A surge of pure arcane energy erupted from Nyxaris' palm, streaking toward the nearest shadow creature. The moment the barrage connected, the entity screeched, its form flickering and distorting before imploding into a wisp of dark mist.
Eleanor didn't hesitate. She adjusted her stance, her sword shimmering with divine energy. "Got it!" She lunged at the next creature, but instead of a simple slash, she willed her blade to pulse with radiant force, following Nyxaris' lead.
Her attack pierced through the shadow's core, and this time, it did not regenerate.
But they weren't in the clear yet.
The towering entity loomed before them, its ever-changing form crackling with raw power. Its many eyes focused on Nyxaris, its voice a whispering storm.
"The Eldros Keys belong to us."
Nyxaris felt a chill creep up his spine. Us? Who is 'us'?!
Before he could ask, the entity raised its hand—and the space around them shattered like glass.
A wave of crushing force slammed into Nyxaris, sending him flying backward. His HP plummeted by nearly 20,000 points, his vision blurring from the impact.
"Tch—this thing isn't playing around!"
Eleanor dashed forward, her greatsword humming with power. "Then neither are we!"
Nyxaris gritted his teeth, forcing himself back to his feet. His HP was still dropping—whatever attack that was, it left a lingering effect.
Zeraldris' voice echoed in his mind, sharp and commanding.
"You cannot fight it like any ordinary enemy. This is an existence beyond what should be in this world!"
Nyxaris wiped the blood from his lip, eyes narrowing. "Then I'll have to go beyond, too."
He extended his hand, summoning his Arcane Blade—but this time, he didn't just infuse it with magic. He reached deeper, pulling on the very essence of his Arcane Sovereign class.
A new notification appeared.
[Arcane Sovereign's Authority Activated: Transcendent Edge]
The blade in his hand shifted—arcane lines ran through its length, and its form became more ethereal, as if existing in multiple states at once.
The entity paused, as if sensing the change.
Then it lunged.
Nyxaris blinked forward, meeting its attack head-on. Their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the realm.
Every slash of his blade cut through not just the entity's form, but the space around it—preventing it from fully reforming.
Eleanor capitalized on the opening. "Now!" She channeled her full strength, her blade shining like a miniature sun as she delivered a devastating downward strike.
The entity let out an inhuman scream, its form fracturing, its eyes widening in what Nyxaris could only describe as… fear.
For the first time, it was on the defensive.
But before they could finish it off, the entire realm shook violently.
A new voice—deep, commanding, utterly foreign—spoke.
"Enough."
A pulse of unimaginable power rippled through the air, and in the blink of an eye—
Everything went black.
Nyxaris gasped for breath, staggering forward as his vision cleared.
He was back in Astrid. The strange realm, the entity—it was gone.
But… something was different.
Eleanor was kneeling, catching her breath beside him. "What… the hell was that?"
Nyxaris checked his system notifications.
[SYSTEM WARNING: YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED A NON-RECOGNIZED ENTITY. DATA IRREGULARITY DETECTED.]
[NEW QUEST UPDATE: The Eldros Key is Now Being Pursued by an Unknown Force. You Must Uncover the Truth Before It Is Too Late.]
Nyxaris clenched his fists.
That thing—whatever it was—wasn't done with him yet.
[PLAYER STATUS UPDATED!]
Name: Nyxaris
Race: Arcane Slime (Tier 2 Evolution)
Class: Arcane Sovereign (Unique)
Level: 85 ⬆ (+10 Levels)
HP: 65,000 ⬆
MP: 230,000 ⬆
Strength: 10,500 ⬆
Agility: 15,700 ⬆
Endurance: 18,200 ⬆
Magic Power: 95,000 ⬆
Gold: +1,200,000 (Total: 4,050,000 Gold)
[NEW SKILLS ACQUIRED!]
▶ Eldros Key Resonance (Passive) – The keys now react to Nyxaris' presence, revealing hidden paths and forgotten knowledge. ??? still remains unknown.
▶ Arcane Overcharge – Temporarily amplifies all magic output by 300%, but causes massive MP drain afterward.
