In the East District of Astralis Prime, the Spire of Atonement pierced the clouds. Radiant runes flowed across its white crystal exterior, and at its apex floated the sigil of The Celestial Oath—a closed eye, symbolizing the creed: Order is Truth.
Inside the Spire, the investiture ceremony for the new Atonement Apostles was underway.
Kael Knives, clad in dark silver battle robes, knelt on one knee. He reached out to accept a longsword forged from a stellar core—the Fang of Judgment.
"In the name of the Oath," the High Arbiter murmured, "you shall purge the filth of the mundane."
A cold sneer played on Kael's lips. He knew that once he crushed the Snow Emperor in-game, the real-world Liam would lose his Credit Anchor protection. Then, Kael could use his corporate clearance at Stellar Logistics to erase the siblings forever.
"Enjoy your final moments, Liam... your luck has run out."
Before the words could fully leave his mouth, a thunderous explosion rocked the tower.
BOOM!
The Spire shuddered violently as a massive hole erupted in the outer wall. Through the swirling dust, a figure stepped forward. Longbow in hand, black robes fluttering—it was the Snow Emperor.
"Kael," Liam's voice was like ice. "I'm here to crash the party."
The hall erupted in chaos.
The Oath's elite guards swarmed forward, but Liam was prepared. Behind him, Ben led over thirty new players through the breach—bottom-tier players drawn by the Vault's recruitment call: Requirement: Have a brain faster than your mouth.
Their gear was tattered and their levels were low (mostly 3 to 5), but their eyes burned with defiance.
"The Vault might be small, but we only take those brave enough to fight back!" Liam shouted. "Today, we show the Oath—even mortals can pass judgment on the gods!"
War broke out.
The Spire guards were Level 10, heavily armored, and armed with flashy skills. But Liam's tactic was devastatingly simple: Focus-fire Kael. Ignore everyone else.
Liam charged at the front, his arrows pouring down like a torrential storm at a speed of 2.23. -19! -20! -21!
Kael's health bar plummeted. He screamed in fury, "You're only Level 9! How is your damage this high?!"
"You don't need to know," Liam retorted coldly.
Worse for the Oath, the Vault members operated with surgical precision. Two players were dedicated solely to throwing slowing concoctions. Five used low-tier "Flash Dust" to interrupt spellcasting. The rest attacked only those attempting to guard Kael, never overextending.
This was the Swarm Tactic Liam had mastered in his past life—the core of how the weak defeat the strong: unified goals and iron discipline.
Driven into a corner, Kael activated the Fang of Judgment's active skill: Solar Imprisonment.
A cage of solid light trapped Liam, stunning him for 3 seconds.
"Die!" Kael raised his blade for a finishing strike.
But as the blade descended, a mocking smile touched Liam's lips.
"Chubby, now!"
Ben hurled an inconspicuous black sphere—a Data Overload Grenade, synthesized from the materials dropped by the Corrupted Artificer. While harmless to players, it was a lethal virus to AI-driven infrastructure.
[Warning: Illegal Code Intrusion detected!] the Spire's central AI shrieked.
In an instant, the Spire's defense systems went haywire. Light shields flickered out, teleportation arrays jammed, and even the guards' skill bars turned into garbled gibberish.
The Solar Imprisonment vanished prematurely.
Liam loosed an arrow that tore straight through Kael's throat. -24!
Kael collapsed, dropping the Fang of Judgment and a rare chest piece.
[World Announcement: Player "Snow Emperor" has slain the Oath Apostle "Viper Fang"!] [The defense core of the Spire of Atonement has been compromised. The Spire will enter a 72-hour repair cycle!]
The entire server went into a frenzy. "A newbie guild just took down an Oath Stronghold?!" "Is Snow Emperor even human?!"
In the Oath's grand sanctuary, Chief Arbitrator Kaelen the Pure stood up slowly. The disdain was gone from his eyes, replaced by a heavy gravity.
"The Mortal Vault... has become a strategic threat," he commanded. "Activate the All-Seeing Oversight Protocol. Mark them as S-Rank targets for purge."
Back on the battlefield, the Vault members were cheering. Ben picked up the Fang of Judgment and offered it to Liam. "Boss, this sword is yours!"
Liam shook his head. "I don't use melee. Melt it down. Distribute the materials so everyone can upgrade their gear."
He looked at the ragtag group of players and raised his voice: "Today wasn't about loot. It was about proving a point. If Order is unjust, it is the duty of mortals to tear it down!"
The crowd roared in unison: "THE VAULT! THE VAULT!"
Amidst the celebration, a private message pinged in Liam's interface from a player named Aria:
That was a brilliant tactical display. But did you know? Beneath the ruins of the Spire lies a fragment of the Codex of Fate. That is what the Oath was truly guarding.
Liam's heart skipped a beat.
The Codex of Fate—the legendary artifact said to record the future path of every player, a shard of the Galactic Overmind itself. Collecting seven fragments granted the power of brief precognition.
"Who are you?" he replied.
The response was a single symbol: ∞
The mark of the Infinite Labyrinth—a neutral intelligence network that existed only in legends.
Liam peered into the dark entrance beneath the rubble of the Spire.
"It seems," he whispered, "this fight is far from over."