Earlier That Evening…
Hours before the ambush...
Ryan had been summoned privately to the Governor's study. The chamber was dim, lit by two hanging lamps and filled with the smell of incense and aging scrolls.
The governor looked up from his desk, hands clasped. "Tell me truly. How long will it take you to decode that parchment?"
Ryan dropped to one knee. "My lord... I must apologize."
The governor's brow tightened.
"I have already decoded the entire letter. I did so yesterday."
"What?" The governor's voice was low and dangerous.
Ryan stayed bowed. "I meant no deception. I merely withheld it after your son's… passionate dismissal. I feared that speaking up might appear arrogant, or worse, insubordinate. I am but a lowly scribe's assistant. My words hold no weight."
The governor sat back, face unreadable.
A long pause. Then — a slight nod.
"You chose the path of humility. Perhaps wisely."
[Charm Check: Passed]
The Governor leaned forward, arms resting on the table, eyes fixed on Ryan with the weight of a man who ruled lives.
"Speak, boy. What does the letter say — the truth this time?"
Ryan's heart beat fast, but his tone remained calm, his body language humble.
"It's not addressed to you, my lord," he said slowly. "It's intended for a spy hidden in this very estate."
The Governor's fingers clenched slightly on the desk.
"Go on."
"The Middle Kingdom isn't warning you, they're using you. They've learned that Persia has a spy among your own people, feeding details about the city, the region, and even your movements… to the Persian military."
The Governor's eyes narrowed, his voice like stone grinding on stone. "So we are harboring not one, but two spies?"
Ryan nodded solemnly.
"Yes, my lord. One serves Persia. The other, the Middle Kingdom, sent this letter — it was meant to land in the hands of their spy, to inform them to intercept the Persian agent, feed false intel to the Persian army, and lead them into a trap. While Persia turns its gaze here, the Middle Kingdom's navy plans to burn Pasargadae to the ground."
The air in the chamber grew heavy. The governor rose slowly, pacing. His face showed no emotion — only calculation.
Ryan stepped forward boldly. "If you still doubt me, you can test it."
The governor paused. "How?"
"Spread a rumor. Tell the estate that I managed to fully decode the letter, and that the information I uncovered could topple the Persian Empire in three days. Let it be known that you're considering rewarding me greatly."
Ryan's eyes gleamed with cool resolve. "If either spy is still here, they'll come for me."
The Governor studied him.
[Charm Check: Passed]
"Very well."
He turned to the scribe. "Make it subtle but loud enough. Let the estate know this scribe assistant has found something that will shift the course of history."
He looked at Ryan again — his expression still unreadable. "Let's see who comes crawling out of the shadows tonight."
Back to the Present;
The soldiers dragged the masked man into the light. The scribe gasped. Ryan narrowed his eyes. The governor's lips tightened as the mask fell to the floor.
"Nanan?" the governor whispered, his voice hollow.
His son — the heir — stood there, disarmed, defiant yet trembling under the torches.
"Yes, father," Nanan muttered bitterly, blood trickling from a cut on his lip. "The Persian Empire promised us power. After they conquered Babylon, they would let us rule it. We were always second to them anyway—"
SLAP!
The governor's hand cracked across his son's face with the fury of betrayal and heartbreak.
"You would trade our people's freedom for a throne of ash?!"
Ryan stood in the corner, quietly watching, but before he could see more—
[MISSION COMPLETE]
A blinding white light engulfed him, cutting off the world mid-shout.
System Notification
Success. Mission: Expose the Spy - Complete.
Spy captured. The Babylonian Empire will now last thirty years longer in this timeline.
Reward: 1000 Credits
Free Attribute Points: +2
Ryan blinked, finding himself back at the Player Nexus, the neutral board where players landed between worlds. The glowing grid spread around him, with the floating stat board hovering in front.
Navigating the interface, he dumped the 2 free points into Intelligence.
[Assigned: +2 Intelligence]
[Total Intelligence: 0.9]
He stared. "What?"
His eye twitched.
"I had 0.7… shouldn't this make it 2.7? System, please answer my question."
The system beeped, flatly:
Higher stats require exponentially more energy to increase.
Intelligence growth rate: 1 point = +0.1 (current stage).
Ryan cursed. "Are you telling me I'll need 20 points just to reach 2?! This is robbery!"
Meanwhile, somewhere in Babylon…
A woman in a red veil clenched a scroll in her hand, standing on the rooftop of a tavern overlooking the city walls.
"Damn it…"
She bit her lip, eyes narrowing as torches flared across the estate in the distance.
"Someone already completed the mission? I didn't even get a name."
A System Notification appeared in front of her:
Mission Failed. New Assignment Generating...
She growled.
"Who the hell was that player?"
Her eyes gleamed with new resolve.
"Next time… I won't be too late."
*
Elsewhere, in other part of the board;
In the burning jungles of Tenochtitlan, Aztec warriors lay strewn across the muddy ground — spears broken, shields splintered, bodies cold.
Standing among them was a man in a modern military uniform, now tattered, bloodied, and soaked in sweat.
A spear rested in his grip, not a gun — this world didn't permit modern tools, only what history could provide.
He exhaled heavily, watching the last tribal leader crumple to the earth before a flicker of blue light filled his vision.
[Mission Complete: "Crush the Rebellion"]
Reward: 1 Free Attribute Point +1000 Credits
Historical Change: Minor. Timeline stability unaffected.
Nishanth Krishna, aka Krish, didn't celebrate.
He simply muttered under his breath as he stood in the aftermath of the fight: "All this slaughter... for one free attribute point and a thousand credits?"
He lowered his weapon. His eyes, steely and calm, scanned the battlefield, not with guilt, but with thoughtfulness.
"I don't mind killing. But it's only honorable when it's for your people. To protect something real, family, land, country… Not when it's for this game. Not when it's for points."
His boots squelched through the blood and mud as he walked across the field, stepping past corpses, young and old, warriors and scouts alike.
He clenched his jaw. "But then again… this is history."
He stopped at the edge of a cliff, where he could see the vast lakes and temples of Tenochtitlan glowing under the evening sun.
"And history…" he whispered, "is built on the graves of millions. There will be more blood on my hands whether I want it or not."
He opened his stat board. Unlike most players who struggled to gain even one whole point, his stats were already balanced and above 2 in all categories — a sign of experience, strategy, and ruthless efficiency.
Name: Nishanth Krishna
Affinity: 2
Strength: 2.3
Agility: 2.1
Intelligence: 2.2
Charisma: 2.0
Credits: 4800
Free Points Available: 3
He paused. "I can't fall behind. Not now."
As he selected +3 in Affinity, he narrowed his eyes and rolled his neck.
"Whoever's ahead… I'll catch up. Whether I have to kill, lie, or burn a city to the ground."
The system beeped.
New Dice Roll Unlocked
Next Destination: The Battle of Zhulou.
"So next… I'm going to China, huh?" he muttered. "Alright then."