Chapter 98 — Lunch with an Administrator
The tense atmosphere gradually eased.
To everyone's surprise, Orion simply smiled.
"Relax."
"I'm not here to erase any of you from existence."
He chuckled as if it were a harmless joke.
"...Today."
Nobody laughed.
Volt forced a smile.
"The fact that you can do that isn't exactly comforting."
Orion shrugged.
"I suppose that's fair."
Without waiting for anyone's answer, he turned around.
"Come."
"I know an excellent restaurant nearby."
Before anyone could refuse, Imperial Elite Guards surrounded the group from a respectful distance.
They weren't pointing weapons.
They weren't threatening anyone.
Yet everyone understood the message.
Refusing wasn't really an option.
The group had little choice but to follow.
Although Administrator Orion walked ahead as if inviting old friends to lunch...
No one mistook it for a friendly invitation.
Around them, nearly a dozen Imperial Elite Guards silently formed a loose escort.
They never raised their weapons.
They never uttered a threat.
Yet the pressure they emitted alone was enough to make ordinary players turn away.
Every guard wore polished Imperial armor engraved with the Empire's crest.
Each movement was disciplined.
Each step perfectly synchronized.
To anyone else, it looked like an honored guest being escorted through Helios Reach.
But Ryze knew better.
It was a cage.
A moving prison with no visible bars.
Volt leaned closer and whispered under his breath.
"...If we run now..."
"I'm pretty sure we'd be dead before taking five steps."
SK quietly nodded.
"The Imperial Elite Guard aren't ordinary soldiers."
"They're the Empire's finest."
"Every one of them has survived countless battlefields."
"And..."
She briefly glanced at Orion walking ahead.
"They're personally assigned to protect an Administrator."
Ryze tightened her grip around her rifle.
"...Great."
"So we're basically surrounded."
Blaze, however, continued walking as if nothing was wrong.
His relaxed attitude almost made the situation feel normal.
Almost.
After several minutes, they arrived at one of Helios Reach's most luxurious restaurants overlooking the city's crystal canals.
The moment the owner recognized Orion—
His face instantly turned pale.
"A-Administrator!"
"W-Welcome!"
Every employee hurried into action.
The owner nearly fainted upon seeing who his customer was.
Orion waved casually.
"The usual."
"And enough food for everyone."
Customers quietly moved aside, not wanting to attract the attention of either the Empire... or the Administrator himself.
As everyone took their seats, Ryze subtly activated her HUD.
A transparent blue interface appeared before her vision.
Target Detected.
She focused on Orion.
Scanning...
Accessing Player Information...
A loading icon spun for several seconds.
Then—
ERROR
ACCESS DENIED
INSUFFICIENT AUTHORIZATION
The screen flickered violently before turning completely blank.
"...What?"
Ryze frowned.
She tried again.
Nothing.
No level.
No class.
No equipment.
No statistics.
Not even a name.
Only an empty black window.
It was as though the System itself refused to acknowledge the existence of the man sitting across from her.
Orion calmly took a sip of tea.
Without even looking in her direction, he smiled.
"...It's rude to inspect someone without asking."
Ryze's eyes widened.
"...You..."
He already knew.
Orion slowly set the teacup back onto its saucer.
"Administrator-level data isn't accessible to ordinary players."
He smiled pleasantly.
"Even your System knows that."
Ryze quietly dismissed her HUD.
For the first time since arriving in Helios Reach...
She truly understood.
The person sitting across the table wasn't simply another powerful player.
Moments later...
The table was overflowing.
Roasted wyvern.
Mana fish.
Dragon steak.
Golden bread.
Fresh fruits.
Several desserts.
Enough food to feed twenty people.
Ryze stared blankly.
"...Isn't this supposed to be a quick lunch?"
Orion smiled proudly.
"I have excellent taste."
"It would be rude not to share it."
Blaze simply picked up a piece of bread.
"...Tastes good."
Orion laughed.
"I knew you'd appreciate quality."
Ryze stared across the table.
The man calmly sipping tea before her looked no different from an ordinary traveler.
Yet...
He could erase cities.
Rewrite reality.
Stop time itself.
The contrast made her stomach turn.
She finally broke the silence.
"...Can I ask you something?"
Orion slowly looked up from his teacup.
"Of course."
Ryze folded her arms.
"What is an Administrator even doing here in the New World?"
She leaned forward slightly.
"And why Helios Reach?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Did you really come all this way just to mess with us?"