▶ Void Sense (Passive) – Allows Nyxaris to detect beings beyond the game's programming.
▶ Limit Break: Arcane Sovereign's Will – When HP falls below 20%, all stats temporarily increase by 50% for one minute.
Nyxaris exhaled sharply, his heart still racing. That thing—no, that entity—wasn't just a normal boss.
It wasn't part of the game.
And yet, he had fought it, survived it, and now… the game had rewarded him massively.
More levels, more gold, and new skills—this wasn't a normal progression.
Zeraldris, the ancient dragon residing within him, finally spoke. "The game is warping around you, Nyxaris. It is no longer following its own rules."
Nyxaris frowned, stepping forward as he took in the grand city of Astrid once again. The towering Mage's Tower, the bustling market streets, the sound of adventurers planning quests—it was all normal. And yet, the moment he glanced at his notifications, he knew something was deeply wrong.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
WARNING: A SYSTEM IRREGULARITY HAS BEEN DETECTED. GAME DATA IS SHIFTING. ADJUSTMENTS IN PROGRESS.
[NEW GLOBAL QUEST UPDATE!]
▶ The Eldros Keys have begun to stir. A force outside of Evolvera has started its move. Who will uncover the truth first?
"What the hell do you mean he fought something we didn't program?!"
The Evolvera developers were in a state of absolute chaos.
One programmer pulled up the live feed of Astrid, rewinding to Nyxaris' battle against the unknown entity. The way it moved… its speech patterns… its existence itself—none of it had been designed by the development team.
Another dev, hands shaking, brought up the game's backend logs. "His stats just jumped massively. He's bypassing the normal EXP curve—AGAIN!"
A manager slammed his fist on the table. "FIND HIM. GET HIM UNDER CONTRACT. NOW."
Private investigators across the world were already on the hunt.
And now, with millions of dollars on the line and the game itself evolving beyond control, they were getting desperate.
Nyxaris wasn't just breaking the game anymore.
He was changing it.
And everyone wanted a piece of him.
Nyxaris, unaware of the chaos happening behind the scenes, smirked as he closed his stats menu.
"Alright then…" He stretched his arms before glancing toward the towering Celestial Archives of Eryndor, his next destination.
"Time to figure out just what the hell is happening to this game."
And with that, he vanished into the city streets, ready for the next step in his journey.
The streets of Astrid were as lively as ever—merchants shouting their wares, adventurers laughing over their latest conquests, and guild recruiters calling out to potential members.
But Nyxaris wasn't paying attention to any of it. His eyes were locked on his latest system notification.
[Main Quest: The Arcane Legacy – Updated]
▶ The Eldros Keys have begun to stir. A force outside of Evolvera has started its move. Who will uncover the truth first?
▶ Journey to the Celestial Archives of Eryndor and seek out the lost tomes of Arcane Sovereigns past.
▶ Beware: Unknown forces are watching you.
Rewards: ??? (Tier Unknown)
The words "Unknown forces are watching you" sent a chill down his spine.
"Zeraldris, what do you make of this?" Nyxaris asked in his mind.
The ancient dragon's voice rumbled in response. "It confirms my suspicions. Something beyond the game's design has taken an interest in you. Be wary, child. The rules no longer apply."
Nyxaris clenched his fists. "Then I need to get stronger. Fast."
Eryndor was far from Astrid, hidden within the vast floating islands beyond the Celestial Rift. To get there, he needed to pass through three major trials, each one meant to test an Arcane Sovereign's worth.
And judging by how this game was evolving, he doubted they would be simple.
Steeling himself, he made his way to the Astrid Airship Dock, where the fastest route to Eryndor awaited.
But just as he reached the entrance, a notification flashed across his screen.
[NEW GLOBAL SYSTEM ALERT!]
"World Event Triggered! A force beyond our understanding is interfering with Evolvera. All players, prepare for an unprecedented change in the game world."
Nyxaris narrowed his eyes.
"…Looks like I don't have much time."
With that, he stepped forward, ready to face whatever came next.