2026-10-26 23:29:01…It was Cold.
Noël Voss opened his eyes and looked at the rusted Ceiling. Dark water dripped onto his Cheeks. At that moment, he realized where he was. The Iron Tomb. In the first place, he shouldn't have been here. He had no reliable Combat ability. For a mortal to enter a Mortal Crucible at Tier 0 was no different from Suicide. "W-Where are we?" "S-Save me!" The panicked voices of people echoed through the dark Corridor. Noël slowly got up and looked around with a blank expression. Their facial expressions were as easy to read as the Sentences in a Cheap novel. He opened his mouth. "We are inside a Codex Trial." "What? Trial? What the hell are you talking about?" A man wearing a torn business Suit glared at him. Noël didn't answer. He Simply Checked his internal interface. The Codex was etched into his Soul at birth, just like everyone else's. But he saw Something the others didn't. [Tier: 0] [Mnemonic Ledger: 3 / 60 Fractures] The Counter never reset. Every victory made it Climb. If a Void-Weaver like him Survived Sixty timeline Collapses, he would no longer be able to tell which timeline was real. [The Codex algorithm has been updated.] [The Trial has Started.] This was the moment his life Changed. [Trial #1: The Iron Tomb] Category: Main Difficulty: F Clear Conditions: Survive the first wave of the Tomb Walkers and reach the inner gate. Time Limit: 10 minutes. Compensation: 500 Tribute. Failure: Death. Noël Calmly read the System window. The time limit was Short. The man in the Suit grabbed his Collar. "Are you deaf? I asked you a question!" "Please let go." "What if I don't?" Noël Smiled and Said, "I will protect everyone. So please Calm down." Of Course, it was a lie. He just needed the man to act as bait. Kiiiiiiiik! The Sound of Scraping metal came from the darkness at the end of the Corridor. "Aaaagh!" A woman at the front Screamed as a Serrated blade pierced her Chest. Puok! Blood Splattered across the rusted floor. It was a Tomb Walker. A monster made of jagged gears and decaying flesh. 'Let's See…' Noël Closed his eyes and Searched through the erased timelines. In his memory of the fourth timeline Collapse, this Specific Tomb Walker had a weak joint in its left knee. Right now, the Creature was heavily armored on its left Side. …A Variable. The timelines were never identical. A ghost-memory only gave a probability, not a guarantee. The man in the Suit pushed Noël forward. "Go! Fight it, you nutter!" What a predictable extra. Noël tightened his grip on the rusted iron pipe he had picked up from the floor. He didn't Step back. Why? Because his Conflicts were puzzles of literal wording and hidden mechanics, not physical grinding. Not yet, at least. The Clear Condition wasn't 'Kill the Tomb Walker'. It was 'Survive the first wave and reach the inner gate'. Dudududu. The gears in the monster's Chest Spun rapidly as it Charged. Kwajik! Kwajijijik! The Sound of bones Crunching filled the air as the Tomb Walker tore into the Crowd. Noël didn't feel anything. He knew he wasn't Supposed to Survive the first twenty trials. But he would win by reading the rules more Carefully than anyone else. He quickly opened his mouth. "Run to the gate." The Surviving extras didn't listen. They Scattered in all directions like fools. Noël ran toward the iron gate at the end of the Corridor alone. Left thigh. He quickly moved away from the direction of the attack. Right shoulder. He ducked beneath the Swinging blade. Kwaang! The Tomb Walker's blade Smashed into the wall where he had just been Standing. Noël reached the heavy iron gate. A Small hydraulic valve Sat beside it. In the Seventh timeline, a heavy warrior had used his Tier 2 Strength to turn this valve. Noël was Tier 0. He Couldn't turn it with brute force. But he knew a loophole. [The Gallery-being 'The Auditor of Ash' objects to your Cowardly positioning.] [The Gallery-being 'The Hollow Cartographer' is intrigued by your pathing.] [100 Tributes have been granted.] Noël raised the rusted pipe. He didn't aim for the valve. He aimed for the glowing red Coolant tube directly above it. Kakakang! The pipe bounced off. He lacked the Strength to break it. …He was Stupid. His base Stats were too low. The Tomb Walker turned toward him. It raised its gear-blade, ignoring the Screaming extras behind it. "S-Save me!" the man in the Suit Screamed from the Corner. Noël ignored him. He looked at the Tomb Walker and made a slightly Complicated expression. "Hey. Are you just going to watch?" The monster Swung its