[Player “Vex” is attempting to establish “Overlord City” using a “City Building Scroll”!]
[As always, the rules remain unchanged. The “Monster Tide Trial” will commence in two hours. Choose your camp if you wish to participate!]
The message echoed through the system with a familiar chime.
It caught Alex’s attention immediately.
His gaze narrowed as he read the notification a second time just to make sure he wasn’t misunderstanding things.
So they were finally doing it.
The [Overlord Guild] was trying to establish their city.
It had been well over three months since their first failed attempt, meaning the penalty had run its course and they could now try again without restrictions.
What made this attempt different, though, was the absence of Daniel.
Daniel was dead. Killed. Gone from the world entirely.
Now it was Vex, the second-in-command, the one who had always lingered in the background, that stepped forward to lead the Overlord Guild.
Alex didn’t hate him.
In truth, he didn’t feel any malice at all toward Vex.
The man seemed far more level-headed and rational than Daniel had ever been.
He wasn’t corrupted by hatred or consumed by power.
And yet…
“He’s probably still working with the big families,” Alex muttered under his breath, eyes sharpening, “And with Dawn. I can’t let this go through, not like this.”
Even if Vex was reasonable, his allegiances mattered more.
He was just another cog in the same machine Alex was trying to dismantle.
A machine built by the powerful, the greedy, the ones who played with lives like they were coins on a board.
Letting something like this succeed now, just as everything was reaching its critical moment, would be a fatal mistake.
He had no doubt that the big families and the remnants of the Dawn organization would participate in the city’s establishment.
And if they managed to get it done, if they succeeded in building [Overlord City] and anchoring their influence there, it would become a foothold, a territory from which they could spread their control even further.
Alex couldn’t allow that.
Not when he was this close.
This event, this trial, would be his moment to strike.
A chance to cripple them all in one clean sweep.
Even if it meant using the [Crown of Calamity]’s soul-devouring tendrils to ensure no one returned.
Even if it meant delivering permanent death to anyone who stood in his way.
He wasn’t acting out of vengeance. Not anymore.
He had long since let go of personal grudges.
What consumed him now was the need to finish what he started, clearing every obstacle before the [Chosen Games] began.
He had no illusions.
The cost of his path would be high. Maybe even fatal.
But running away wasn’t an option, not anymore. Not after everything.
Ever since forming a bond with Kaelios, the [God of Destiny], he had become irrevocably tied to the [Chosen Games].
There was no more avoidance, no more escape.
It was either him or them.
And so…
“I have two hours before the trial begins,” Alex thought, already formulating his next moves.
“And since I want the [Tower of Nightmares] to be my last target, it’s the furthest and the most time-consuming, I should clear the other objectives first.”
His remaining goals were all important in their own way, but some could be handled far more quickly.
The [Tower of Nightmares], in contrast, lay days away from [Dragon City], which was its nearest teleportation anchor.
He didn’t want to waste time traveling back and forth.
Once he arrived, he wanted to handle it in one uninterrupted stretch.
For now, he would prioritize everything else.
Opening his [World Map], Alex tapped into the [Domains] section, scrolling until his eyes landed on the familiar name, [Garden of Destiny].
He selected it.
Ding!
[You will be teleported to “Garden of Destiny.”]
Blue light surrounded him.
In an instant, his body was gone.
Far above, in the distance, Malvir, the ancient guardian atop the [Tower of Remnants], watched as Alex disappeared.
He leaned back slowly into his stone throne, exhaling a long breath through tired lungs.
“Well,” he muttered, “I guess I’ll see him in a month… just like he said.”
For now, all Malvir had to do was survive.
Hold on, endure, and wait for the human who promised freedom to return.
That was all.
Fwish. Ding!
[You have arrived.]
Alex stood once more in the domain of Kaelios, the [God of Destiny].
The soft breeze of the garden rolled past him, carrying the scents of ancient flowers and humming power.
Without delay, he followed the familiar stone path lined with glowing vines, making his way toward the structure nestled at the center of the realm.
The place was unusually quiet.
Kaelios was nowhere to be seen lounging on his hammock as he usually was.
Curious, Alex entered the open structure and paused at the sight before him.
There, in the middle of a wide training ground, Kaelios was locked in a fierce battle.
Dozens of [Light Dummies] surrounded him, moving in perfect synchronization, attacking from all directions.
Fwish! Slash! Slash!
Alex didn’t say a word as he stood and observed.
Kaelios was moving fast, almost too fast to follow, wielding twin [Destiny Swords] and cutting through the dummies with mechanical precision.
Yet Alex noticed something peculiar, Kaelios wasn’t using any of his godly abilities.
No time-altering tricks, no divine shields.
Just raw physical skill, instincts, and reaction speed.
“He’s training for the worst-case scenario,” Alex realized.
If there came a time when his abilities were sealed, or if he ran out of Destiny Points, then he’d have no choice but to rely purely on his body and swordsmanship.
Even one of the top five gods was preparing for that.
That spoke volumes about how brutal the [Chosen Games] would be.
After nearly five minutes of fierce back-and-forth, Kaelios finally decapitated the last dummy, the blade slicing clean through as the light entity dissolved into particles.
He stood still for a moment, catching his breath.
“It’s better,” Kaelios muttered to himself, “But still not fast enough… I feel like the human is still quicker than me.”
“You’re talking about me, right?” Alex finally spoke, a grin tugging at his lips.
Kaelios jerked his head toward him in surprise.
His eyes widened slightly as he stared at Alex, genuinely shocked.
“That’s the second time you’ve come here without me noticing,” the god whispered, “That’s… not normal.”
Alex raised an eyebrow.
It was odd, considering that Kaelios was supposed to be the literal god of destiny, someone who saw everything within his domain before it even happened.
Was it possible that Alex had developed something that suppressed even a god’s perception?
He didn’t know. For now, it didn’t matter.
“I have to head back soon,” Alex said, getting straight to the point, “There’s a city trial I want to intervene in, a token I need for the [Door of Destiny], and I’m also planning to upgrade my [Undead Lord] talent.”
Kaelios nodded solemnly.
“Good. You’re progressing fast.”
Alex continued, “After that, I’ll return. One of my tasks before the [Chosen Games] is to get any information you might have on the gods I’ll be facing. I want to know what I’m walking into.”
Kaelios’s usual casual demeanor faded, replaced by something colder, more focused.
“I can give you the small amount of information I have, but not about any chosen ones.”
Alex didn’t look surprised.
“That makes sense.”
“But…” Kaelios raised a hand, “I do have scraps of information on three gods. Not much, but enough to give you a slight edge, assuming you can make use of it.”
Alex nodded immediately.
“Anything helps.”
Because it was true.
Even the smallest fragment of information could mean the difference between survival and death when the time came.
Kaelios lifted his hand and snapped his fingers.
In the air before Alex, three glowing panels materialized, each displaying a name and fragments of text, records collected from the last remnants of memory that the system hadn’t erased.
Alex leaned in to read.
Because this, this was the beginning of preparation for the final stretch.
