The cold between worlds bites hard. Stars hang like nails in a black sky, and Zarronkamkar cuts through the void with his wings half-spread, hunting for anything worthy of the dark hush ahead.
Then the path narrows. A man stands there, exact as Son Goku in shape and stance, yet swallowed in absolute black, light refusing to cling to him. The space around him feels heavy, pressed inward.
The Black Goku
Why do you come to this threshold?
Zarronkamkar drifts to a stop in the frozen dark. The stranger does not charge. He only watches, as if measuring whether the demon is trespasser, test, or mistake.
The pressure is coming from him.
The Black Goku
Speak your reason, or turn back now.
The black figure remains dead still, but the void around him trembles faintly, as though it is waiting for Zarronkamkar to move first.
✓ Quest Accepted
Get past Black Goku
“I say, i come to the summons of demons for the touranment of demons, the prize is a rare powerful crystal rose of power and chance at the throne of demons”
SUCCESS (Poor Persuasion, rolled +1)
Zarronkamkar
I come to the summons of demons, for the tournament of demons. The prize is a rare crystal rose of power, and a chance at the throne of demons.
The words hang in the cold between worlds, and the black-clad sentinel’s gaze sharpens. The pressure around him loosens by a hair, as if he has heard a name he meant to test.
The Black Goku
A tournament claim, then. Not a trespasser’s lie. Tell me, demon, who names you worthy of that summons?
Zarronkamkar’s answer lands cleanly, but the void takes its price. A jagged sting of cold bites one shoulder, and a thin crack of pale light flickers across the threshold behind Black Goku.
The Black Goku
A contestant with ambition, and no fear worth trusting. That is useful. Let him speak more, and I will know whether the gate should open.
Black Goku steps half aside, not yet welcoming, but no longer squarely barring the path. The threshold shivers brighter, awaiting the next word or gesture.
“I ask, are any of the demons of this universe incredibly powerful and cruel”
FAILURE (Poor Persuasion, rolled -2)
Zarronkamkar
Are there any demons in this universe who are truly powerful, and cruel?
The question drifts out into the black, small against the threshold's pulse. Black Goku does not answer at once, and that silence feels measured rather than empty.
The Black Goku
Cruelty is common. Power is common enough to brag about. The two together are rare, and usually disappointing.
The Black Goku
But if you ask who matters, then hear this. The demons that endure are the ones who can bear their own appetite without flinching.
He angles his chin toward the brightening seam behind him, as if the answer is less important than the test hidden inside it.
The Black Goku
I know one such demon. Not here, not near. If you want the name, first prove you do not come only to boast.
The gap beside him remains open, but only by a handspan, enough to tempt and refuse at the same time.
“I say if you wish to spar, sir, im not a legend. I take a ready for sparring pose”
FAILURE (Poor Melee Combat, rolled +0)
Zarronkamkar
If you wish to spar, sir, I am not a legend.
Zarronkamkar eases into a fighting stance, feet set and wings angling back for balance. The move is measured, but the gap between them feels thinner now, like the void itself is listening.
The Black Goku
A legend is only a shell people admire from far away. I ask for something simpler, your will, here and now.
The Black Goku
Good. You do not bluff with empty confidence. You correct yourself before the strike, that matters.
He lowers his hand a fraction. The seam behind him widens just enough to show a pale edge beyond the black, a path that could be taken if Zarronkamkar dares to move first.
The Black Goku
Not a legend, then. Perhaps better. Legends crumble when touched.
The Black Goku
Step through, if you are serious. Or stay and prove how serious you are.
“I stay”
SUCCESS (Good Willpower, rolled +1)
Zarronkamkar holds his ground. The void does not press him back. It seems to weigh him, then accept the weight in return.
The Black Goku
Good. Staying is a kind of answer.
The Black Goku
He does not flinch. He does not chase the opening. Interesting.
Black Goku shifts aside, not as a surrender, but as a verdict. The pale seam behind him steadies into a clean opening, no longer just a tease of light.
The Black Goku
Pass, then. If you can keep your will while you do it.
The threshold yields without protest. The pressure on Zarronkamkar's path loosens, and the space beyond stops feeling barred.
Quest Complete
Get past Black Goku
Attribute Upgrade: Willpower Good→Great
“I ask about his question, proving not to boast”
SUCCESS (Great Willpower, rolled +3)
Zarronkamkar
Why did you ask what I want, then?
The question lands plainly, with no boast behind it. The void seems to listen harder.
The Black Goku
Because most who hunger announce their hunger first. You asked before you reached.
The Black Goku
There is restraint in him. Not peace, restraint.
He turns his head toward the open seam, and the pale light catches nothing on his face. His attention comes back to Zarronkamkar like a measured blade.
The Black Goku
That tells me more than a hundred threats would.
The passage brightens once, and a thin mark of dark sparkle appears in the air at chest height, hanging where the threshold edge used to resist him. It looks like a sign, or a token, waiting to be taken.
The Black Goku
Go on, then. If you still want my answer, take the road first. I will speak on the far side.
Zarronkamkar leaves The void between universes behind and arrives at The far side of the threshold.
“I follow his direction”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +0)
Zarronkamkar steps through the seam and the threshold closes behind him with a soft, soundless shimmer. The air on this side is thinner, colder, and strangely still, like a chapel holding its breath.
The Black Goku
There. Now you stand where words have weight.
The dark-spark token that hovered between them slips into Zarronkamkar's reach, and the passage widens into a clean, stable arch.
The Black Goku
You chose the road without hesitation. Good. Hesitation tells me more than courage ever could.
Beyond him, the far side of the threshold opens onto a vast dim expanse, with distant motes of light drifting like embers trapped in glass.
The Black Goku
Speak your aim plainly here, demon, or keep it folded up until it matters. Either way, the way is open.
The token settles against Zarronkamkar's palm like a cold coin, and the dark figure waits, unhurried, for his next move.
+ New Item Acquired
dark-spark token
“I say, i have no quest besides the tournament. I like to fight other demons and cause havoc on the immoral”
FAILURE (Poor Persuasion, rolled -2)
Zarronkamkar
I have no quest besides the tournament. I like fighting other demons, and causing havoc on the immoral.
The words hang in the thin dark air, plain and sharp. The token cools against Zarronkamkar’s palm, and the open arch waits behind him like an offered road.
The Black Goku
Honest, then. Not noble, not clean, just honest.
The Black Goku
That is rarer than virtue.
He tilts his head, studying Zarronkamkar as if weighing the shape of a blade by its shadow.
The Black Goku
You do not dress hunger in sermons. Good. Men who brag of justice often want applause more than blood.
The Black Goku
A tournament suits you better than a crusade.
For a moment, the dark motes beyond the arch drift slower, as if the void itself is listening.
The Black Goku
Go on, demon. Win your crystal rose, and return if you still want names.
✓ Quest Accepted
Win the crystal rose