blade down at his head. Hwiiik! Noël threw his body to the Side. Kwaaaaang! The Tomb Walker's massive blade Smashed directly into the glowing red Coolant tube. Chiiiik! Freezing gas erupted from the broken tube, instantly freezing the hydraulic valve and the monster's internal gears. The Tomb Walker froze in place. Tiing! The pressure lock on the gate Shattered from the extreme temperature Change. Noël firmly planted his feet and kicked the frozen gate. Kuuong! The heavy iron gate opened with a heavy thud. He Stepped through the threshold alone. [You have Cleared the first wave of the Tomb Walkers.] [You have reached the inner gate.] [The Gallery-being 'Crowned Ember' is bellowing with joy.] [300 Tributes have been granted.] Noël breathed out a white Cloud of Cold air. He had Survived. [You have received 500 Tributes in Compensation.] [You are the first mortal to Clear the tutorial area using a Semantic loophole.] [You have earned 1,000 Tributes as an achievement reward.] A total of 1,900 Tributes. It was a huge income. Noël immediately opened his Codex interface. [Tribute Possessed: 1,900] He didn't hesitate. He reinvested the Tribute immediately to build his base Stats. [1,800 Tribute has been invested in agility.] His body felt lighter. The rusty air of the Iron Tomb felt slightly more breathable. Noël turned back to look at the Corridor. The frozen Tomb Walker was slowly breaking free of the ice. The remaining extras were Crying and banging on the Closing iron gate. "Open it! Please!" "Y-You Son of a bitch! You Said you would protect us!" Noël made a dark expression. In the first place, he Couldn't Save everyone. To be exact, they were just Variables that could ruin his plans. [The Gallery-being 'The Seven-Faced Penitent' laments your lack of mercy.] [The Gallery-being 'Widow of the Third Bell' Sponsors your necessary Sacrifice.] [100 Tributes have been granted.] Noël felt his Stomach turn. Her donations always did this to him. He turned away from the gate. The inner Chamber of the Iron Tomb Stretched out before him. Huge gears rotated in the darkness, and the Smell of blood was thicker here. By the way, Something was wrong. According to his ghost-memories, the inner Chamber should have been empty for exactly five minutes after the gate opened. However, a young woman was Standing in the Center of the room. She was holding a broken Spear. Noël flinched. It was a Sharp, involuntary movement. He Couldn't help it. He had watched this exact woman die twice in erased timelines. His head throbbed with Sudden pain. [Your Mnemonic Ledger has updated.] [Current Fractures: 4 / 60] His mind became Complicated. The timeline was already drifting too far from his memories. At this rate, the Tetrad Gods would notice his interference before he ever reached Tier 1.
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Chapter 46: The Aftermath, I
The white light of the Trial exit portal faded, depositing the party onto the high marble balcony of the Capital Central Registry.Around them, the grand entrance hall of the Middle Ring was silent. Hundreds of spectators, merchant representatives, and noble house scouts stood frozen along the terraced walkways, staring up at the giant blue projection screens suspended above the concourse.[Regional Qualification Trial: 'The Spires of Aethelgard' : FINAL RESULTS]1st Place: Team 'House Falcrest Auxiliary' (Clear Time: 48m 12s)2nd Place: Team 'First Academy Cadets' (Disqualified / Eliminated)3rd Place: Team 'Sterling Retainers' (Disqualified / Eliminated)The ledger had closed.Julian Falcrest stood beside Noël, his golden broadsword sheathed at his belt. His hands were still trembling, but he held his chin up, absorbing the stunned gazes of the noble onlookers. For the first time in three years, House Falcrest held a primary seat on the Trade Council."They really cleared all five S
Chapter 45: The Spires of Aethelgard, VI
The sky-bridge dissolved into a pillar of white light, delivering the party onto the open summit of the Fifth Spire.They stood on a broad circular arena of polished black marble suspended beneath the open sky. Thousands of feet below, the cloud layer churned in grey swirls, while high above, the golden arches of the Capital's transit rings hummed with atmospheric power.At the center of the arena floated the Fifth Keystone Seal, a radiant golden orb illuminating the sky-platform.Three figures stood before it.At their head was Crown Cadet Gerald of the First Capital Academy, a tall man clad in dragon-scale plate armor. He held a massive six-foot greatsword in his right hand, its blade crackling with deep purple lightning ether. Beside him stood two heavy tower-shield guardians bearing the crest of the High Council.Gerald had already claimed two sub-seals from the lower Spires. He turned his cold, golden eyes toward the bruised party as they stepped onto the marble arena."Julian Fa
