48 hours of Emerald Protection. No one can take it. No one can steal it.
That's what the system promised.
But it didn't say anything about what would come looking.
---
They left the temple at sunrise. Or something that felt like sunrise—gold-tinged mist rising through the Verdant Abyss, vines uncoiling like yawning serpents, and the soft pulse of the claimed Emerald still humming against Jonathan's chest.
He didn't know if it was warmth or pressure. But it never stopped.
Teshaal trudged ahead, sword slung over his shoulder. "We should keep moving till we find a Sanctuary Zone. They exist on the edges of each stage world. Temporary safety."
"And how long before the next stage begins?" Jonathan asked.
Liari glanced back. "Three days, if we're lucky. Maybe less."
"Lucky," Vikka scoffed, retying her braid. "You're holding an Emerald. They'll hunt us just for walking beside you."
> SYSTEM:
Intermission Countdown: 72 Hours
Next Stage: The City Beneath Rot
WARNING: Players who do not enter a Stage Zone within the window will be disqualified and memory-erased.
Jonathan flinched.
"Still freaks you out?" Teshaal asked.
"It's the 'memory-erased' part," he said quietly. "That's worse than dying."
Vikka shrugged. "Some players want it. Anything to stop remembering how they died."
---
By midday, they reached a cliffside basin—waterfall-fed, covered in bioluminescent moss. A beacon-stone sat embedded in a rock, blinking blue.
Teshaal placed his hand on it.
> SANCTUARY ZONE ESTABLISHED
Temporary Safe Haven - 12 Hours
PvP Disabled. Auto-Repel Active.
GP Recovery Rate Increased.
"Rest here," he said. "We rotate watch."
But Jonathan couldn't sleep.
He sat at the edge, staring out at the vines swaying over the abyss, the Emerald's hum still deep in his bones. When he finally checked his stats, something had changed.
> Name: Jonathan Virell
GP (Grand Potential): 23
ATTRIBUTE: Retention (Unique)
Emeralds Held: 1
STATUS: Protected (46h)
Trait: Emerald Thread (Passive)
Slight resistance to mind corruption
Memory decay halved
[G.P. Description]
Grand Potential is a measure of a player's untapped growth and combat ceiling. Increases through achievements, eliminations, survival, and significant acts (e.g., claiming a Grand Emerald). GP affects compatibility with advanced relics and world-layer permissions.
Only 23 GP.
He didn't know what a good number was—but Ashvya had over 100.
He exhaled. "I'm a rookie. And I'm glowing like a damn beacon."
"You should dim it then."
Jonathan turned.
The man wasn't part of their group.
He stood at the base of a fallen log, skin like polished obsidian, eyes glowing a soft green. No visible weapons. No armor. Just a cloak stitched with what looked like golden code.
"You're not supposed to be here," Teshaal growled, stepping forward.
"PvP's off, relax," the man said smoothly. "I'm here as a courier."
He tossed something.
Jonathan caught it.
A silver coin. On one side: a three-eyed skull. On the other: a spiral of black glass.
"The factions know someone claimed the first Emerald," the courier said. "Some want to recruit you. Some want to test you. Most want you dead."
"And who are you with?" Vikka asked.
The man smiled. "None of them."
Then vanished.
No sound. No portal. Just gone.
---
"Who are these factions?" Jonathan asked that night, while they sat around the low fire.
Teshaal poked the embers. "There's dozens. Some small, some massive. The biggest ones control stage zones, form temporary cities, even trade resources. But none of them have more than four Emeralds—yet."
"And all of them want more."
Liari nodded. "They want to use the winner. Whoever gets the 12 Emeralds doesn't just come back to life—they shape what comes after. The factions believe the winner becomes the next Architect."
Jonathan frowned. "Architect?"
Teshaal looked up. "The one who designed the Grand Finale. The one who vanished. Some say they weren't a player—they became the game."
Jonathan stared at the coin in his hand. Spiral. Skull. He didn't know what either meant.
But something told him—he was already on someone's map.
---
> SYSTEM:
Player "Kaelen the Gilded" has initiated World Event: Towerfall
All players not aligned with Kaelen's faction are considered Invaders in Upper Skylands.
GP Gain rate tripled for PvP eliminations in this region.
Deaths: 312 (and rising…)
"Name just dropped," Vikka muttered, reading the system feed. "Kaelen the Gilded. That's one of the big ones."
"He just turned an entire sky region into a warzone," Liari said.
Jonathan looked out into the jungle mist.
"Good," he whispered. "Let them look up there."