The spectral figure of Elena shimmered in the dappled sunlight of the forest, her form translucent like silk caught in a breeze. To any other player, this would be a simple "Quest Started" notification—a bit of flavor text to be skipped. But to Jaxen, standing in his worn linen robes, the air felt thick with the weight of destiny.
He could feel the pulse of the game's core AI, The Archive, analyzing his every move. This was the beauty of the "Origin" server; the AI was reactive, rewarding those who broke the mold.
[System: You have triggered the Unique-Hidden Quest: 'The Lament of the Fallen Saint'.]
[Difficulty: Nightmare.]
In the global lexicon of Aetheria Online, quest difficulty was the ultimate gatekeeper. Common quests were for the masses. Hard was for the pros. Nightmare? That was usually reserved for level-capped guilds with coordinated raid teams. Triggering a Nightmare quest at Level 1 was statistically an anomaly. It was a death sentence for anyone who didn't possess a decade of future knowledge.
"Go to... the Siren's Inlet... the Crystal Grotto..." Elena's voice was a haunting melody, vibrating not in his ears, but directly in his mind through the neural link. "My sisters... their souls are being harvested by the Deep-Dwellers. The light... it's fading..."
[Quest Objective: Investigate the hidden cave in Siren's Inlet.]
[Rewards: Class-Expansion Sigil, 10,000 XP, 100 Gold.]
Jaxen's heart hammered against his ribs. A Class-Expansion Sigil. In the "Classless" Origin server, this was the holy grail. While other players were locked into being a 'Mage' or a 'Warrior,' a Class-Expansion Sigil allowed a player to graft a second primary archetype onto their soul.
If Jaxen could combine his Acolyte-utility with the raw destructive power of a Berserker or the tactical versatility of a Shadow-Stalker, he wouldn't just be a player. He would be a localized apocalypse.
"I won't let you down, Elena," Jaxen said, his voice dropping into a low, steady register. "I'll bring them back. All of them."
The ghost smiled, a single tear of light rolling down her cheek. "You have the eyes of a King, Traveler... but the soul of a Rebel. May the stars guard your path."
She reached out, her phantom fingers touching Jaxen's forehead. A surge of white-hot energy flooded his nervous system, making the world around him turn into a blur of golden lines.
[System: You have earned Elena's Favor! Current Favorability: 20 (Trust).]
[Buff Received: 'Saint's Ascension'. Duration: 2 Hours.]
Jaxen checked the details, and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe.
[Saint's Ascension (SSS-Modifier)]:
Effect: The Archive has recognized your bond with the Fallen. All Attribute Points and Potential Points earned from leveling up are increased by 100%.
Duration:∞ (Modified by Talent: INF-BUFF)
"This is it," Jaxen whispered, a cold chill of triumph running down his spine.
Normally, a level-up in Aetheria was a grind. You got 5 Attribute points to distribute and 1 Potential point for skills. It was a slow, balanced crawl. But for Jaxen? Every level would now give him 10 Attributes and 2 Potential points. By the time he reached Level 50, he would have the raw stats of a Level 100 juggernaut.
And because of his INF-BUFF talent, this wasn't a temporary 2-hour boost to help him finish a quest. It was his new baseline. It was a permanent evolution.
"The Charisma point," Jaxen realized. The +1 Charisma from the Village Blessing hadn't just made him look better to NPCs; it had unlocked the 'Favored' dialogue branch with Elena. The "Seed" was already cascading, turning small advantages into world-breaking power.
Jaxen didn't head for the Siren's Inlet immediately. Even with a 2-second Smite, he was still wearing Level 1 rags. He needed capital. He needed the 'Starter's Edge.'
He sprinted back toward Hollowshade Cathedral, his boots kicking up dust. The village was even more crowded now. A group of players were standing at the main gates of the church, screaming at the Level 30 "Templar" NPCs who were barring entry.
"Do you know who I am?" one player shouted, waving a flashy, paid-for cosmetic sword. "I'm a Tier-1 sub for Team Dynasty! My stream has ten thousand viewers right now! Let me in to see the High Priest for the 'Blessing' quest!"
The Templar, a giant in silver-and-gold plate armor, didn't even shift his grip on his halberd. "The sanctum is closed to the unproven, little shark. Return when you have shed blood for the Light."
Jaxen slipped past the crowd, keeping his hood up. He knew a way in that didn't involve the front gates. In the original timeline, a 'Bug-Hunter' player had discovered a geometry clip in the abandoned western courtyard.
He climbed a gnarled oak tree, vaulted over a crumbling stone wall, and landed silently in a courtyard choked with black briars and dead roses. In the center sat a dry stone well, its rim cracked and covered in ancient runes.
He jumped in.
The fall was longer than it looked. As he plummeted into the darkness, he counted the seconds with the precision of a metronome.
One... two... three...
"Smite!"
He punched the air with his willow staff. The burst of holy light wasn't aimed at a monster; it was a flare. For a split second, the well was illuminated. There, tucked behind a loose brick ten feet above the water line, was a prismatic crystal.
Jaxen kicked off the wall, his hand shooting out to grab the crystal just before he hit the stagnant, icy water below with a loud splash.
