[The “Monster Tide Trial” for “Overlord City” will begin now. Do you wish to participate?]”Yes.”
There was no hesitation.
Alex gave his answer immediately, his tone flat and certain as the system accepted his confirmation.
He didn’t need to think twice, not when he already knew exactly what kind of trial this would be.
Not when his current level of power allowed him to fly straight over those walls, crush the guards, and carve a bloody path toward the altar in under a breath.
The defenses of the city, no matter how many had been stationed or what kind of reinforcements the defenders had brought, would mean nothing.
They were probably preparing for another appearance from FateBreaker, and they might’ve hoped this was the day they could stop him for good.
But Alex already knew how it would end.
They couldn’t kill him, not with the strength they had right now, not even close.
Not when he still remembered the average level of human players from this stage in his previous life.
The difference between them and him had grown to the point where it wasn’t just a gap anymore, it was a chasm.
He didn’t even know what he would do once he reached the altar, once he stood face-to-face with the ones who had betrayed and murdered so many.
But he did know this, he wouldn’t forgive them.
Not now. Not ever.
The hatred that lived in his chest burned hotter with each step closer.
Alex turned his head slightly and raised a hand in farewell.
“See you, Kaelios.”
The [God of Destiny], who had been watching silently nearby, gave a small nod in return.
“Time to get back to my training, then,” Kaelios muttered as he stretched and summoned twenty [Light Dummies] with a flick of his fingers.
Just like that, the deity returned to his routine, stepping into another endless cycle of sparring under the clear sky.
Meanwhile, a new panel materialized before Alex’s eyes.
[Which side do you want to join?][Attack] [Defense]
He didn’t even blink before selecting [Attack].
There was no reason to defend, the defenders were barred from getting anywhere near the altar by the system, and Alex wasn’t interested in wasting time standing on the walls.
What mattered was breaking through and doing as much damage as he could.
But just as his finger hovered over the panel to confirm the choice, another alert popped up.
Beep!
[Warning! An astronomically low number of players have chosen “Attack”. There are significantly more “Defenders.”]
So… it was true.
The [Overlord Guild] and the high-ranking families had anticipated someone coming for them.
They’d probably rallied tens of thousands, maybe even more, forming a massive army to lock down the city.
A wall of human players, all clinging to the belief that numbers could protect them from what was coming.
Alex snorted.
“Let them come,” he muttered, “Even if I’m the only attacker… I’ll still win.”
[Very well :)]
And with that final message, his body broke into glowing blue particles, vanishing from the temple and being transported to the site of the [Monster Tide Trial].
—
Ding!
Seconds passed.
Then the light faded.
Alex reappeared in the middle of an open field, lush green grass stretching for miles in every direction.
The air was brisk, and the sky was cloudless.
But what caught his attention wasn’t the peaceful surroundings.
It was the massive structure in the distance.
[Overlord City].
“Looks like they picked a good one this time,” he muttered.
Compared to the previous cities he’d assaulted, this one was massive.
The black walls loomed high above the horizon, and defensive towers lined the perimeter like silent sentinels.
Even then, it was still just a [Level 1 City], every city started there regardless of size, but the difference was, this one had resources.
And right beside him, dozens of other players began materializing, one after the other.
The attackers. There weren’t many. Maybe a few hundred, maybe close to a thousand at most.
A pitiful number when you remembered that there could be hundreds of thousands inside those walls.
The odds were comically lopsided.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
[The “Monster Tide Trial” has started! The monsters will spawn shortly…]
The system’s announcement rang loud across the field.
Just like every other time, the levels of the monsters would be based on the city’s current level.
Since it was a Level 1 city, the monsters would range between Level 150 and 200.
The monsters would grow stronger as the city grew, Level 2 meant monsters around Level 250 to 300, and so on.
That meant, by all logic, the human players stationed here could wipe out the monster tide fairly easily.
Especially considering how far most of the top players had already progressed.
But logic didn’t apply when Alex was involved.
He looked around, taking in the faces of the other attackers.
