The white marble floor of Aethelgard Plaza trembled as the cheers of thousands of players broke the silence of downtown Eternity Online. In the middle of the crowd stood a man in a silver-gray robe that looked as if it were made of smoke. His hands still gripped twin daggers that radiated a painfully cold aura. Axel Steele, the Ghostwalker, had just taken down the final World Boss in front of the public."Congrats, Boss! Another world record! Forty seconds faster than before!" shouted a supporting guild member, running closer. His face was flushed red with overflowing enthusiasm.Axel only gave a faint nod. His eyes were flat, staring at the statistics on his holographic panel floating in the air. Level 250. Maxed Out. All stats maxed. There was nothing left to upgrade. There were no more monsters he couldn't kill with a single blink."This world is officially your backyard now, Ghostwalker!" The heavy voice came from behind. Liam Fury walked closer with a grin that didn't reach his e

The Fen Wraith seemed frozen in the air, caught in a web of time woven by the Gilded power. Axel inhaled, feeling his lungs work with terrifying precision."One point for breaking the limit," Axel whispered. His lips moved at a normal speed, while the monster's body was still struggling to complete its jump."Let's see how far you can take me, Gilded System!" the Wraith sneered."Warning! Load on the physical nervous system has increased by four hundred ninety-nine percent. This is extremely dangerous! Ensure your biological body remains in a stable position in the real world." The system voice warned."I'm used to the load, AI," Axel replied, stepping aside.His movement was no longer just a step. Axel's body seemed wrapped in a faint, violently trembling silhouette of golden light. By the time the Fen Wraith's sharp claws should have ripped through his neck, Axel had already shifted position to stand behind the creature. With just one minimal shift, he surpassed any Agility statisti

The blade of Razor-Eye's giant sword cleaved the air with a roaring sound, missing Axel's hair by mere inches. The purple warning message in the corner of his vision was still blinking wildly, cautioning him about central system intervention. Yet, Zara Blaze's voice in the private channel felt far more real than the threat of death right before his eyes."Damn it, she's asking me to hold back when my life is on the line!" Axel cursed internally, yet his muscles, ignited by Gilded power, still responded with terrifying precision. He twisted his body, allowing the sword to slam into the swamp ground, sending black mud splashing high."Gilded Sync: Minimum Output." Axel whispered to his system. "Follow external analyst parameters.""Coordinates ten degrees to the right." Zara's voice returned, cold and calm. "Release your dagger. Don't aim for a fatal point; just target the neural sensor node on his ankle. Do it now."Axel didn't have time to ask why. He released his dagger with a sidewa

"Access Denied, Intruders!" The Operator’s voice thundered, tearing through the audio frequencies within Axel's consciousness.The giant digital eye in the sky emitted a pulse of black energy that slammed into the floor of the secret chamber. Axel grabbed Zara, pulling her back as a data explosion shattered the stone table before them. Simultaneously, the roaring alarm from the VR pod in the real world grew louder, a physical danger warning that sent Axel’s adrenaline spiking to a boiling point."Axel! The connection is unstable! Someone hacked my home security protocols!" Zara screamed in panic, her hands shaking as she tried to access the force logout command. "The exit button is locked from the outside! We’re trapped!"Axel gritted his teeth, feeling the air pressure suddenly increase a thousandfold. Liam Fury. That bastard actually attacked while I was logged in."Don't force it, Zara! If you force a neural disconnect now, you could fry your brain!" Axel gripped Zara’s shoulder, h

"Hold your breath, Zara," Axel whispered softly.A single blink, and the data world around them exploded into fragments of white light. When Axel's vision returned to normal, the scent of moss and the cold air of the Aethelgard Ruins had been replaced by the fragrance of incense and the constant clamor of the Aethelgard Central Plaza. They stood right in the middle of the deity fountain, where thousands of players usually gathered to trade or simply show off their gear."We're in the city center?" Zara asked, panting, her hand still gripping Axel's arm. "Axel, look ahead."The plaza's noise suddenly dimmed, replaced by an unnerving silence. The crowd of players in front of them parted uniformly, as if a giant knife were slicing through the ranks. From that gap emerged an elite entourage wearing jet-black armor with blood-red accents. The symbol of a dragon's claw was clearly displayed on their chests."The Dragon Vanguard," Axel hissed.In the middle of the formation, Liam Fury walked