Dark's Pre Crisis [Origin]

Present

Dark's blade carved through the air with lethal precision, scattering the pack of wolves that circled him. Their glowing eyes burned with hunger, their growls reverberating through the dense forest. Each step he took was heavy, his movements strained yet calculated. Sweat trickled down his brow as he sidestepped another lunging beast, his sword slicing upward in a clean arc.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ENEMY DEFEATED.]
[XP GAINED: +50.]

Dark glanced at the glowing message, his crimson eyes narrowing as he gritted his teeth. Another wolf lunged from the shadows, claws outstretched. He raised his blade, deflecting the attack with a metallic clang that echoed through the desolate clearing. The beast staggered, its snarl interrupted by Dark's counterstrike—a precise thrust that ended its life in an instant.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: LEVEL UP.]
[CURRENT LEVEL: 5.]

Dark: (thinking, bitterly) Level five. All this effort for nothing.

The wolves regrouped, growling and snapping as they encircled him once more. Their movements were coordinated, their glowing red eyes flickering with malice. Dark gritted his teeth, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword.

Dark: (muttering) Come on, then. Let's see what you've got.

The pack surged forward, claws and teeth flashing in the dim light. Dark pivoted, shadows trailing his blade as he struck one down, then another, but their numbers didn't dwindle fast enough. One wolf darted past his defenses, its claws raking across his side. He staggered, pain flaring, but he didn't falter.

Dark: (thinking, frustrated) Damn it. Why does this feel harder than it should?

Just as another wolf lunged for his throat, everything around him froze. The growls, the movements, even the faint rustle of the wind—all stopped. His vision blurred, and a voice, calm and omnipresent, echoed in his mind.

???: (calmly) You claw at scraps of power, yet you fail to see the bigger picture.

Dark's eyes widened as the world spun, dragging him away from the chaos of the present and into something else entirely.

Earlier

The infinite void shimmered with life as Cosmic stood amidst its swirling depths. Threads of golden light stretched infinitely, connecting worlds, realms, and dimensions in an elaborate web of existence. His form radiated an undeniable authority, his gaze calm but weighed with centuries of unspoken regret.

Cosmic: (softly, to himself) I gave them freedom once. A chance to shape their own fate.

He raised a hand, his fingers tracing the threads before him. With a single movement, the strands vibrated, responding to his will. Towers of light formed across countless realms, gates shimmering into existence, and runes glowing faintly in the fabric of space itself.

Cosmic: (thinking) Instead, they turned it into chaos.

He sighed, his voice carrying the weight of countless failures.

Cosmic: (murmuring) This time... it will be different.

The web of existence pulsed as he released his energy, spreading the System across every corner of creation. Towers erupted from the ground, dungeons materialized in forgotten places, and notifications filled the skies.

[SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
[BALANCE PROTOCOL RESTORED.]

Cosmic's voice carried across all realms, reaching every sentient being.

Cosmic: (calmly) The System returns, not to punish, but to guide. Rise, or be consumed. The choice is yours.

The message etched itself into reality, forcing every soul to acknowledge its weight. Across the worlds, chaos erupted as beings scrambled to understand the implications.