Volt quietly looked between the two.
"...Ryze..."
But she ignored him.
"I thought Administrators had their own headquarters."
"A place completely separate from the rest of us."
"A paradise."
"The kind of place players can only dream of reaching."
She shook her head in disbelief.
"But instead..."
"You're down here."
"Playing god."
"Playing the role of some tyrant who has nothing better to do than toy with ordinary players."
The restaurant suddenly became much quieter.
Even several Imperial Elite Guards glanced toward their Administrator.
Nobody dared interrupt.
Orion remained perfectly calm.
Then...
He smiled.
"...Playing god?"
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"I've been called worse."
He gently placed his teacup onto its saucer.
"You ask why I'm here."
"The answer is simple."
He slowly looked out the restaurant window toward the bustling streets of Helios Reach.
"Because staying up there..."
"...would be unbearably boring."
He gestured lazily toward the sky.
"The Administrator Headquarters is peaceful."
"Comfortable."
"Luxurious."
"Everything an ordinary player could ever wish for."
He sighed dramatically.
"But after years and years..."
"Paradise becomes a prison."
His golden eyes drifted back toward Ryze.
"So I come here."
"I watch."
"I observe."
"I experience the world the players have built."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"And sometimes..."
"I interfere."
Ryze's expression darkened.
"So our lives are entertainment to you."
Orion didn't deny it.
"I find players fascinating."
"You struggle."
"You adapt."
"You betray one another."
"You form kingdoms."
"You wage wars."
"You dream of changing the world."
He rested his chin on one hand.
"And then..."
"You make one wrong decision."
"...and everything falls apart."
His smile widened ever so slightly.
"There is something beautifully unpredictable about that."
Ryze clenched her fists beneath the table.
"So you just watch people suffer?"
"If an entire city burns..."
"If thousands die..."
"You don't care?"
Orion's expression didn't change.
"Should I?"
The single question sent a chill through the room.
"My responsibility is maintaining SkyRealm."
"Not protecting every individual player."
"If someone makes a foolish decision..."
"If they choose a dangerous path..."
"If they lose everything..."
He shrugged.
"That isn't my problem."
"I'm simply performing the duty I was meant to perform."
"The world continues moving."
"Whether one player survives..."
"...or a million perish."
Silence filled the table.
Even Volt found himself unable to respond.
Orion leaned back comfortably.
"Besides..."
His eyes settled on Ryze once more.
"Players like you are far more interesting than those who quietly follow the rules."
"You resist."
"You challenge fate."
"You constantly attempt the impossible."
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"That's why I enjoy coming down here."
"You never fail to entertain me."
Ryze glared at him.
A surge of anger burned in her chest.
"...You're unbelievable."
Orion simply smiled.
"I get that reaction quite often."
Across the table, Blaze quietly watched the exchange without saying a word.
The Administrator leaned back in his chair.
"So..."
"What do you think of the Empire?"
Blaze thought for a moment.
"...It's impressive."
"Exactly."
Orion snapped his fingers.
"The roads."
"The cities."
"The trade."
"The peace."
"People only remember our wars."
"They never acknowledge everything we've built."
He looked directly at Blaze.
"The Empire needs capable people."
"Veterans."
"Leaders."
"People like you."
"You should come back."
Silence followed.
Ryze quietly looked down at her plate.
SK remained expressionless.
Volt watched Orion carefully.
The Administrator continued.
"I've heard quite a lot about you."
"Commander Frostbyte."
"The Grand Master."
"They're both... interested."
He smiled.
"If you return..."
"I can help recover your lost memories."
Blaze looked at him quietly.
"...You can?"
"I have resources beyond ordinary players."
"I might even discover your true identity."
Then Orion glanced toward SK.
"And..."
"The Empire is willing to restore SK's title."
"The Reaper."
"Imperial Officer."
"Her record can disappear as though none of this ever happened."
For the first time...
SK's expression changed.
Then Orion looked toward Ryze.
"And as for you..."
Before he could continue—
Ryze suddenly slammed both hands onto the table.
"STOP!."
Everyone froze.
She stared directly at Orion.
"I thought Administrators weren't supposed to interfere with players."
Orion raised an eyebrow.
Ryze continued, her voice becoming sharper.
"You tell us you're not responsible for what players do."
"You say you don't care when people make the wrong choices."
"You claim you're simply watching the game."
She pointed toward him.
"Then why help the Empire?"
