In the blink of an eye, high noon settled over the primitive continent of Azrua—the vast world that had become a new home for millions of players... or rather, prisoners.
Everyone was in a frantic race against time, desperately seeking to improve their territories, raise their levels, and secure protection by any means before the final three days of the safety period expired. But the sky, which was always limitless, did not remain calm this time.
Suddenly, dozens of beams of light pierced through it, pouring down from the heights to every corner of the continent like a celestial rain of pure energy. Colors shimmered, and the virtual earth trembled beneath everyone's feet.
[System Warning: Unauthorized spatial disturbance detected on the main continent – Azrua.]
[Geospatial data analysis in progress...]
[Result: Energy emissions of unknown origin – Scope: Planet-wide.]
Astonishment surged through the public chat channels like a storm:
[Guys! Look at the sky! What in the name of the System is this?!]
[Multiple beams of light! Could it be a global treasure event? Or an external meteor?]
[Impossible! There are too many for it to be a single meteor!]
[Brothers, one of them landed near me! I'm going in and I'll report back!]
[Careful! It could be a trap! Or an AI-specific event!]
[On the contrary, this is a rare opportunity. I'm moving out with my forces immediately.]
Fear and curiosity wrestled within every player. Some retreated behind their borders, locking every gate, while others rushed headlong toward the source of the light, as if the treasures they had dreamed of all their lives were waiting for them there.
In the sky, the beams continued to fall like luminous waterfalls, piercing the artificial atmosphere and striking the ground with soft explosions resembling scattered stardust. One of those beams landed just five kilometers from Shaun Evander's territory.
...
In the vast plain connecting the edges of the eastern forest, hundreds of Lords gathered from all directions, watching the celestial beam that descended like a spear of light amidst the dust. As the minutes passed, their numbers grew, and the area turned into a bustling market of curiosity and anticipation.
You could hear their voices in the regional channel, overlapping in a chaos that was both hilarious and organized at the same time.
[Man, I got here fast; the beam appeared right next to me too!]
[Same! I didn't expect us to be this close to each other!]
[If there's an event or treasure, we can cooperate temporarily, right?]
[Hmm, cooperation only at first. After that... every man for himself!]
Another laughed and added:
[At least now I won't feel lonely; I thought I was the only one stuck here!]
Between laughter and caution, temporary alliances began to form quickly. Some Lords appeared friendly and eager to participate, while others stood at a distance in suspicious silence, watching from the shadows like hunters waiting for the right moment to strike their prey.
The air was tense….
Among the crowd, there were massive disparities in power and level.
Most were Level 6 to 9, meaning E-Grade.
Only a few had managed to reach D-Grade, where their forces possessed real skills exceeding Level 10.
It wasn't yet known if they had summoned those powerful forces from the start or raised their level through blood and toil. But among their exhausted faces, it was clear everyone had fought for every single experience point.
And amidst this crowd of the greedy and the expectant, some stood completely silent. Their cold eyes watched the other players, memorizing their features, locations, and troop counts. Even here, the human instinct for survival remained stronger than anything else.
Meanwhile...
On the other side of the plain, inside the dense forest separating the beam from Shaun's lands, one of the Shadow Hunters—named Wagyu—pounced on a D-Grade monster.
His body writhed in the shadows like deadly smoke, and soon his dagger plunged into the chest of the giant beast, which collapsed to the ground roaring before disintegrating into black ash.
[Monster Eliminated: Ironblood Leopard – Grade D]
[+110 Experience Gained]
[Ironblood Leopard Crystal Obtained – Grade D]
[Town Hall upgraded to Level 19]
[Governor Shaun Evander upgraded to Level 19!]
Shaun paused for a moment before the notification window, then raised an eyebrow with a faint smile: "Finally, huh? I'm not just a novice anymore."
But that joy didn't last long.
[Warning: Next upgrade requirements not met.]
[Materials required for Level 20 Upgrade:]
[1,000 x Wood]
[5,000 x Stone]
[1,000 x Iron Ore]
[500 x D-Grade Magical Crystals]
"Iron ore again?" he muttered with annoyance. Since the start of the game, he hadn't found a steady source of that material, despite all his efforts in mining and exploration.
He sat on a massive tree trunk and opened his virtual resource map. All the glowing icons representing rare resources were far too distant from his city—most were behind fields occupied by other players or powerful monsters.
[System Notice: Strong magical disturbances observed 5 km from your current location.]
[Preliminary Analysis: Energy source matches one of the descending light beams.]
[System Advice: Investigation recommended. Chance of acquiring rare resources: 73%.]
Shaun froze for a moment. "Only five kilometers?! So this beam fell right near me!"
His eyes gleamed with a mix of greed and curiosity, just as the beam had gleamed in the sky moments ago. But he didn't move yet. Instead, he closed his eyes for a second and summoned a small map showing the positions of his units.
[Unit: Wagyu – Shadow Hunter – Level 11]
[Status: Ready]
[Orders: Reconnaissance and tracking without engagement]
"I won't move personally yet. Let's first find out what we're up against..."
In the background, messages continued to pour in non-stop via the regional channel, like a wave of mass hysteria.
[The light beams are starting to fade! Hurry!]
[My God! Something is coming out from inside the beam!]
[It's... it's a capsule?!]
[Guys, don't get close! Someone stopped moving after touching it!]
Shaun raised his head again, contemplating the sky which was starting to clear, a faint smile creeping onto his face. "Well... it looks like another day of madness has begun."
[System: Global Event Start – "Celestial Descent Gates".]
[Warning: Surrounding areas may face field disturbances over the next 24 hours.]
[Note: Rewards scale with the risk.]
Shaun laughed softly and whispered as if preparing to dive into a new catastrophe: "Rewards scale with the risk, right? Well, System... let's see which of us swallows the other first."