With a single, devastating strike of his [Bleeding Dragon Claws], Alex shattered the colossal crimson sphere that served as the altar for [Overlord City].
His claws tore through the air like a blade, laced in dense crimson energy that pulsed with raw power.
The moment his attack connected, the sphere groaned under the impact, its hardened surface fracturing instantly.
It had 100 million HP, but it didn’t matter.
The moment Alex’s claws hit, deep cracks webbed across the entire surface, expanding outward in the blink of an eye.
The sphere trembled violently before exploding in a blinding eruption of red and gold light, shaking the entire chamber.
The explosion surged outward in a chaotic wave, washing over Alex.
The energy was fierce, but to him, it was harmless, like standing beneath a waterfall made of light.
The noise was immense, but his expression didn’t shift in the slightest.
Then, silence.
All that remained in the aftermath was a soft, low hum, residual energy dispersing into the atmosphere like smoke fading into the wind.
The once imposing altar was now nothing but dust and glowing fragments.
Ding!
[FateBreaker has destroyed the Altar!]
[The Attackers win. “Overlord City” will not be established, and “Vex” will be unable to construct a new city for the next 3 months.]
Vex and the others could technically still build a city elsewhere, but that required suitable terrain, planning, and time, things no one would have in abundance, especially with the [Chosen Games] approaching fast.
And Alex hoped that by the time they found the time and place, it would be too late to matter.
There were just over three weeks left in the [Chosen Games].
He still didn’t know how long the event would truly last, but he knew this, everything was accelerating.
The pace of destruction, of conflict, of choice.
Nothing was slowing down anymore.
Another notification blinked in front of his eyes.
[You have won as an attacker, but due to an overwhelming level difference, this event is not considered “fair.” As a result, you will receive no rewards.]
Alex exhaled softly. ‘Fair enough.’
He wasn’t here for rewards anyway.
He wasn’t looking to prove a point or flex power.
He just wanted to ensure that no one else made the same catastrophic mistakes that had already scarred the world once.
Done with the altar chamber, Alex calmly turned and walked through the broken doors, reentering the main room where three men waited, Vex, Viktor, and Oliver.
The mood in the room shifted the second they laid eyes on him.
Vex, ever the excitable one, looked somewhere between amazed and thoughtful, while Viktor’s expression was unreadable.
Oliver, the eldest and perhaps the wisest of the three, studied Alex with quiet calculation.
His gaze held no challenge, just curiosity, and maybe… a hint of concern.
“We shall listen to you, young man,” Oliver said after a moment, his voice calm but carrying weight, “But tell me… why are you in such a hurry?”
Vex and Viktor looked toward Alex too, curious about the same thing.
Why was FateBreaker, this monstrous player who’d seemingly gained all the strength he needed in Universal Descent, rushing so urgently?
He had power. He had presence. He could kill permanently.
He was strong enough to fight demons, destroy cities, and rip through the highest tier content like it was nothing.
So what was he chasing?
Fame? No. They hadn’t even heard of him in months.
Control? Conquest? Glory? Still no.
So then—what?
Alex met their gazes, his own expression neutral, yet strangely heavy.
“I…” he began slowly, his voice flat yet firm, “I just don’t want the same mistakes to be repeated again.”
The room seemed to still at his words.
The weight behind them wasn’t forced or dramatic, it was quiet. Real.
“Just follow what I said,” he continued, looking each of them in the eye, “I’ll respect you… so long as you respect me. That’s all I ask.”
Then, without waiting for a reply, he opened his [World Map].
The light-blue interface shimmered into view, reflecting faintly off his eyes.
He gave one last look to the three men, a look that sent an odd chill through their spines.
There was something about his stare.
It wasn’t hostile, but it was deeper than anything they could describe.
It was as if the one looking at them wasn’t a man anymore, but something that had been carved from purpose itself.
And then, flash. Blue light enveloped him. He was gone.
