overl was just beginning to rise over the virtual mountains of Eternova Online when Kai received the unexpected invitation.
> [Private Message: Aria_Mira]
"Kai. I've got a spot open for a limited-team raid. It's a level 90+ boss. Only five players allowed. Want in?"
Kai stared at the message, toast halfway to his mouth. He was still officially a "Level 1 Novice" in the system.
> "Uh. You sure you have the right guy?"
> [Aria]: "I don't recruit by level. I recruit by instinct."
Kai couldn't help but smirk. "Smooth," he muttered.
---
Location: Ruins of Varkross – Hidden Raid Instance
A red moon loomed in the sky as the five-person raid group gathered at the obsidian gate that marked the entrance to the Ruins of Varkross, an ancient warzone sealed off to all but elite players. Entry required a special key—one Aria had just earned by solo-clearing a raid tower.
Kai appeared, looking as unassuming as ever—ragged cloak, rusty dagger, and the same harmless Novice title floating above his head.
The other three players raised eyebrows immediately.
> [Lv. 94] Kento_Rai – DPS (Blademaster), Guild: Valkyrion
[Lv. 91] Myrrh – Support Mage (Barrier Type), Guild: Valkyrion
[Lv. 93] Aeron – Tank (Guardian of the Peak), Guild: Valkyrion
Kento looked at Aria and then at Kai. "Uh, no offense, but… did we pick up the mascot for this run?"
Myrrh gave a polite nod. "He seems… enthusiastic?"
Aeron grunted. "I thought this was serious."
Aria held up a hand. "Trust me. He's with me."
Kai gave a little wave. "I brought snacks."
Kento raised an eyebrow. "What kind of snacks?"
Kai opened a trade window.
> Item: Apple of Eden (Disguised) – Appears as 'Bland Fruit', Heals 100HP.
Actual: Restores full HP and MP instantly + grants XP buff
He handed each of them a set of supplies, cloaked in common appearances.
> Item: Iron Shortsword – disguised name
Actual: Lightning Fangblade (+100% Crit Chance, Chain Lightning effect)
> Item: Worn Cloak – disguised name
Actual: Cloak of Ethereal Blink – Grants passive evade chance, plus short-range teleport on hit
Kento's jaw dropped after just a swing.
"Okay… what the hell did you feed this thing?"
Myrrh ran diagnostics on the cloak and blinked. "I think this has a hidden mana-drain nullifier. I've only seen that on one endgame boss drop."
Kai just shrugged. "Found it in a slime."
Aria smirked, watching their reactions.
---
[System Message]
> "Party Registered: RAID TEAM – Varkross Ruins (5-Person Instance)"
Participants:
Aria_Mira
Kento_Rai
Myrrh
Aeron
Kai
---
[Server-wide Notification]
> A new raid instance has been opened: Ruins of Varkross (Hard Mode).
Team Leader: Aria_Mira
Team Member: Kai
---
The moment that system message hit global chat, chaos erupted.
---
[Global Chat – PvE Server Channel]
>> CrimsonPillar: "Wait. Who's Kai? There's no high-level player by that name."
>> BladeOfAshes: "I've never seen that name in the rankings. New alt of someone?"
>> BlackSun_Scouter: "Same guy who rejected ReaperZion. That's him."
>> Frostveil: "If Aria brought him into a 5-man raid, he has to be good."
>> IronVow (Crimson Eclipse): "Watch him. We might want to invite him as a freelancer later."
---
The Raid Begins
Inside the Ruins, the architecture twisted into jagged, floating obsidian shards. The air crackled with digital interference, as if the game itself struggled to render the boss properly.
Their target was Varkross, The Memory Devourer—a four-armed beast that absorbed players' abilities mid-fight.
He descended from the sky with a roar that shattered nearby platforms.
"Begin!" Aria shouted.
Aeron charged in first, shield raised. Kento dashed beside him with blades flashing. Myrrh floated behind, casting radiant barriers and time-warp bubbles.
Kai stood at the back, calmly activating invisible commands:
> Variable Shift: Boss AI Aggression Threshold +20% (Only Targets Tank)
Code Slice: Remove boss passive regen for 10 seconds
Silent Buff Inject: +Attack Speed for all team members (Disguised as "Adrenaline Surge")
Aria glanced back at him. "Whatever you're doing—keep doing it."
The fight was brutal. The boss adapted constantly, stealing Myrrh's spells and launching mirrored versions of Kento's attacks.
But Kai countered every shift. Whenever the boss absorbed a skill, Kai rewrote its behavior with subtle, invisible edits.
> Example: Absorbed Spell "Mana Cage" changed to "Banana Cage" – Targeted player instead receives banana costume.
When the boss tried to use his Devour Beam, Kai activated:
> Plot Armor (Extreme Mode): Rewrite incoming fatal damage → cinematic dodge
Aria watched, stunned, as the Devour Beam passed through Kai—and instead struck one of the floating ruins.
"...No cooldown?" she whispered.
---
The Boss Falls
After a punishing 20-minute fight, Varkross screeched and exploded in a shower of golden light.
> [RAID CLEAR]
You have defeated: Varkross, the Memory Devourer (Hard Mode)
Loot Acquired:
Crown of the Lost King (Mythic)
Codex of Forgotten Runes (Legendary)
42,000 EXP
Special Title: "Breaker of the Forgotten Loop"**
---
Kai opened the loot table and quietly flagged the crown as "accidentally damaged," changing it to look like a cracked helmet. He handed it to Aria.
"You lead, you loot. Take the crown."
She looked at him, half amused, half suspicious. "You're hiding a lot more than I thought."
Kai gave a sheepish smile. "I'm just a helpful Novice."
---
Back in Town: Reactions Explode
As the raid loot appeared on public leaderboards, guild strategists, PvP champions, and streamers across the server all took notice.
> New Player: Kai – Recorded in Mythic Loot Distribution Guild: None Class: Unknown Contribution: High
Crimson Eclipse, Frostveil Order, and even Silent Dawn all marked him as a potential freelancer to recruit.
> "Track him."
"Offer him a mercenary contract."
"If we don't get him, Black Sun will."
---
Black Sun Syndicate HQ – Moments Later
ReaperZion crushed a potion bottle in his hand.
"He's climbing the ranks without even fighting publicly."
His second-in-command asked, "Should we mark Aria as a threat?"
Reaper's eyes flared crimson. "Forget Aria. That Kai kid is the true anomaly."
---
Later That Night – Private Garden of Valkyrion HQ
Aria and Kai sat near a softly glowing fountain, silence stretching between them. The sky overhead rippled with aurora-coded clouds.
"You didn't have to help," she said. "We could've cleared it. Eventually."
Kai looked into the water. "Maybe. But it's nice having people who don't expect me to be anything."
Aria leaned back. "You're more than you let on. But you hide it well."
Kai chuckled. "That's kind of the point."
Aria smirked. "I still don't know what class you are. But for some reason… I trust you."
Kai raised a brow.
She leaned in slightly. "Then at least be my secret evil overlordoverover