These were players who had chosen to go against the ruling guild.
Either they had nothing to lose, or they had just enough strength and ambition to gamble on winning.
And then his gaze froze.
One face stood out.
Alex blinked, his eyes narrowing.
“No way… He’s here?”
A tall man stood a short distance away, muscular, broad-shouldered, with a massive greatsword slung across his back.
His skin was tanned, his armor scratched and battered from countless fights.
The name hovered clearly above his head.
[Dave Shepards]
[ID: [Muscles]
Alex’s chest tightened.
Dave had been one of his earliest teammates in his past life.
Someone who had been killed by the [Hatred Demon] long ago.
They’d met during the very first stages of Universal Descent, but Alex had never spoken to him again after that, too focused on growing stronger, too driven by revenge.
And now here he was. Dave turned toward him.
Surprise flickered across his expression.
“FateBreaker?” he asked, blinking rapidly.
The other players turned in unison at the mention of that name.
Nervous, uncertain faces suddenly lit up with relief.
Some even smiled openly.
FateBreaker, the top player in the game, the one who led every leaderboard, the one who had crushed monsters and players alike, was on their side.
Hope surged through the group.
“Hello,” Alex nodded simply, his expression calm, “Try not to die too fast. I’ll handle most of it, I guarantee the altar will be destroyed.”
“It’s fine,” Dave laughed, slapping a hand against his chest, “It’s damn good to see someone from the start still kicking ass.”
“Same,” Alex replied, though there was a heaviness to his voice.
Memories resurfaced for a moment, but he shoved them aside.
“Let’s make some noise, shall we?” Dave cracked his neck and stepped forward.
And then the next announcement echoed.
[Monsters will now spawn!]
And just like that, the land around them shifted.
The ground behind the attackers cracked open as monsters began to emerge, hundreds of them.
Beasts crawled up from the dirt, wings flapped from above, and the nearby forests shuddered as creatures spilled out in waves.
A true horde was forming.
But Alex remained completely unfazed.
He looked toward the distant city walls.
Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of defenders stood poised and ready, their weapons drawn, their formations tight.
More of them could be seen inside the walls, preparing spells, loading siege weapons, or simply waiting for orders.
Dave raised his sword high and let out a war cry.
“HERE WE GO!”
And then he charged, sprinting ahead, slicing through the grass as he raced toward the city.
A few others followed.
None of them wanted to stay near the spawning monsters, especially since attackers could be targeted by them as well.
Alex, however, took his time.
Fwish! Fwish! Fwish!
Six radiant wings burst from his back.
Powerful and awe-inspiring, they stretched wide, casting shadows over the grass.
With a single flap, he soared above the others, high, fast, and untouchable.
The monsters didn’t even look at him.
Despite being surrounded by a chaos of snarling jaws and flapping wings, none dared to approach.
It was as if something primal had warned them.
As if every creature instinctively knew that he could kill them all with a flick of his hand.
But Alex didn’t care about the monsters.
He wanted something else.
Something louder. Something bigger. Something… chaotic.
He tapped his [Digital Inventory Watch], scrolling rapidly through his items.
After a few swipes, he found what he was looking for.
An artifact he’d gained back in [Bell City], something from one of the earliest batches of [Fate Gift Boxes].
He’d dismissed it back then, thinking it would be a waste to ever use.
But now? It was perfect.
The [Blood Altar].
[Blood Altar (Artifact)]
[Effect: Using this altar summons a Tier-7 Mythical-Level boss monster. Defeating it yields extraordinary rewards.]
It was stronger than any monster that could appear naturally in this trial.
And strong enough to wreck every single defender inside that city.
“Welp,” Alex muttered with a half-smile, “Let’s turn this whole thing upside down.”
He summoned the altar into his hands.
It was blood-red, pulsating with faint energy, its surface engraved with old runes that shimmered ominously.
The sky darkened slightly just from its presence alone. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he activated it.
…
A/N
It is highly possible I will start uploading three chapters a day some days.