“There is no system that cannot be broken.
Only time that hasn’t been enough.”
— Lucian Veylor
---
Sanctaria—the heart of civilization—welcomed Kael Arvenhart like a divine emissary.
High Priests knelt in reverence.
Nobles bowed in humility.
Even the Grand King dared not impose his will.
Kael stood tall, his silver hair gleaming beneath the cathedral light, and eyes as blue as an untouched sky.
[HERO SYSTEM v2.0 – ACTIVE]
• Name: Kael Arvenhart
• Title: The Lightbearer
• Skills:
– Divine Slash [Lv.1]
– Aura of Hope [Lv.1]
– Blessing of Heaven [Lv.1]
• Equipment: Arc Lumina – Holy Blade [Epic]
• Primary Quest: Defeat the Dark Anomaly – Lucian Veylor [LOCKED]
Yet on the very first night—within the sacred chamber cleansed of all sin—something began to shiver in silence.
[SYSTEM ERROR – CORE INTEGRITY: 96%]
Minor Anomaly Detected – Source: ???
Attempting Patch...
Patch Failed.
Unauthorized File Detected: [TyrantProtocol.exe]
Kael jolted awake.
Cold sweat clung to his brow.
His breath came shallow, shaken.
"There was… a voice in my dream," he whispered to the darkness.
"Not warning me. Laughing… at me."
---
Far from the sacred hall, deep beneath a forgotten crypt lit only by reflections of forbidden code...
Lucian Veylor sat unmoved on a throne of stone.
Arms crossed. Crimson eyes locked on a system screen no mortal could comprehend.
[SOUL TYRANT PROTOCOL – HACK MODE: HERO SYSTEM INFILTRATION SUCCESSFUL]
Effects Applied:
• Skill Leveling Delay
• Quest Distortion
• Mild Emotional Disruption
Progression: 11%
His blood-red eyes flickered—reflected in shifting symbols pulsing across the screen.
A smile touched his lips.
"Holy systems are pure, Kael…"
"But who said heaven is immune to corruption?"
He rose. Slowly.
His fingers, glowing with dark code, wrote into the very air:
[NEXT TARGET: SAINTESS EVELYN]
• Role: Hero’s Primary Healer
• Status: Naive. Easily manipulated.
Lucian inhaled deeply.
The cold air of the underground merged into his aura, causing the very data around him to shiver.
"The light may belong to them...
but the shadow always comes first."
---
Meanwhile, Kael wandered the temple courtyard under the fractured moonlight, trying to calm his mind.
But tonight... the moon looked broken.
And only he could see it.
He stared at his trembling hand—
the hand of a hero…
already doubting his own system.
[SYSTEM WARNING]
• Emotional Instability Detected – Possible External Interference
• Recommended Action: Avoid contact with entity 'Lucian Veylor' for 48 hours
But fate does not yield to recommendations.
---
In two days... they will meet.
Not as hero and villain—
but as two systems that cannot coexist.
And one of them...
will begin to fracture—
from within.
---
TO BE CONTINUED...