Night fell on Orvale like a curtain of tension.
The city hadn't slept since the posters went up.Guards doubled their patrols. Churches whispered of heresy.And deep beneath all of it, in a hidden cellar lit by a single flickering lantern, I sat.
Not hiding.Waiting.
System Alert: You are now designated as a Tier Black Threat.Total bounty: 1500 gold (alive), 1000 (dead).Elite response squads activated.
Cute.
Across from me, Kaelira tightened the straps on her boots, her eyes calm but sharp.
"They're coming tonight," she said.
I didn't ask how she knew. She had her ways — rats, children, people who owed her favors or gold or both.
"How many?"
"Three squads. Six per team. One from the palace, one from the Church, and…" she hesitated, "one from the system's Inquisition."
I smiled.
"You're enjoying this," she said flatly.
"Of course," I said, standing. "This is the first time they've taken me seriously."
📍 An hour later – Rooftop vantage point
The moon hung heavy in the sky, casting silver over the slums of Orvale. Kaelira and I moved like smoke — quiet, unseen. I let her lead through the alley shadows, through passages only thieves and ghosts knew.
"They'll hit the old inn first," she whispered. "Think you're still down there."
"Perfect."
We perched on a roof opposite the crumbling building. And right on cue, shadows emerged from the alleyways. Heavily armed. Coordinated. Silent.
System elites.
Their armor shimmered with suppression runes. No banners. No names.
Just cold, anonymous executioners.
System Note: These units are authorized to use lethal force.They will not offer redemption.
Good.
I wasn't interested in forgiveness.
The lead operative signaled. Two approached the door.
Kaelira tensed. "Should we move?"
"No," I said, eyes locked on the gauntlet beneath my cloak. "Let's make this educational."
The first operative kicked in the door.
Three seconds later, a dark wave exploded from within — a pressure so thick, so ancient, it knocked two men flat and made the others stumble back in panic.
One managed to scream: "It's a trap!"
The inn collapsed inward — not from fire, not from spell — but from command.
Skill Triggered: Edict of CollapseEffect: Commanded structure to fall. Success.
Debris fell like thunder. Chaos spread like wildfire.
Kaelira stared at me like I'd just rewritten physics.
"What. The hell. Was that?"
"I told the building to kneel," I said simply. "It obeyed."
Only five of the eighteen survived the collapse.
The rest regrouped in the street, confused, injured — and furious.
Time for round two.
I stepped off the rooftop.
Didn't jump.
Stepped.
And landed in the dust with a soundless thud.
Every helmet turned toward me. One shouted, "Target confirmed!"
Another: "Engage! Suppression formation!"
I held up one hand.
"No."
The word hit like a hammer.
They froze mid-step.
Skill Triggered: Edict of HaltWeak-minded targets: Stunned for 6 seconds.
I walked through their staggered formation like mist through fire.
A sword came at me from behind.
Kaelira appeared out of nowhere — her dagger flashing once, twice. The attacker dropped with a choked gasp.
"You didn't say you had backup!" one shouted.
I raised an eyebrow. "Did you think I'd wear a crown alone?"
System Note: Suppression Protocols ineffective.Status: Mission Failure likely. Retreat advised.
Three fled.
One knelt — trembling.
Two more hesitated.
And one — a priest in lightsteel armor — activated a divine seal.
"By the authority of the Faceless One—!"
I reached into the air, pulled reality taut, and crushed it.
New Skill Unlocked: Authority DrainEffect: Cancel enemy spells within range by overriding their will.
The priest's symbol shattered in his hands.
He stumbled back, wide-eyed.
"What… are you?"
I leaned in, my voice low and final:
"I'm what happens when a throne grows legs."
Then I touched his forehead with the Gauntlet of Ruin.
Command: Sleep.
He collapsed instantly.
📍 Elsewhere – Velaria Palace
King Verin stared at the report with a clenched jaw.
"Three squads," he whispered. "Eighteen men. Zero kills."
"Your Majesty," the seer said cautiously, "he didn't just fight them. He… converted one. The last report says one of the soldiers swore allegiance before fleeing."
The king's voice was ice.
"Who was it?"
"Commander Rhael."
"…Bring him to me."
📍 Back in Orvale – Rooftop, later that night
Kaelira tossed me a flask.
"You know," she said, "I thought I'd seen enough madmen in my life."
"And now?"
She sat down beside me, elbows on her knees.
"Now I think I've met the one who'll change everything."
System Notification: New follower bond deepened.Kaelira – Loyalty: 76% → 82%New Perk Unlocked: Shadow SyncEffect: You and Kaelira can sense each other's location and intent when within range.
I leaned back, crown catching the starlight.
"Good," I said. "Because I've only just started."
Far above the world, in a space between thoughts, a system admin watched the events unfold.
The screen flickered.
Black-Level Threat: Ascending faster than calculated.Estimated World Disruption: 18% → 47%
A voice from the void asked, "Do we intervene?"
Another answered:
"No. Let him rise."
The third, deeper still, whispered:
"Let the world tremble first."