Thornhaven – Black Market Syndicate
In a dark alley lit by red-glowing torches, a hunched figure with a stitched cloak coughed out a laugh.
"They're children still… children. And yet…" His finger pointed at the replay of Tyler slashing down the beast.
"Ten seconds. That's no player. That's a key. A trigger to the next phase."
Back in Greenpath Village, Forest Clearing
Tyler sat cross-legged, his hands glowing faintly as his reward chest shimmered in front of him. Kaela sat to his left, her silver chest already partially opened.
They shared a look before nodding.
CLICK.
The lids of both chests flew open with a faint whoosh of magic.
[Kaela's Silver Chest Rewards]
• 10,000 Credits
• Tier-1 Healing Elixir (x3)
• Rare-Grade Spellbook: "Aether Lance"
• Leather Robes of Softstep (+5 Agility)
Kaela gasped.
"This is… way better than anything I've ever pulled. Must be because of the first-kill bonus!"
Then Tyler's chest pulsed bright gold, and he could feel heat surge through his fingertips as it opened.
[Tyler's Silver Chest Rewards – x10 Ancient Warrior Multiplier Activated]
• 100,000 Credits
• Tier-3 Healing Elixir (x2)
• Rare Artifact: "Serrated Fangblade" (Passive Bleed Damage +20%)
• Silverstride Greaves (+50 Agility)
Special Note: Due to Luck Rating of 500,
drop rarity increased by one tier.
"Whoa," Tyler said, blinking.
Kaela leaned over. "Wait—you got one hundred thousand credits? That's a fortune! That's the equivalent of… almost three months of hard grinding."
He glanced at his new greaves, slipping them on.
[Silverstride Greaves Equipped]
+50 Agility
+10 Movement Speed
+5 Evasion
Effect: This armor was forged in the Echo Forges of Skyreach. It amplifies the user's speed with each successful dodge.
"Looks good on you," Kaela said quietly, watching as Tyler's tattoos hummed faintly under the armor.
"Guess I lucked out."
She smiled but didn't respond right away. Then her expression shifted as she scrolled through her HUD.
"Tyler… You've just been added to the global ranking board."
He raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
She nodded slowly. "You're not only ranked for kills and speed… but people are already placing bets. Guilds are tracking you. You're being… watched."
Tyler narrowed his eyes. "Then let them watch."
He pulled up his inventory screen again.
There were still things he didn't understand. The voice that welcomed him… the mysterious message: "Make it to Queen's Land for another clue."
But for now—he had power. Money. Speed. And for the first time in his life—he had control.
Three figures sat around a dusty table in the candle-lit dining hall of the Halden family's estate — a crumbling mansion clinging to its former noble glory. The once-proud second-rate noble family had long faded from influence… until now.
A sharp-eyed woman—lean, cloaked in faded blue silk—set down a glowing scroll with Tyler Freeman's name burning across it in golden letters.
"Tyler Freeman… confirmed. Alive. He's inside Ancient Apocalypse."
A lanky, bearded man leaned back in his creaking chair, fingers drumming against a steel cane.
"He's already making waves. Ten-second boss kill. Hidden class… We threw out a legend."
The woman's jaw tightened. "We didn't know his bloodline would awaken inside the game. We thought the Freeman legacy was gone."
The youngest of them, a girl no older than nineteen, stood sharply. Her expression was conflicted, as if guilt and ambition warred inside her.
"Let's bring him back. If the Halden family is to rise again, we need him. He's ours."
The bearded man gave a slow, grim nod.
"We wait in Ashvale. He'll pass through eventually. And when he does… he won't leave alone."
[Back in Greenpath Forest Trail – Tyler & Kaela]
"Back to town?" Tyler asked, casually wiping his blade before sheathing it across his back. "I want to check that event board again. Maybe something worth grinding."
Kaela glanced sideways, still reeling from the battle's aftermath. "You just leveled up five times in ten seconds. Take a break, man."
He grinned. "Momentum's real. Don't want to lose it."
"You're insane," she muttered, shaking her head. "But fine, let's see what else you drag us into."
They walked under a canopy of emerald leaves. Sunlight speckled the trail as Kaela launched into tales of her closed-beta adventures—fending off rogue bandits, sneaking past tower guardians, and joining her first faction before leaving it in disgust.
Just as she started ranting about how broken mana cost scaling was, a pulse of energy swept through the air.
FZZZMMM.
Two figures materialized ahead of them. Tall, cloaked in dark purple mage robes lined with silver thread, each of them surrounded by glowing orbs crackling with energy.
Tyler's feet slowed.
"Let me guess," he said. "Not friendly NPCs?"
Kaela's voice dropped. "Players. And they're high-level."
The lead mage, a silver-eyed man with a scorched circlet, stepped forward. "Tyler Freeman. Kaela Rin. You're trending."
Tyler's brow lifted.
"We represent the Pyroline Order," the mage said. "Join us. You'll receive elite-tier training, dungeon protection, gear—"
Tyler cut him off.
"No."
The air went still.
The second mage, a woman cloaked in lightning energy, stepped forward. "I don't think you understand. We're giving you a gift."
"I don't want it."
Kaela tried to step in. "Maybe—"
"If you won't join us," the woman snapped, "then you're against us. You think just because you beat one Trial Beast, you're untouchable?"
"Let's find out," the first mage growled.
Spell circles blazed to life under their feet, casting the trail in dancing orange and blue lights.
Tyler's hand flexed, the blue tattoos across his arms glowing faintly beneath his shirt.
[Combat Engaged – 2v2: Threat Level: Moderate-High]