Six months had passed since Cain Blackwood arrived in Aethel Prime. Six months since he'd watched his own world burn beneath the Celestial System's golden gaze, since he'd been torn from everything he'd ever known and dropped into this twisted mirror of reality. In that time, he'd learned the truth of this place—just like his own, it was trapped in the system's endless loop. Heroes were born to fight, Villains to conquer, and neither side ever questioned why. They simply followed the glowing windows that appeared before their eyes at birth, obeyed the quests that popped up like commands, and died for causes that meant nothing at all.
He sat in the back corner of the Broken Blade, the only tavern in the border town of Greyhaven that served both sides when the truce held. The air reeked of ale, sweat, and burnt meat, thick with the sound of raucous laughter and boisterous songs. A group of Heroes from the Silver Sun Company had claimed the largest table near the fire, their armor still splattered with dried blood as they celebrated their latest "victory"—the slaughter of a Villain cell that had been raiding imperial grain stores to feed the hungry farmers in the northern hills. Their golden windows glowed bright against the dim tavern light, each one projecting their triumph for all to see, their quests marked "COMPLETE" in letters that seemed to burn with false pride.
Cain sipped his dark ale, his eyes tracking their movements, his own senses far sharper than any ordinary human's. The Fallen Protocol that had awakened in him when he crossed into this realm had granted him abilities beyond the system's understanding—strength that didn't show on any display, speed that defied the laws of physics as this world knew them, and a sight that cut through every lie the system wove. He'd spent weeks wandering the wild lands between territories, testing his limits, learning how to hide his presence from system scanners, how to read the hidden currents of energy that flowed from every living thing to the massive structure he'd spotted high in the sky on his first night here.
[CELESTIAL SYSTEM – HERO WINDOW v.7.2]
NAME: ARIAN DAWNBLADE
TITLE: STAR GUARDIAN
RANK: ELITE HERO
LEVEL: 45
ATTRIBUTES:
- Holy Strength: 65
- Divine Speed: 70
- Sacred Endurance: 60
- Celestial Wisdom: 55
- Mana Reserve: 500
SKILLS:
- [ACTIVE] Sunburst (Lv.5) – Unleash a burst of holy fire that deals 150-200 damage to all dark-aligned enemies within 10 meters
- [PASSIVE] Radiant Aura (Lv.4) – Grants +10% damage resistance to all allies within 5 meters; causes fear in weak dark creatures
QUEST: ELIMINATE VILLAIN FEEDING CELL – PROGRESS: 100/100
SYSTEM MESSAGE: YOUR VICTORY BRINGS BALANCE TO THE REALM. REWARD GRANTED: +5 LEVELS, HOLY ARMOR UPGRADE, 1000 GOLD COINS
SYSTEM REMINDER: NEXT QUEST AVAILABLE AT SUNRISE – PATROL THE NORTHERN ROADS TO PREVENT FURTHER VILLAIN ACTIVITY
Arian Dawnblade—their leader, if the way the others deferred to him was any indication—noticed Cain staring from across the room. The Hero was young, probably not yet thirty, with golden hair cut short and eyes the color of summer skies. He moved with the effortless grace of someone who'd trained with weapons since childhood, his hand resting casually on the hilt of the longsword at his hip as he made his way through the crowded tavern. His armor was cleaner than his companions', polished to a high sheen, and the symbol of the Silver Sun blazed on his chest plate.
"You're not from around here," Arian said, stopping at Cain's table, his voice carrying clearly over the noise. "No system window visible—are you a spy for the Villains? Or did you somehow manage to hide your status? Either way, that's a crime punishable by exile at best."
Cain set his mug down slowly, his fingers wrapping around the worn wood. He'd known this moment would come—he couldn't stay hidden forever, not if he wanted to make any real change. He'd chosen Greyhaven deliberately, a town on the edge of both Hero and Villain territories, a place where tensions ran high and questions were already beginning to surface among those who lived in the space between the lines.
"I'm not a spy," he said, his voice low but steady. "And I haven't hidden anything."
With a thought, he activated the Fallen Protocol. Where the system's windows glowed gold or red, his appeared as solid gray—no flashy colors, no grand titles, just simple text that seemed to exist outside the system's framework entirely.
[FALLEN PROTOCOL v.1.0 – ACTIVATED]
NAME: CAIN BLACKWOOD
TITLE: THE UNBOUND
RANK: NONE
LEVEL: 1
ATTRIBUTES:
- Shadow Strength: 15
- Cursed Speed: 20
- Resilient Endurance: 12
- Forbidden Wisdom: 25
- Void Mana: 100
SKILLS:
- [PASSIVE] Truth's Veil (Lv.1) – See through all system deceptions, hidden energy flows, and false projections; detect the true nature of all beings
- [ACTIVE] Chaos Strike (Lv.1) – Strike with both holy and unholy energy, bypassing all alignment-based defenses; deals 50-75 damage
- [ACTIVE] Boundary Step (Lv.1) – Move instantly between any two points within 50 meters; leaves no trace detectable by system scanners
- [UNIQUE] Balance Weave (Lv.1) – Rewrite the system's alignment coding within a limited area; allows beings to break free from predefined roles
OBJECTIVE: BREAK THE CYCLE OF HERO-VILLAIN WARS – PROGRESS: 0/100
PROTOCOL MESSAGE: THE SYSTEM IS NOT YOUR SAVIOR. IT IS YOUR PRISON.