“…So,” Viktor said, rubbing the back of his neck. “What do we do now?”
“What do you mean?” Vex blinked. “We do what he said, right? I mean… he clearly knows something we don’t.”
Oliver slowly nodded. “Agreed. My intuition says he isn’t after power or influence. He’s… trying to protect something.”
Oliver’s intuition was famous. It had guided their family for years, after all.
And it was why he was still head of the [Garden Family], and why everyone listened when he spoke.
“Alright then,” Viktor clapped his hands together, “I’ll send word to the other families and branches. Let’s get this out there fast. No one touches FateBreaker.”
“And no one tries anything stupid,” Vex added with a smirk. “Anyway, I’ve got a guild to manage. Later.”
The group split up, each heading to their own path, but Alex’s message had landed.
Maybe it was fear.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was something else.
A feeling. A gut sense that this wasn’t just about power anymore.
Something far bigger was coming, and they had no choice but to trust the man walking ahead of them into the unknown.
FWISH! Ding!
Meanwhile, Alex had already chosen his next destination on the map.
Now, if anyone were watching, they might assume he would go to [Dragon City], after all, that’s the closest point to where the [Tower of Nightmares] was located, and time was pressing.
Or maybe even back to the [Garden of Destiny] to train with Kaelios, strengthening himself further before the final stages of the Chosen Games.
But no. He chose neither.
Instead, Alex selected a place he hadn’t seen in a while, one that meant far more to him than any tower, domain, or city.
It wasn’t the strongest area, nor was it the most strategic.
But it was the one place in the entire game that made him feel at peace.
Even in Kaelios’ domain, despite the protection and wisdom, there was always tension, an unrelenting pressure from the divine aura, the need to remain sharp, the burden of preparation.
But the place he was heading to now… It was home.
Ding!
[You have arrived at “Fox Tribe Village.”]
Alex materialized in a gentle swirl of blue light amidst the glowing trees of the [Mystical Forest], surrounded by soft winds and warm sunrays.
Alex smiled.
It was small… but genuine.
He barely had time to take a step forward when a flurry of voices exploded around him.
“OH MY GOD!”
“HE’S BACK!”
“Someone call the Queen! Call the girls!”
Dozens of fox women stopped what they were doing and turned toward him in stunned disbelief.
To them, Alex was their hero.
The one who had defended them from demonic hordes.
The one who had stood against Daniel’s destructive wrath when no one else could.
And… unofficially, he was considered the “King” of their tribe, after all, he was romantically involved with Alera, their queen.
Alex raised a hand to calm the chaos.
“No need to panic,” he said loudly, clearly, “I’ll go to them myself. Please, just carry on.”
They obeyed, but not without dozens of wide-eyed stares, whispered excitement, and barely-contained joy.
And so, Alex walked, his footsteps slow and steady as he made his way toward Alera’s home.
[Are you really going to do it, host?]
The [Crown of Calamity] whispered.
Alex nodded.
He had returned for several reasons:
To see the girls. To let them know he was alive, strong, and still fighting.
But more importantly, he had come to finally awaken Arcelia, the sleeping princess of the Maple Kingdom, using the [Annihilation Crucifix].
Time was short, and she would awaken only shortly before the [Chosen Games], but he knew the others would help her adjust.
He just had to give her the chance.
And so, he approached the familiar house.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
He knocked on the wooden door.
A few seconds passed.
Then, footsteps, and the door creaked open.
“…Who’s th—” Alera’s voice froze in place.
There she was, standing just beyond the doorframe, eyes wide, mouth parted.
Behind her, Alice, Aurelia, and Lilith peeked out, their expressions echoing the exact same disbelief.
“…Huh?” Alera muttered.
Alex just grinned.
“Hey there.”
And in an instant, all four of them rushed forward, their bodies slamming into his as they wrapped their arms around him in a powerful group embrace, holding him like he might vanish again.
And for the first time in a long while, Alex felt peace.