The sky over the city of Oakhaven didn't produce rain; it spat acid-laced soot that turned the world into shades of grey. At twenty-four, Arthur was a living testament to failure. His hands were a map of scars from hauling crates at the shipyard, and his ribs poked through his skin like the bars of a cage.
He stood outside the velvet ropes of The Gilded Cage, the city's most exclusive lounge. In his pocket, he clutched a small, velvet box containing a ring that had cost him six months of skipped meals.
Then, the doors swung open. Clara stepped out, wrapped in a fur coat that cost more than Arthur's entire neighborhood. Beside her was Xavier Sterling. Xavier didn't just walk; he owned the ground he stepped on. He was the prince of the Sterling Conglomerate, a man who bought laws and sold futures.
"Clara," Arthur's voice was a cracked whisper. He held out the box.
Clara looked at the ring, then at Arthur's mud-caked boots. A flash of pity crossed her face, followed by a cold, sharp disgust. "Arthur, look at yourself. You're a ghost. I can't build a life with a man who is already dead inside."
Xavier stepped forward, his smile as sharp as a razor. He pulled out a gold-plated clip, took a $1,000 bill, and tucked it into Arthur's torn shirt pocket. "For the ring, kid. Consider it a tip for staying out of my sight. Clara is moving to the Upper District. People like you... you're just the background noise of this city."
As their silver limousine sped away, the tires sent a wave of stagnant gutter water crashing over Arthur. He stood there, drenched, the $1,000 bill floating in the mud at his feet. He didn't pick it up. He didn't cry. Something inside his brain simply... snapped.
Desperate to escape the humiliation, Arthur took a shortcut through the Forbidden Tunnels—a collapsed section of the old city buried under the slums. The air was thick with the smell of ozone and ancient rot. As he stumbled over a pile of rusted debris, his hand landed on a cold, jagged surface.
It was a Void-Black Tablet, glowing with a faint, rhythmic violet light. It looked less like technology and more like a piece of the night sky fallen to earth. The moment Arthur's blood from a fresh cut smeared across the glass, his world exploded.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE INITIATED...]
[HOST BIOMETRICS: ACCEPTED]
[EYE OF THE ARCHITECT: 100% SYNCHRONIZATION]
Arthur screamed as a thousand needles of light pierced his retinas. When he opened his eyes, Oakhaven was gone. He saw the world in its raw form: vibrating strings of energy and cascading numbers.
He looked at the tunnel wall.
[Material: Reinforced Concrete (92% Erosion) | Structural Integrity: 4% | Collapse Countdown: 110 Seconds]
He looked at his own reflection in a puddle.
[Entity: Arthur | Class: Zero | Potential: Infinite | Status: Starving/Mutating]
But then, the Eye zoomed in. Beneath the concrete floor, three meters down, something was pulsing.
[Hidden Objective: The Lost Vault of the 1st Century | Contents: 400kg Aurum (Gold) & 1 "Abyssal Key"]
Arthur's heart hammered against his chest. He wasn't just seeing reality; he was seeing the flaws in it. He could see where the world was weak.
Suddenly, a red, glowing thread appeared, tied to his own heart. He followed it with his eyes. It pierced through the stone, through the earth, miles away into the heart of the Upper District, ending directly at the throat of Xavier Sterling.
[Fatal Fate-Link Established: One must consume the other to survive.]
Arthur wiped the blood from his nose. The hunger was still there, but the fear was gone. He looked at the $1,000 bill in the mud outside the tunnel entrance.
"Enjoy your world while it lasts, Xavier," Arthur whispered. His voice sounded different—deeper, colder. "Because I can see the cracks in your throne. And I'm going to pull the first brick."
The tunnel began to groan. Dust fell from the ceiling. Arthur had 100 seconds to claim the gold or be buried alive. He didn't run. He smiled.