"Why give them your Authority?"
"Why help them dominate the game?"
"Why use your power to support their conquest?"
The smile on Orion's face began to fade.
Ryze leaned forward.
"You keep talking about order."
"You keep talking about peace."
"But you know what the Empire is doing."
"They're conquering territories."
"They're absorbing other factions."
"They're forcing people to submit under the excuse of bringing order to the New World."
She clenched her fists.
"And you're helping them."
"That's not maintaining the System."
"That's interfering."
The restaurant had become completely silent.
Even the Imperial Elite Guards remained motionless.
Ryze didn't stop.
"You tell us the Empire is bringing peace."
"But what I see is conquest."
"You tell us they're protecting people."
"But what I see is an Empire expanding its territory."
"You're an Administrator."
"So why?"
She stared directly into Orion's golden eyes.
"Is it because supporting the Empire benefits you?"
"More territory."
"More influence."
"More privileges."
"More authority over the people living here."
Her voice became colder.
"Maybe you aren't supporting the Empire because you believe in their ideals."
"Maybe you're supporting them because it gives you more power."
Blaze couldn't help but smile slightly.
Even SK's lips curved upward.
Volt quietly covered his face.
"...Ryze..."
Orion remained silent.
For several seconds...
He simply stared at her.
The faint smile on his face slowly disappeared.
"...Are you finished?"
Orion remained silent.
The warmth in his expression faded, replaced by a cold, unreadable gaze.
He looked directly into Ryze's eyes.
"...You know..."
"I've read quite a few reports about you."
"The Starlink Sniper."
"The Resistance's troublesome little marksman."
He let out a quiet sigh.
"But..."
"They never mentioned you were this..."
He paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words.
"...Annoying."
"...Disrespectful."
"...And, above all..."
"...A fool."
The temperature inside the restaurant seemed to drop.
Even the Imperial Elite Guards standing nearby instinctively straightened their posture.
Orion slowly folded his hands together on the table.
"I've tolerated your behavior since we met."
"I allowed your insults."
"I overlooked your accusations."
"I even answered your questions out of courtesy."
His golden eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"But I can see now..."
"...that my patience has been wasted."
He slowly rose from his chair.
The smile was gone.
Only a frightening calm remained.
"...So..?"
His voice was soft.
Almost gentle.
His voice became frighteningly calm.
"Can we have a little quiet now?"
The world froze.
Every sound vanished.
The steam rising from the food stopped moving.
The nearby soldiers became motionless statues.
Even Blaze...
Didn't move.
Ryze's breathing became heavy.
"W-What..."
Only two people remained.
Her.
And Orion.
"You know..."
"I dislike people who interrupt others."
He slowly walked toward her.
"Ryze."
"The Starlink Sniper."
"A Starborn."
"A girl rejected by Countless Star."
"So desperate to belong..."
"...that you ran to SkyRealm instead."
Ryze clenched her fists.
"...Shut up."
Orion ignored her.
"You don't fit anywhere."
"And yet..."
"You continue pretending that you do."
His right hand slowly reached toward her.
Golden fragments of code flickered around his fingertips.
Reality itself glitched.
"I wonder..."
"...how difficult it would be to erase one insignificant variable."
Ryze closed her eyes.
She couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Couldn't even scream.
Then—
A hand grabbed Orion's wrist.
"...I think that's enough."
Orion's eyes widened.
"...Impossible."
He slowly turned around.
Blaze stood behind him.
Perfectly calm.
"...You think I'd just let you hurt Ryze?"
"But..."
Orion stared in disbelief.
"...How are you moving?"
Blaze only smiled.
"...No idea."
"And honestly..."
"I don't really care."
CRACK!
Blaze's fist slammed directly into Orion's face.
The impact launched the Administrator across the restaurant.
Tables shattered.
Walls cracked.
The frozen world instantly resumed.
BOOM!!
Everyone turned toward the explosion.
Volt's jaw dropped.
"...Blaze..."
SK couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.
"He..."
"He punched..."
"...an Administrator."
Dust slowly settled.
Blaze stepped in front of Ryze, his glowing blue sword appearing in his hand.
His expression remained calm.
But his eyes had become cold.
He looked toward the rising Administrator.
"Get ready."
He slowly lowered his stance.
"...We might actually have to fight an Administrator."
Around them...
Imperial Elite Guards immediately drew their weapons.
The peaceful lunch...
Had become a battlefield.