tier: A

Cost: 10 HP

Proficiency: 0%

Name: Might of Man

Status: Upgradeable

Tier: C

Cost: Nil

Proficiency: 100%

Name: Wavelength of Madness

Status: Upgradeable

Tier: B

Cost: Nil

Proficiency: 100%

Name: Blood Ignition

Status: Upgradeable

Tier: B

Cost: 10% HP

Proficiency: 0%

Name: Crimson Threads

Status: Upgradeable

Tier: B

Cost: 1 HP per thread

Proficiency: 0%

Name: Angel

Status: Upgradeable

Tier: B

Cost: 3 EP

Proficiency: 0%

Name: Omen Pulse

Status: Fixed

Tier: B

Cost: 5 EP

Proficiency: 0%

Name: Corrupted Growth

Status: Fixed

Tier: A

Cost: 10 EP

Proficiency: 0%

Name: Magic Acumen

Status: Fixed

Tier: SS

Cost: Nil

Proficiency: 100%

---

[Territory]

Solinthar Empire [Living Realm]

Perk: +5 to all Stats & +50 Health Points

---

My eyes narrowed at the notification, and for some reason, I felt something different about the system.

It used the word 'host', something the Gatekeeper system rarely used on me.

Most importantly, it felt lifeless.

"My chest..." I muttered as I reached for it, rubbing my hand against it with genuine surprise.

Only now did I realize the stinging pain that gave me sleepless nights was no more. I could breathe effortlessly—for the first time in a year since I arrived in this world.

If it weren't for the annoying whispers that never left my ears, I would boldly declare myself a free man.

'So the heavens were really punishing me,' I muttered before my eyes fell to my status.

"Keeper... what is that?" I muttered.

Ding!

[Keeper: Ex-Gatekeepers who have lost the backing of all divine beings. You can consider them loners.]

'What does that mean for me?'

[Missions, quests, achievements… All those events that gave you a boost in experience points which allowed you to grow faster are no more. Now, you must rely on your devotees to gain strength.]

My eyes narrowed upon hearing this.

This meant I wouldn't get any new missions, quests, or achievements. No more extra experience points popping out of nowhere meant other Gatekeepers and Dark Keepers would grow faster than me—unless I could increase the number of devotees.

This was the freedom I earned, but it came at a price.

A price I'm willing to pay, over and over again, without regrets.

Huh?

Only now did I realize the system gave me the information I needed just by acting.

It wasn't stingy like the Gatekeeper system.

Truly, I am finally rid of the heavens.

I felt countless emotions flowing through me. This has been my dream for a long time, and I didn't expect it would come so soon.

"I'm free at last," I gasped.