[System: You have discovered the first Hidden Silver Chest in Server 9!]
[Global Announcement: An anonymous player has uncovered the 'Silver Hoard' of Hollowshade!]
A massive gold banner rippled across the sky of every player in the server. The world-chat erupted in a frenzy of jealousy.
[Loot Acquired:]
The Mithril Scepter (Silver-Rank): +170 Magic Power. (Req: Level 5).
10 Gold Coins.
Mid-Grade Combat Regrowth Potion (x2).
Jaxen tased the metallic tang of the potion as he popped the cork and downed it while treading water.
[Buff: Mid-Grade Regrowth]: A surge of alchemical life-force fills you. Restores 100 HP per second.
Duration: ∞
Jaxen checked his health bar. He only had 100 HP total. He was now regenerating his entire health pool every single second. He was, for all intents and purposes, unkillable by anything that couldn't one-shot him.
"Now... for the shortcut," Jaxen muttered. He didn't have the strength to climb back up the mossy walls. He took a deep breath, submerged himself in the dark water, and waited for the 'Drowning' mechanic to trigger.
The Walk of the God-King
Jaxen materialized at the Hollowshade Respawn Plaza. Because he was Level 1 with 0 XP, the game had nothing to take from him as a penalty.
However, he had stripped off his basic tunic before the well-jump to preserve its durability. He was currently standing in the center of the busiest square in the game, bare-chested and dripping wet.
"Yo! Check out the loser!" a familiar, grating voice jeered.
Jaxen looked up. Big-G_Shark was there, flanked by his "Dynasty" cronies and a group of fawning new recruits.
"Isn't that our 'Solo King'?" Big-G laughed, pointing a finger at Jaxen. "Look at him! Five minutes in the forest and he comes back without a shirt. Did the Goblins bully you, kid? Did they take your lunch money?"
The crowd laughed. In their eyes, Jaxen was the ultimate "Noob"—a guy who died in the tutorial area and lost his gear.
"He's still got that 'Smite' glow in his eyes," one recruit sneered. "Probably spent his only skill point on a spell he can only use twice a minute. What a waste of a character slot."
Jaxen didn't even blink. He walked straight through the center of their circle. As he passed Big-G, the air around Jaxen seemed to ripple. The sheer density of his permanent buffs—The Pilgrim's Grace, Elena's Martyrdom, and the Regrowth—created a faint "Mana Pressure" that made the recruits' hair stand on end.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Big-G reached out to grab Jaxen's shoulder.
Jaxen didn't stop. He simply pivoted his shoulder. With his +1 to All Attributes and the hidden scaling of his SSS-talent, his physical resistance was already higher than Big-G's. The bully's hand slipped off as if he'd tried to grab a moving train.
"Don't touch me," Jaxen said, his voice cold enough to drop the temperature in the square. "I'm busy."
He walked straight into the Alchemist's Shop, leaving a stunned and angry Big-G behind.
Inside the shop, the air was thick with the scent of dried lavender and sulfur. An elderly NPC named Barnaby was meticulously grinding dragon-scale powder. Jaxen walked up to the counter and, without a word, dropped 5 Gold Coins onto the wood.
The sound of heavy gold hitting the counter was like a thunderclap in the quiet shop. Barnaby stopped grinding. He looked at the gold, then peered over his monocle at Jaxen.
"5 Gold?" Barnaby whispered. "Lad, most travelers come in here begging for a single copper discount on a cracked health vial. Where did a 'newly awakened' get this kind of coin?"
"The well," Jaxen said simply. "I want your 'Focus' extracts and every 'Fortify' oil you have in stock."
Barnaby's eyes twinkled with a mixture of greed and respect. In Aetheria, NPCs were programmed with 'Personality Matrixes.' They hated beggars but loved "Whales."
"You have the aura of a Saint on you," Barnaby said, gathering the expensive vials. "And a wallet to match. I like you, boy. You've got spirit."
The old man reached into a hidden compartment under the register and pulled out a small, velvet-lined box. "A gift for my best customer. A little something from my days as a Royal Alchemist."
[System: Shopkeeper Barnaby is impressed by your wealth and charisma!]
[Hidden Buff Received: 'The Gilded Hand'.]
[The Gilded Hand (Unique)]:
Effect 1: Your presence is a magnet for fortune. Monster Drop Rate is increased by 100%.
Effect 2: Fortune favors the bold. Any loot you find is guaranteed to be +1 Tier higher in quality.
Duration: ∞ (Modified by Talent: INF-BUFF)
Jaxen walked out of the shop, fully clothed in high-durability leather gear he'd bought with his remaining gold, his belt lined with potions.
He saw Big-G_Shark waiting for him near the gates, clearly planning to "PK" (Player Kill) him once they hit the combat zone. Jaxen didn't even hide his smile.
With his permanent 100 HP/sec regen, his 2-second Smite, and his now-doubled drop rates, the "Nightmare" quest wasn't a challenge.
It was a harvest.
"Ready to go?" Jaxen looked at the horizon, where the dark canopy of the Shadow Woods loomed. "The game is just beginning."