Alex stepped into the chamber with a quiet calm, the heavy stone door behind him shutting with a low, echoing thud.
His expression was unreadable, his eyes holding no emotion, only certainty.
No one here posed a threat to him, and they all felt it.
There was nothing they could do to shake him, nothing that could make him flinch.
That truth settled like a weight across the room, draping over the figures standing in tense silence.
Every person here, no matter how proud, how influential, or how dangerous, could feel it in their bones.
The one standing before them, wasn’t a human anymore.
No matter how hard they tried to rationalize it, no matter how much they tried to remind themselves of his origins, their instincts told them otherwise.
He wasn’t like them.
Still, amid the tension, someone chuckled.
The sound was light, almost amused.
It came from a man who stepped forward without fear, his hands casually tucked in his pockets.
He smiled wide, his eyes gleaming with recognition and curiosity.
“FateBreaker,” he said, voice laced with warmth and something akin to excitement, “It’s been a while since we last heard from you… but it’s good to see you back.”
It was Vex, the new leader of the [Overlord Guild].
He extended a hand in greeting, and for a moment, silence reigned.
Alex said nothing.
He didn’t shake the hand.
But he didn’t reject it either.
To be honest, Alex didn’t mind Vex.
Compared to Daniel, Vex was a far less irritating presence.
When news of Daniel’s permanent death spread, Vex hadn’t wept or raged.
He hadn’t tried to summon vengeance or stir chaos.
No, he had smiled, and simply thanked Alex for his service.
That alone told Alex everything.
Whether Vex was pleased to take over, or simply glad Daniel was gone, didn’t matter.
He showed no signs of hostility now, and that was enough.
“Are you here to destroy the altar?” Vex asked, glancing toward the massive crimson structure at the far end of the chamber.
“What if I am?” Alex replied, his tone even.
Vex shrugged, “Go ahead. It’s not like we can stop you. Honestly… I think I owe you something anyway.”
A shout suddenly cut through the air.
“Are you fucking stupid?”
It was Dawn.
He stepped forward with his usual entourage, Lucas and Sato right behind him, but gone was his signature smirk, the cocky tone that usually coated his words.
Instead, his voice cracked under the weight of the pressure pressing down on them.
“Let us at least try to bargain, or something?” he snapped, glancing between Vex and the others.
Vex didn’t look at him.
“Useless,” he said flatly, “We can’t beat him here. Honestly… I doubt we could even do it in real life.”
That comment earned some murmurs.
“Hm,” Viktor muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
“I feel it as well,” said Oliver Garden, nodding slightly, “There’s… something different about him.”
Among the people in the room, only a handful had the awareness to remain calm.
Vex, Viktor, Oliver.
They weren’t reckless enough to test strength they couldn’t measure.
Oliver, a man Alex had never met face to face before, took a step forward.
“I don’t know if you know of me,”
“Oliver Garden,” Alex interrupted, “Leader of the [Garden Family].”
Oliver smiled faintly.
“Not many recognize me on sight. I rarely show myself.”
“I only know the essentials,” Alex replied, “It doesn’t change anything.”
The meaning was clear, titles and identities didn’t matter here.
They were in a closed chamber, isolated, and nothing any of them said would sway Alex’s decision.
He made the rules now. And they would follow them.
Everyone seemed to grasp that reality, except for Dawn.
“He killed Daniel in real life!” Dawn barked, his voice sharp, “And you’re all just going to let that go?!”
The room remained still.
Alex said nothing. But his golden eyes locked onto Dawn.
And in that moment, something shifted.
A decision formed within him, final and unshakable.
“You know,” Alex said softly, stepping forward.
His aura spilled out like a storm, pressing into every corner of the room.
The walls trembled. The very air grew thick.
“I’ve thought about this a lot…” he continued, taking another step, “I tried to push it aside, to focus on what mattered most. But I can’t ignore it.”
Dawn, Lucas, and Sato backed away, their legs shaking, breath catching.
“You tried to kill Alice,” Alex whispered, voice low and cold, ‘both in this life… and in the last.’
It was unforgivable.
In his past life, they’d made a deal with the silver-skins, leading an invasion on the [Stardust Estate].
Alice had died that day, along with hundreds of others.
And even now, in this life, they’d tried again.
Sent the same monsters to her doorstep.
He had stopped them that time, thanks to the [Undead King].
But that didn’t erase what they were.
Or what they would have done if he hadn’t intervened.
“I will never forgive you,” Alex said.
Then, he raised his hand.
“Crown of Calamity… destroy their souls.”
Dozens of black tendrils burst forth, snapping across the space like vipers.
Fwish! Fwish!
They lashed out, wrapping around Dawn, Lucas, and Sato in an instant.
“What?!”
“Holy—?!”
“LET US GO!”
They screamed, struggling wildly.
But it was pointless.
These tendrils weren’t something they could break, not with their level, not with anything they had.
Vex laughed, his voice echoing through the chamber.
“Ah, that’s what you get!”
Viktor and Oliver watched with calm detachment.
Just a quiet acceptance that this was the end for those three.
And really, everyone with a brain could see it coming.
Dawn had claimed Alex killed Daniel in the real world, but it was nonsense.
How would Alex even reach someone like Daniel in reality, with no powers or resources?
The only explanation was that Daniel died in the game, and if Alex had a way to make death in-game permanent, then this was all the proof anyone needed.
He had done it once. And now, he was doing it again.
“Too bad,” Viktor sighed, “I guess our deals are off.”
Oliver remained silent, arms behind his back, observing.
Then—
CRACK!
The tendrils snapped every bone in the three men’s bodies.
They died instantly, their forms beginning to dissolve in a blue glow, the usual sign of respawn.
But the [Crown of Calamity] didn’t allow it.
More tendrils erupted, plunging through their bodies and piercing their hearts, sending a jolt of power that shattered their souls.
Their bodies returned to normal, lifeless. Permanently gone.
The tendrils slithered back into the crown, vanishing without a trace.
And just like that… it was over.
The three were dead. Truly dead.
And Alex felt nothing.
No joy. No satisfaction. He simply stared.
Vex and the others stared as well, eyes slightly widened.
The sight of a player dying without the blue light finishing its course, without respawning, was terrifying.
It meant only one thing: FateBreaker could kill players permanently.
“Now that that’s done,” Viktor said slowly, “are we next?”
“We can’t log off,” Oliver added, his tone unreadable.
“Hahaha~” Vex kept laughing, unfazed, “So that’s how you killed Daniel, huh?”
Each of them reacted differently.
But Alex simply met their gazes and said.
“I don’t plan to kill anyone else… as long as none of you do anything stupid.”
His voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the edge beneath it.
“Understood?”
They all nodded.
Not from fear, at least, not entirely. But from awe.
They understood now what they were dealing with.
Alex turned toward the altar room, his back to them.
“Just stay in your lane. Keep doing whatever you want, I don’t care. But don’t seek power from gods or other beings. Don’t encourage others to play with things they don’t understand. Don’t repeat the mistakes from last time. That’s all I’m asking.”
He didn’t want another collapse. He didn’t want more chaos from arrogance or blind ambition.
He wouldn’t let it happen again.
If they followed his simple rules, they would be allowed to walk away.
And if not… Well, they had seen what would happen.
“I am going to destroy the altar though,” Alex added, casting one last glance back, “But in a few months, after the [Chosen Games]… you can make a new city. Just don’t call it the same name.”
Vex nodded, “Very well.”
“A different name, huh…” Viktor murmured, deep in thought.
And with that, Alex stepped forward, leaving them behind.