The night was calm, yet heavy.
Haru sat in silence inside the elegant room gifted by King Illendir — walls made of silverwood, faint blue runes glowing like stars. It was beautiful, but he couldn't sleep.
He wasn't used to peace anymore.
He lay back for a moment, eyes half-closed, listening to the soft hum of magic in the air.
Then, a sharp sound broke the quiet.
> Ding!
[System Notification]
Global Quest Activated
A bright light appeared before his eyes.
The familiar blue panel unfolded with golden letters, far more intense than usual.
> Quest: Defeat the Lich King Verlin
Affiliation: One of the 9 Seats of Paradox
Type: Undead / Catastrophic Class
Level: 100
Location: Asterfell — Capital of the Zerath Empire
Failure Condition: Collapse of the Northern Continent
Quest Reward for Completion (Distributed to All Active System Holders):
• 3x Legendary Chest
• 5x Epic Chest
• 500,000 Experience Points
Haru sat up, the reflection of the screen glowing across his face.
A lich… another one tied to the Nine Seats.
He clenched his fists. The memory of Limbo, that black-winged monster, flashed through his mind—the cold voice, the death of his comrades, the helplessness that buried itself deep in his bones.
His breath grew heavy.
> "Verlin… another one of you bastards."
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down. The message faded, but its presence lingered like an echo in his chest.
The world outside was silent again. But inside the room, Haru opened his system window, something he hadn't done for weeks. Dusty icons glowed one by one, showing everything he'd ignored while fighting.
Then he saw it.
The Ranking Panel.
> [RANKING LIST]
1. Haru Villamor
2. Anonymous
3. Anonymous
4. Anonymous
5. Anonymous
6. Anonymous
7. Anonymous
8. Anonymous
9. Anonymous
10. Anonymous
11. Anonymous
12. Anonymous
13. Anonymous
14. None
Haru's eyes narrowed.
Last time he looked, it was only him.
Now… there were thirteen others.
No names. No faces. No stats.
Just the word "Anonymous."
He leaned back slowly, his heart beating louder in the quiet room.
> "So I'm not the only one anymore…"
But the thought didn't bring him comfort. It brought something colder.
If these others were strong enough to enter the list—then the world was changing faster than anyone could see.
Haru closed the window. The glow faded, leaving him in darkness.
He whispered to himself,
> "Nine Seats of Paradox… and now, new Rankers."
The night wind entered through the window, and the soft hum of the world tree filled the silence again.
For the first time in months, Haru didn't feel like a warrior or a savior—just a man standing before something far bigger than himself.