Arian stared, his eyes wide with disbelief. He reached out as if to touch the gray window, his hand passing through it without effect. "This... this is impossible. The system controls everything. Every living thing has a status, a role. There's no such thing as... as unbound."
Cain stood, pushing his chair back. He was taller than Arian, broader in the shoulders, and even without activating his strength, he exuded a presence that made the Hero take an involuntary step back.
"I'm going to show you something," Cain said. "Something the system has hidden from all of you. Every Hero, every Villain—you've all been lied to your entire lives."
He activated Truth's Veil, focusing his power on the golden windows scattered throughout the tavern. A wave of silver light rippled through the air, and suddenly the bright displays transformed. Where before there had been only quest updates and victory messages, now there were lines of code, streams of energy, and clear pathways leading up, up, up into the sky. The blood on the Heroes' armor glowed with a sickly green light, each drop connected to a thin thread that fed into the massive structure hidden behind the clouds—a spire of pure energy that pulsed with hunger.
"That's the Celestial Spire," Cain explained, his voice now carrying to every corner of the tavern, cutting through the noise like a knife through butter. "The system tells you it brings balance, that it exists to protect the realm. But look closely—it doesn't bring balance. It feeds on conflict. Every battle you fight, every life you take, every tear you shed—it all goes to power that thing. Every Hero you praise, every Villain you kill, just makes it stronger."
Arian stumbled back, his own golden window flickering and dimming. "That's impossible—the system says the spire is where the Gods reside, where they watch over us and guide our paths."
"The system lies," Cain interrupted, his voice hard with anger and pain. "I've seen what lies beyond your so-called Gods. On my world, the system did the same thing. It marked children as future Heroes or Villains based on nothing more than genetic markers and potential energy levels. I watched them execute a little girl once—she was only seven years old. The system said she'd grow up to be the next Villain Lord, that she'd bring destruction to millions. All she'd done was ask why some people in the city had enough to eat while others starved in the streets. She wanted to share her family's food with the neighbors. For that, she was labeled a threat."
The tavern had fallen completely silent. Every eye was on Cain and Arian, every Hero's window flickering as doubt seeped into their minds. Some stood slowly, their hands moving to their weapons, but others just stared at the glowing energy streams above them, their faces pale with realization.
[SYSTEM ALERT: MASS DOUBT DETECTED – PSYCHIC RESISTANCE THRESHOLD EXCEEDED]
[RE-EDUCATION PROTOCOL INITIATED – ALL AFFECTED UNITS WILL BE SUBJECTED TO MEMORY WIPE AT SUNRISE]
[VILLAIN ARMY DETECTED – 500 STRONG, APPROACHING GREYHAVEN AT FULL SPEED]
[SYSTEM MESSAGE TO ALL HERO UNITS: VILLAINS PLAN TO SLAUGHTER THE TOWN. DEFEND GREYHAVEN AT ALL COSTS. VICTORY WILL RESTORE BALANCE.]
The ground shook beneath their feet, and a low rumble echoed through the hills surrounding the town. Through the tavern windows, they could see crimson banners unfurling on the horizon, the black sigil of the Shadowfang Clan waving in the wind. The sound of hooves and marching feet grew louder by the second, and soon the streets outside were filled with the panicked shouts of townsfolk scrambling to find shelter.
Leading the charge was a woman in black plate armor, her crimson cloak billowing behind her as she rode on a massive black warhorse. Her red window blazed with power, so bright it was almost painful to look at, projecting her quest for all to see.
[CELESTIAL SYSTEM – VILLAIN WINDOW v.7.5]
NAME: MORRIGAN SHADOWFANG
TITLE: BLOOD QUEEN
RANK: ELITE VILLAIN
LEVEL: 48
ATTRIBUTES:
- Unholy Strength: 70
- Cursed Speed: 65
- Dark Endurance: 68
- Infernal Wisdom: 50
- Mana Reserve: 550
SKILLS:
- [ACTIVE] Shadow Torrent (Lv.5) – Summon a wave of living shadow that deals 200-250 damage to all light-aligned enemies within 15 meters; slows movement by 50% for 10 seconds
- [PASSIVE] Fear Aura (Lv.4) – Causes terror in weak light creatures; grants +15% damage to all dark-aligned allies within 8 meters
QUEST: CONQUER GREYHAVEN – PROGRESS: 0/1
SYSTEM MESSAGE: YOUR CONQUEST BRINGS BALANCE TO THE REALM. REWARD GRANTED: +7 LEVELS, DARK ARMOR UPGRADE, CONTROL OF GREYHAVEN TERRITORY
SYSTEM REMINDER: ALL HERO UNITS IN THE AREA ARE TO BE ELIMINATED. NO PRISONERS.
