The Vanguard Null warriors formed a circle around Kazen's group. No one spoke for a long time. The silence felt like a challenge—and a warning.
The blindfolded leader finally raised his hand. "My name is Oroth. I was the first to be overwritten."
"You were the first player?" Rael asked.
"No," Oroth replied. "I was the first mistake."
He turned, gesturing to the burning red horizon. "When the system was young, it couldn't handle choices outside of the designed narrative. I disobeyed a god-flag questline. Instead of killing me, it split me. Fragmented me."
"And the others?" Kazen asked.
"They were like me. Glitches. Refusals. Those who wouldn't conform to the rules of the early world."
Patchling whispered, "System anomalies…"
Oroth nodded. "So we were sealed. Not deleted—just quarantined. We are the Vanguard, the unwanted future."
Rael crossed his arms. "Then you're exactly what we need."
Kazen stepped forward. "The enemy we face is a remnant admin—Xerol. He's bringing back corrupted legacy data and system ghosts. They follow the old code."
"We don't follow any code," Oroth said.
"That's why you can fight them
Oroth looked at the other Vanguard members. One by one, they nodded. Not with loyalty, but with hunger—for purpose.
"We'll lend our strength. But know this—our power is not clean. It was never meant to exist."
> New Faction Joined: Vanguard Null
> Access Granted: Pre-System Arts
> Unlocking: Forbidden Skill Tree – "Bleed Code"
Suddenly, Kazen's interface flickered. A new tab appeared—one he couldn't scan. The skills weren't described in text. They pulsed with emotion. Anger. Regret. Hope.
Then, Patchling's screen lit up.
> Alert: Nullpoint Breach
> Location: Eastern Border
> Enemy Flag: Fragment Lord Xerol
> Force Detected: 1,230 Legacy Echo Units
> Status: Incoming
Rael grinned. "Guess they're not waiting."
Oroth cracked his neck. "Then let's give them a welcome."
And the forgotten code began to bleed again.