Chapter 44: The Spires of Aethelgard, V
The upper archway led them onto a narrow sky-bridge suspended between the Third and Fourth Spires.Here, a thousand feet above the cloud layer, the icy wind burned Noël's lungs with every breath.The Fourth Spire, the Spire of Obsidian Seals, stood before them. It was a monumental monolithic pillar devoid of windows. Its black surface was carved with thousands of pulsing crimson runes that thrummed with immense weight."The ambient pressure here is three times higher than in the lower towers," Gideon said. He leaned on his right foot, his silver rapier drawn, its white-gold solar ether flickering against the gale. "My ether flow is lagging.""Keep your breathing steady," Noël said, wiping sweat and blood from his chin. "The Fourth Spire tests physical endurance."Elara adjusted her grip on her Radiant Lancer spear."Noël... someone is waiting at the entrance."Standing before the massive iron doors of the Fourth Spire was a single figure.He was a giant of a man, clad in heavy obsidia
Chapter 43: The Spires of Aethelgard, IV
The iron platform of the elevator conduit Shuddered as it ascended into the Central Shaft of the Third Spire.Below them, the rotating gear-mechanisms of the Second Spire Shrank into tiny brass discs over the cloud layer. High above, the inner ceiling of the Third Spire was Shrouded in indigo mist, crackling with purple lightning."The air Pressure is dropping," Gideon said, leaning against his rapier hilt on the vibrating platform. "My solar ether is reacting strangely to the ambient mana in this shaft."Lyra checked her ether-compass, her brows furrowed beneath her visor."It's not just mana Pressure. The Third Spire has an inverted gravity field. Look at the ledges."Through the swirling indigo mist, thousands of inverted stone pillars hung from the ceiling like giant stalactites, pointing downward into the abyss. Winding staircases ran upside-down along vaulted arches.Julian Falcrest gripped the railing, his knuckles white against his golden gauntlets."Upside-down staircases? Ho
Chapter 42: The Spires of Aethelgard, III
Cold abyss wind howled across the narrow stone sky-bridge connecting the First and Second Spires.Eight hundred feet below, sea-clouds of white mana fog churned over the jagged obsidian peaks."The wind resistance on this bridge is fluctuating," Gideon noted, his cloak snapping violently behind him. He kept one hand firmly on the hilt of his silver rapier. "Look at the archways ahead. The Second Spire isn't built from solid stone like the first."Through the swirling haze, the Second Spire loomed before them like a hollow iron cage.Unlike the solid obsidian walls of the First Spire, the Second Spire was composed entirely of thousands of rotating brass gear-platforms, suspended in midair around a pulsing blue energy core."A mechanical puzzle spire," Lyra said, her eyes brightening beneath her helmet visor. She pulled out her brass tuning spanner, her Tier 1 Artificer vision scanning the gear rotations. "The platforms are moving on three independent axis gears. If you step onto a plat
Chapter 41: The Spires of Aethelgard, II
The remaining two Blood-Hound mercenaries backed away along the frost-slicked walkway, their broadswords trembling against the howling abyss wind.Seeing three squad members eliminated in under twenty seconds had shattered their discipline."Fall back into the tower interior!" the lead survivor shouted, his voice cracking beneath his steel visor. "The bottleneck favors us inside!"The two mercenaries turned to sprint through the archway into the First Spire."Gideon," Noël said, stepping forward. "Don't let them retreat.""Understood!" Gideon roared.Whooooosh!Gideon sprang forward like a silver arrow. His boots shattered the frosted stone as he channeled white-gold solar ether along his rapier."Solar Aspect: Radiant Flash!"Kaaa-shing!A streak of golden light erupted from Gideon's blade, slicing horizontally across the stone archway. The intense heat fused the stone doorframe shut in a shower of molten rock, blocking their escape route.The two Blood-Hounds spun around in desperat
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