Virtual Divinity

Valerius continued retreating.

One step.

Then another.

Every instinct screamed at him to flee.

His pride as the world's publicly recognized number one player had long since crumbled.

Only fear remained.

"W-Wait!"

His voice cracked.

Aster continued walking.

His pace neither hurried nor slowed.

Each step echoed like a countdown.

Valerius's breathing became ragged.

His mind raced desperately for a solution.

Then, he shouted,

"Do you know who I am?! I am the heir of the Ashcroft Family!"

No response.

"My family is one of the Great Families outside!"

"We have influence across multiple countries!"

"If you touch me..."

"My family will find you!"

"They'll make you regret it!"

Still...

Aster remained silent.

He had no interest in names.

Nor backgrounds.

Inside Divine Nexus...

Everyone fought with the strength they possessed.

Not the strength of their families.

Valerius continued speaking frantically.

"I won't let this go!"

"I'll pay anything!"

"I'll give you gold!"

"Equipment!"

"Skill books!"

"Just don't kill me!"

The distance between them shortened.

Five meters.

Three.

One.

Valerius raised his sword with trembling hands. His grip lacked conviction. His eyes no longer belonged to a warrior. They belonged to a frightened man.

Aster smiled.

A faint smile hidden beneath the shadow of his cloak. No one knew his name. No one knew his face.

And...

He had nothing to fear. Without uttering a single word—

His twin blade flashed. A clean cut crossed Valerius's throat. The top-ranked player froze.

His health instantly dropped to the ten percent safety threshold. White light enveloped him.

His widened eyes remained fixed on Aster until the very last moment.

Then...

He disappeared.

Silence returned to the ruined battlefield. Aster exhaled slowly. Only now did the exhaustion catch up to him.

His shoulders relaxed.

His arms felt heavier than ever before.

"This has been the most exhausting battle so far."

Not because of physical fatigue alone.But because every decision had mattered. One mistake would have meant defeat.

He walked toward a broken boulder and quietly sat down. The cool evening breeze brushed against his cloak.

"Status."

The familiar blue window appeared.

He selected the Primal Codex.

Golden pages slowly unfolded.

His gaze settled on one familiar entry.

---

Guardian Parry

Rank: Uncommon

Mastery: Complete

Evolution Progress

18%

---

Aster stared at the number for several moments.

"So..."

"There really is another path beyond mastery."

Comprehending a skill completely was not its destination, only its beginning.

The Codex had shown him a new road.

An evolution path.

A skill could continue growing alongside its wielder. The thought alone filled him with anticipation. He closed the panel with a satisfied smile.

"I know what I need to pursue now."

Not merely stronger skills.

But deeper truths.

Only by continuously understanding those truths could every technique evolve beyond its original limits. He glanced toward the sky. The moon had climbed much higher than before.

"...What time is it?"

A small clock appeared in the corner of his interface.

20:03

Twenty hours had already passed inside Divine Nexus. Which meant... Around ten hours had passed in reality.

Aster's eyes widened.

"...Sister!"

Elena should already be waiting beside his hospital bed.

If he stayed any longer, he would definitely receive another lecture. He quickly stood, sheathed his twin blades, and sprinted toward the lights of Mistvale.

For the first time all day...

His destination wasn't another battlefield.

It was the logout crystal waiting inside the village.

---

Meanwhile...

A burst of white light appeared inside another Novice Village.

Then another.

And another.

Until...

Twenty players had materialized in succession. Among them stood Valerius. The village square instantly fell silent.

"...Isn't that the top-ranked player?"

"What happened?"

"Why were all of them sent back here?"

"They're the elite team that left this afternoon!"

The crowd stared in disbelief. Every member looked battered. Their expressions pale. Especially Valerius, whose face had become deathly white.

Within minutes, players began discussing it through regional chat.

Then the official forums.

Rumors spread like wildfire.

A mysterious cloaked player...

A lone expert...

Someone who wiped out twenty elite players...

Even Valerius couldn't defeat him...

The story became more exaggerated with every retelling.

Valerius, however, heard none of it. His fists trembled violently. His eyes burned with humiliation.

"I'll find you..."

"I don't care who you are."

"No one humiliates me."

He immediately opened the system menu.

Log Out

The world dissolved into darkness.

