Ding! Ding! Ding!
Alex received the notifications from the three kills.
[You have slain “Celestial” and gained 160,000,000 experience points!]
[You have slain “Lumineth” and gained 185,000,000 experience points!]
[You have slain “Aurumiel” and gained 290,000,000 experience points!]
“Damn,” Angels and NPCs weren’t included in the double experience buff of this zone, but the amount was still incredible.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[You have reached level 361, gained 5 attribute points to all stats and 4 points to assign.]
[You have reached level 362…]
[You have reached level 363…]
He assigned his free stat points to spirit like always, since he needed a lot of damage and mana.
And then of course, he used his extraction on each of the angels.
Ding!
[You have extracted “Divine Bow of the Angel” (Mythical)]
Ding!
[You have extracted 1 Karma Point!]
“Huh, another one,” he mumbled, though he gladly accepted it.
And finally, it was Aurumiel’s turn, so Alex simply knelt down, placing his palm on the angel’s lifeless body.
And…
Ding! Enjoy more content from empire
[You have extracted “Angel’s Life Essence” (Divine)]
A golden orb appeared inside of Alex’s hand, and before he could even react, it suddenly disappeared.
“Huh? What?”
It didn’t seep inside his body or anything of the sort, it just… vanished.
[You are not eligible to hold this, mortal.]
The notification blinked for barely a second before disappearing.
Alex frowned, staring at his empty palm in confusion, but before he could process the implications, something unimaginable happened.
Ding!
[The God of Light is watching you.]
Alex froze.
His entire body stiffened as the ominous words echoed in his mind.
The air around him shifted abruptly, heavy with an otherworldly presence.
The battlefield darkened, not for everyone else, but for Alex alone.
To the angels in the zone and Alice, nothing seemed amiss.
But for Alex, it was as if the sun had been extinguished, leaving him in an oppressive void.
His surroundings melted away into an unfamiliar domain, a golden yet unsettlingly cold expanse where time itself seemed to slow.
“Alex?” Alice’s voice reached out faintly, muffled and distant, but she wasn’t there.
No one was.
The sky within the domain warped, a radiant figure taking form above him.
It stretched endlessly, a being of pure golden light and unimaginable size.
The figure’s eyes burned like twin suns, their gaze piercing through Alex, rooting him in place with paralyzing force.
Every instinct screamed at him to move, but his body refused to obey.
The oppressive weight of the god’s presence made it hard to breathe, let alone think.
Alex’s mind raced.
‘A god… this is an actual god.’
Above him, the colossal figure tilted its radiant head, its face unreadable save for a slow-spreading smile that carried both intrigue and malice.
“Interesting…” the god’s voice boomed, a thunderous echo that rattled Alex’s very bones. It wasn’t just sound, it was like a force pressing against his soul.
Outside the domain, all Alice could see was Alex in place, looking at the sky.
But for Alex, he could see HIM. Only he bore the weight of that gaze.
“You…” The God of Light’s voice was slow, deliberate, and resonant. It wasn’t a question but a statement filled with profound curiosity.
Alex swallowed hard, his throat dry.
He instinctively reached for his dagger, knowing full well how pointless it was.
“This world… is so boring,” the god continued, his tone dripping with disdain. “I have created angels, champions of light, and yet… they disappoint me endlessly. They grovel at my feet and call it worship. They bask in my light, yet offer me nothing in return.”
The god’s smile widened unnervingly.
“But you…” the god’s eyes bore down, as though peeling back every layer of Alex’s existence. “You are… different. Not by much. Not by power. But by defiance.”
Alex’s heart pounded, his mind screaming at him to stay silent, to not provoke whatever this was.
“Perhaps,” the god mused, tilting its radiant head further, “perhaps you, child, can prove me wrong.”
The god’s smile deepened, radiating amusement mixed with danger.
“Show me something new. Or vanish like the rest of the meaningless mortals in this fleeting existence.”
And just like that, the light intensified, consuming the figure until it dissolved into glowing particles that drifted into the void around Alex.
The weight vanished, and the golden domain blinked out of existence.
The battlefield returned, and Alex staggered slightly, his breath ragged.
Alice’s voice snapped him back to reality. “So, did you learn anything?”
He turned to her, her casual pose contrasting sharply with what he had just endured.
