I stood a top the crumbling rooftop, the wind tugging at my cloak as I looked out over Orvale.
It was beautiful, in that quaint, controlled kind of way. Buildings lined like obedient children. Church bells ringing right on schedule. Guards marching in patterns, never breaking stride.
A system-approved illusion of peace.
And now, a virus had entered the code.
Me.
System Alert: Hero is no longer following any assigned quest routes.
Deviation index: 94%
Monitoring expanded to High Priority.
Requesting administrative attention…
Admin Override: Denied.
Good.
Let the world feel what it's like to be ignored by its own gods.
Behind me, Kaelira sat cross-legged on the rooftop, polishing one of her throwing knives. Her expression was unreadable, but her gaze occasionally flicked toward me — calculating, curious.
"You're not what I expected," she finally said.
I didn't look at her. "Most people aren't."
"No, I mean…" she tilted her head. "You don't even flinch when the world shifts around you. You touch corrupted relics like they're toys. You talk to the system like it's a mosquito. And you don't hesitate."
"I don't need to."
"Because you're strong?"
"Because I already know where I'm going."
She smirked. "So… what happens now, Your Darkness?"
I turned to her. "Now? We watch the pieces move."
Meanwhile…
📍 Velarian Palace – Inner Sanctum
The chamber was vast, lined with silver pillars and velvet banners. At its center stood a crystal pool, glowing faintly.
King Verin leaned over it, his golden robes dragging along the marble. His face was calm, regal. Cold.
The pool shimmered — an image forming.
Me.
Standing in the Hollow Market. Holding the gauntlet. Wearing the crown.
"Who is he?" the king asked.
A robed seer beside him trembled. "He does not register on divine lines. The system calls him... Sovereign-Class."
Verin's jaw tightened. "A rogue?"
"Worse. He resists calibration. Entirely."
The king turned away from the pool, eyes narrowing. "Issue a royal decree. Double the city patrols. Shut down the markets. Find him."
"And when we do?" the seer asked.
Verin's voice was a whisper.
"Kneel him… or kill him."
📍 Cathedral of Light – High Hall
The light streaming through the stained-glass windows bent unnaturally, like it feared what approached.
High Priest Alther knelt before a golden altar, his hands trembling.
"He has arrived," he whispered. "The Sovereign. The Breaker."
Behind him, holy paladins muttered prayers. Clerics traced sigils in the air.
"We must send word to the other branches. If the Sovereign takes root—"
A sharp tone echoed in the air.
A system interface shimmered into visibility.
System Directive: DO NOT ENGAGE. Observe only. Entity classified under Divine Code [Black Class].
Interference without Admin Approval is prohibited.
Alther's lips twisted.
"Cowards," he spat.
📍 Back in Orvale – A Forgotten Alley
The door creaked as we entered the hideout — a half-collapsed cellar beneath an old, abandoned inn. Dust hung in the air like ghosts, and the walls whispered of old rebellions long buried.
Kaelira lit a lantern with a flick of her fingers. "It's not pretty," she said, "but it's off-grid. No system eyes. I've used it for years."
"It'll do."
I sat on a broken crate and unwrapped the Gauntlet of Ruin. Its pulse was faint, but steady — like a slumbering beast waiting to be awakened fully.
"What even is that thing?" she asked, watching it warily.
"A relic from before the system," I said. "Back when power didn't come with fine print."
She whistled. "And you're just… using it like it's nothing."
"I don't need permission to use what's mine."
System Prompt: Gauntlet of Ruin detected.
Would you like to initiate [Dominion Ascension] path?
Warning: This will overwrite standard Hero evolution. Progression will become nonlinear. Risk of corruption: Extremely High.
I tapped [Yes].
Processing…
New Evolution Path Selected: Sovereign-Class → Dominator-Variant
New Ability Acquired: Edict of Will
Speak a command. Those within range must resist or obey. Scales with presence and dominance.
Kaelira's eyes widened as the air thickened around us. The shadows seemed to lean inward. Even the floor creaked like it wanted to kneel.
"…What the hell was that?"
I stood, power crackling faintly around me.
"Edict," I said softly. "A command that breaks free will."
She stared.
"And it didn't affect you," I added.
She blinked. "Wait — you cast that just now?"
"I didn't 'cast' anything. I spoke."
She narrowed her eyes. "…You were testing me."
"I was confirming you're worth keeping."
Kaelira's smirk returned, darker this time. "Well. That's the most romantic thing anyone's ever said to me."
The door rattled.
Both of us stilled.
Kaelira's knife was in her hand before the second knock.
A voice on the other side spoke: "We have information."
She exhaled slowly. "It's mine," she whispered. "Let me handle it."
I nodded.
She opened the door just a crack.
A boy — couldn't be more than twelve — stood there with wide eyes and soot-streaked cheeks.
"They're looking for him," he whispered, pointing toward me. "Everywhere. Guards. Priests. Even market runners. Posters going up tonight."
"Reward?"
"Five hundred gold. Dead or alive."
Kaelira turned back to me. "Congratulations. You've officially pissed off everyone."
I smiled. "Good."
System Alert: Local hostilities increasing.
Threat Level: Moderate → High
Recommended Action: Relocate, conceal identity, apologize.
I stared at the screen for a moment.
Then flicked it away.
"Let them come."
📍 Velaria's Royal Command Center
Posters were being stamped in mass quantities — my face (from a crystal vision), a blurred crown, the words:
"WANTED: Unknown Threat. Dangerous Rogue. Do Not Approach."
In the corner of the room, a cloaked figure leaned against the wall, watching the process.
"Do you think they'll catch him?" asked a soldier.
The figure's voice was a dry whisper.
"No."
"Then why print these?"
"To keep the people afraid."
📍 Orvale – Midnight
Posters went up. Whispers spread. Fear crept into alleys and under beds.
But somewhere above it all, a man stood on a rooftop, a crown on his brow, and a storm in his eyes.