---

Valerius abruptly removed his VR headset.

His luxurious room was dimly lit, decorated with expensive furniture that reflected the wealth of his family. His breathing was still uneven.

He had not lost experience, nor equipment.

Yet...

The humiliation cut deeper than either. Twenty elite players was defeated by one person.

And he...

The publicly recognized number one player...

Had been the last to fall.

He clenched his fists.

"...Investigate him."

His voice was cold. He immediately contacted his family's intelligence network.

"I don't care how."

"I want every piece of information about that cloaked player."

"Search every forum."

"Every recording."

"Every witness."

"My family will uncover his identity."

Several replies immediately came. His family possessed influence.

Connections.

Resources.

Finding one player should have been easy. Or so they believed. None of them realized that Divine Nexus was unlike any virtual reality game ever created.

---

Meanwhile...

Inside a quiet hospital room, Yevhen slowly removed the VR helmet. His vision adjusted to reality. The room was dim. The soft hum of medical equipment echoed quietly.

He blinked.

"...I overplayed."

On the nearby couch, Elena had already fallen asleep. Her body leaned against the armrest, covered by a thin blanket. Beside her sat a plastic bag containing the dinner she had brought hours ago.

It had gone cold. Guilt welled up inside Yevhen. He carefully placed the VR helmet beside his bed.

Then, with far less effort than before, he got himself into a sitting position. His movement caused a slight creak.

Elena's eyes slowly opened. For a brief moment, she looked confused. Then...

She smiled.

A warm, gentle smile.

"You're finally done."

Yevhen lowered his head.

"...I'm sorry."

"I lost track of time."

"I made you wait."

Elena softly shook her head.

"It's okay."

"I know how excited you are."

She stood up, stretched slightly, and picked up the plastic bag.

"I'll heat the food."

"You stay here."

Yevhen nodded quietly. As Elena left the room, he reached for the television remote.

Click.

The hospital television flickered to life. Just as expected, every major news channel was still discussing only one topic.

Divine Nexus.

The female news anchor spoke with visible excitement.

"Following today's successful system update, another major announcement has shaken both the gaming and business industries."

Images flashed across the screen. Corporate headquarters, luxury office buildings, massive recruitment banners.

The anchor continued.

"Several multinational corporations, influential investment groups, and numerous prestigious families have officially announced the establishment of dedicated Divine Nexus workshops."

"The purpose of these organizations is to recruit talented players and support their growth within the game."

Another image appeared.

Hundreds of high-end VR capsules lined up inside an enormous training facility.

The reporter explained further.

"Accepted members will receive monthly salaries, high-quality gaming equipment, accommodation, meals, and performance-based bonuses."

"Outstanding players may also receive additional incentives based on their achievements inside Divine Nexus."

Yevhen stared silently at the television.

The anchor concluded,

"Experts believe this marks the beginning of a new profession."

"No longer merely a game..."

"Divine Nexus is rapidly becoming a legitimate career path."

The camera shifted to interviews with economists.

One of them spoke confidently.

"If the in-game economy continues to develop as expected, professional Divine Nexus players may soon become one of the highest-paid occupations in the world."

Another expert added,

"The competition has already begun."

"Corporations are racing against time to recruit promising talent before their rivals do."

Yevhen slowly tightened his hands atop the blanket.

The world...

Was changing.

Not in years.

Not in months.

But day by day.

For ordinary people, Divine Nexus had become entertainment. For the wealthy, it had become an investment. For ambitious players, it was an opportunity.

And for him...

It was something far more precious. It was hope. Hope that one day he could stand on his own feet. Hope that he could ease Elena's burdens.

Hope that he could uncover the mysteries surrounding the Primal Codex and his grandfather.

The hospital room door opened.

Elena returned carrying a tray of freshly heated food.

She smiled as she placed it on the table before him.

"Eat first."

"You can save the world tomorrow."

Yevhen couldn't help but laugh.

"...Okay."

For tonight...

He was simply a younger brother sharing a quiet meal with the only family he had left.

Outside the hospital window, the city lights shimmered peacefully.

Neither Yevhen nor the countless people watching the same broadcast realized one thing.

The race for Divine Nexus had already begun.

And somewhere within that race...

A nameless cloaked player was unknowingly becoming the center of everyone's search.