She leaned back against a rock, one leg crossed over the other, her bow resting lazily at her side.
Her carefree expression hadn’t changed. To her, nothing had happened.
“No,” Alex replied, his voice steadier than he felt. He swiped at the sweat on his brow, disguising the tremble in his hand. “The angels won’t talk. Not surprising.”
Alice tilted her head, her casual smile turning curious. “So… are you stuck?”
“Huh…” Alex couldn’t deny it, he had fought and yet found no answers, “Yeah, pretty much, but I’m sure at some point I’ll find a way…”
Alice smiled faintly, almost teasingly.
“If you say so.”
Ignoring her, Alex turned his focus inward, calling out to Artemis, he decided to put what happened at the back of his head, but act like it didn’t.
If anyone could answer his questions, it was that enigmatic angel.
Despite their previous encounters, Alex couldn’t shake the nagging suspicion that Artemis knew far more than he let on.
In fact, was he even a two-winged angel in the first place?
Or maybe…
“Hm…”
As if summoned by his thoughts, the air shimmered, and Artemis materialized before him in a swirl of radiant light.
The two-winged angel’s appearance was immaculate as always, his glowing armor pristine and his expression unreadable.
“Yes?” Artemis said, his voice smooth, almost bored.
Alex frowned. “Damn. So you can just… come whenever you want?”
“Yes,” Artemis replied simply, his tone devoid of any elaboration.
“Then why don’t you do something useful and tell me how to gain the [Angel Bloodline]?”
Artemis’s gaze didn’t waver.
“No,” he said firmly.
“Why not? Is it because I’m not worthy? Because I’ve killed other angels? Or do you think I’m a threat?”
At each accusation, Artemis shook his head slowly, his serene expression unwavering.
As Alex finished, the angel’s lips curled into a wider smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“No, human,” Artemis said softly, his voice carrying a strange blend of mockery and menace.
He flapped his wings gently, closing the distance between them in an instant.
The radiant aura surrounding Artemis grew brighter, almost blinding, forcing Alex to squint.
But it wasn’t just the light, it was the feeling too.
The oppressive weight of Artemis’s presence was suffocating, and beneath the angel’s calm exterior, Alex could sense something far darker.
“You foolish mortal,” Artemis said, his voice laced with amusement as he laughed quietly, “The reason I’m not saying anything is simple. I don’t want a worthless human like you to ever be considered one of us.”
The words hit Alex harder than any blade, but before he could muster a response, Artemis moved.
In a blur of motion, the angel raised his blade, the light reflecting off its edge as it arced through the air.
Alex barely had time to react, let alone defend himself.
The blade struck with ruthless precision, slicing through him in a single, clean motion.
For a moment, Alex felt nothing.
Then came the pain, a searing, white-hot agony that consumed him.
He looked down, his vision swimming, and saw his body falling apart, cut cleanly in half.
“I already told you before,” Artemis said coldly, his expression one of mild annoyance, “… that wouldn’t miss again. Don’t waste my time with your nonsense.”
Immediately, Alice, even though she knew she didn’t stand a chance, grabbed a few [Blood Arrows] and shot them at Artemis.
“I have no intentions of killing you, female human,” Artemis sliced through the arrows with ease, “Tell your companion, since I know that he isn’t truly dead, to not call out to me anymore.”
“FUCK YOU!”
“Insults do not affect me,” Artemis shrugged before disappearing.
The world around Alex faded to black as he heard the end of this conversation.
Ding!
[You have died!]
[As your opponent’s level is far higher than yours, no penalty has been given.]
Alex gasped as he woke, his heart pounding in his chest.
His body felt whole again, but the memory of Artemis’s blade slicing through him lingered, sharp and vivid.
He found himself inside [Star City] again, which was much more populated after the academy was opened.
“Huh, isn’t that FateBreaker?”
“That light just now… did he die?”
“No chance, dude, he probably just logged on after a small break.”
Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair while ignoring everyone around him.
Artemis’s dismissal had been humiliating, but it also fueled a burning determination within him.
If the angels thought he was unworthy, he’d prove them wrong.
Clenching his fists, Alex turned his attention to the horizon outside [Star City].
He wasn’t sure what his next step would be, but one thing was certain, he wasn’t going to let Artemis have the last word.