The Heroes in the tavern drew their weapons as one, their golden windows flaring bright with renewed purpose. Even Arian, who'd been shaken by what he'd seen, raised his sword, his face conflicted but his body moving on instinct.
"Defend the town!" he shouted, turning toward the door. "Form a defensive line at the eastern gate! We can't let them slaughter innocent people!"
But before any of them could move, Cain stepped forward, placing himself between the Heroes and the door. He took a deep breath, channeling his Void Mana into his voice, making it boom through the tavern and out into the streets beyond.
"STOP!"
The sound was like thunder, echoing off the buildings and silencing even the marching army outside. Cain activated Balance Weave, and a wave of gray energy spread out from him in all directions, washing over the tavern, the town, and the armies gathering on both sides. Where it touched golden windows, they flickered and softened. Where it touched red windows, the harsh crimson glow dimmed to a gentle pink. And for the first time in memory, the people on both sides could see each other clearly—not as Heroes or Villains, but as human beings.
The Villains outside stopped their advance, their weapons lowering as confusion crossed their faces. Morrigan Shadowfang pulled her horse to a halt, her axe hanging limp at her side as she stared at the town, at the gray light that now surrounded it.
"I... I don't understand," she said, her voice carrying on the wind, amplified by the same energy that had lifted Cain's words. "The system said they were oppressing the people here—that they were hoarding food while the northern farmers starved. It said we had to conquer this town to save them."
Arian shook his head, his sword beginning to lower. "The system said you were going to slaughter them all. That you'd take the town's supplies and leave the people to die in the streets."
Cain stepped out of the tavern, into the middle of the road that separated the two armies. He was alone, but he didn't feel small or weak. He felt like the only person in the world who could see clearly.
"The system lies to both of us," he said, his voice reaching every soldier, every townsfolk, every living being in Greyhaven. "It gives Heroes causes to fight for and Villains reasons to conquer, but none of it is real. The grain the Villain cell stole wasn't being hoarded—it was being held for the system's 'tithe,' sent up to the Celestial Spire as an offering. The people in the northern hills were starving not because the Heroes were cruel, but because the system takes more than it gives. It needs us to keep fighting so it can feed. Every battle, every death, every act of hatred—it all powers that spire."
He raised his hand, pointing up at the sky. The gray light of Balance Weave cut through the clouds, revealing the Celestial Spire in all its terrible glory—a massive construct of pure energy, pulsing with greed, with thousands of thin threads connecting it to every living thing in the realm.
[BALANCE WEAVE ACTIVATED – SYSTEM DISRUPTED IN GREYHAVEN TERRITORY]
[FALLEN PROTOCOL v.1.0 – UPGRADED TO v.1.5]
LEVEL UP – NOW LEVEL 15
ATTRIBUTES BOOSTED: ALL +10
- Shadow Strength: 25
- Cursed Speed: 30
- Resilient Endurance: 22
- Forbidden Wisdom: 35
- Void Mana: 200
NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: [ACTIVE] Truth's Echo (Lv.1) – Broadcast the system's true nature to all beings within a 1-kilometer radius; those who choose to see the truth will have their alignment coding reset
PROGRESS UPDATE: BREAK THE CYCLE – 5/100
PROTOCOL MESSAGE: THE FIRST CHAIN HAS BEEN BROKEN. NOW THE REAL WORK BEGINS.
As the truth spread, more and more windows began to shift. Golden windows turned gray. Red windows turned gray. Even the townsfolk, who'd never had more than basic commoner status, found their simple white displays transforming into the same neutral gray. Soldiers on both sides dropped their weapons, looking at the people they'd been taught to hate with new eyes. They saw the same fear in each other's faces, the same doubt, the same weariness of endless war. They saw mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, people who just wanted to live their lives without being told who to fight or why.
Morrigan dismounted and walked forward, her axe held at her side not as a weapon, but as a tool she wasn't sure she needed anymore. "The Celestial Spire won't let this stand," she said, stopping a few feet from Cain. "It has enforcers—Heroes and Villains who've merged completely with the system. They have no free will left, no ability to question. They'll come here to purge us all, to reset the balance and make sure this never happens again."
Cain nodded, feeling the Fallen Protocol update with new information, new warnings. The system had already noticed what had happened in Greyhaven, already begun to mobilize its response.
[FALLEN PROTOCOL v.1.5 – ACTIVE]
NAME: CAIN BLACKWOOD
LEVEL: 15
NEW OBJECTIVE: UNITE HEROES AND VILLAINS AGAINST THE CELESTIAL SYSTEM
ENFORCER THREAT: THE ASCENDED – 100 STRONG, LEVEL 80+
- Each Ascended has merged their consciousness with the system, becoming living weapons
- They possess both Holy and Dark abilities, making them nearly unbeatable by traditional means
- They will arrive in Greyhaven within 72 hours to initiate full purge
REWARD FOR COMPLETION: ACCESS TO THE FALLEN ARCHIVES – ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO DESTROY THE CELESTIAL SPIRE
CURRENT ALLIES: 127 FORMER HEROES, 342 FORMER VILLAINS, 589 TOWNSFOLK – ALL UNBOUND