Location: Admin Layer 1 – Judgement Spire
---
45 Hours Remain.
As Aethan stepped beyond the Origin Server Gate, the world shed its skin of chaos and became something terrifyingly structured.
There was no sky—just an infinite ceiling of code etched in holy light, forming perfect sequences that rewrote themselves with every breath. A blinding spire stretched upward endlessly, and its very base was alive with celestial circuits, glowing with Administrator Authority.
This was Admin Layer 1: Judgement Spire.
And it was not made for mortals.
---
> [ALERT: You are now under Level 7 System Surveillance]
All lies, disguises, and paradoxes will be neutralized.
Truth will be enforced.
Adaptive Memory Masking – Disabled.
Timeline Hacking – Blocked.
Any violation = total data wipe.
---
"Welcome, Rogue Entity," a voice echoed like thunder tuned to perfection.
Descending from the heights came a figure of unbearable symmetry—Aeon Vorthas, First Judge of the System. His armor was pure code, radiating anti-error energy. His eyes were admin keys, and his halo wasn't gold—but a rotating ring of execution protocols.
"You have committed 17,902 violations of System Law."
Aethan crossed his arms, "Only 17k? Must be a slow week."
"You wield stolen code. You consume restricted beings. You alter memories. You are… corrupted."
"I call it evolution," Aethan said.
Aeon Vorthas raised his gauntlet.
---
> [Trial Protocol Initiated – All Abnormal Abilities Sealed Temporarily]
Skill Lockdown: All timeline-based, system-glitching, and paradox-class powers locked.
Combat Restricted to Base Stats and Learned Skills Only.
Opponent: Aeon Vorthas – Judgment Rank Administrator
Status: UNDEFEATED in over 98 trillion simulations.
---
Without another word, the air tore as Vorthas charged.
His sword—Justiciar EX—was made from broken promises and irreversible laws. One swing could nullify possibility itself.
Aethan dodged, just barely. The floor where he had stood ceased to exist.
Not shattered.
Not broken.
Just… removed from existence.
Aethan grinned.
"Not bad."
He focused inward. His stolen memories, sealed. His glitch powers, blocked.
All he had left were the raw stats he'd earned—and something Vorthas underestimated:
Tactical madness.
---
> [Active Skill: Reversal Feint Lv. 3]
Creates a movement echo that tricks even predictive targeting.
Cooldown: 12 sec.
---
Aethan flickered left, but his real body went right. The echo drew the Justiciar blade—missing him by a millimeter.
He planted a boot on the Admin's shoulder, flipped, and struck with a raw punch to Vorthas's temple.
CLANG.
It barely dented the helmet, but it stunned him for a heartbeat.
---
> [Combat Sync Achieved – Instinctual Pattern Recognition Upgraded]
New Trait Gained: Error Dancer Lv. 1
You move where errors would've been, making your path unpredictable to lawful entities.
---
Vorthas growled, his programming glitching for the first time in eons.
"You shouldn't have landed a hit."
Aethan cracked his neck. "Yet I did. And now it's my turn."
---
He lunged, slipping under the admin's guard, delivering quick, savage jabs. Each hit contained no magic—just calculated rage.
For every swing Vorthas made, Aethan became more unpredictable.
The system's laws stuttered.
Then…
---
> [Emergency Override: Core Trial Failing]
Opening backdoor protocol – for higher authority intervention.
Summoning Next Judge: Morthiel – Judgement Class Archangel Administrator
---
A beam of absolute white burned downward.
Descending through it came Morthiel, wings spread wide, with 36 swords floating behind her, each inscribed with divine formulas designed to dissect souls.
Vorthas stepped back.
"You pushed the First Trial into emergency escalation. No mortal has done that."
Aethan wiped blood from his lip.
"I'm not mortal."
---
Morthiel landed softly. Her eyes didn't blink.
"You are Aethan Prime. Timeline eater. Memory thief. Error made flesh."
"You make it sound so romantic."
"I will now dissect your soul to measure how much corruption exists."
The swords pointed in every direction. One aimed at his love for Elise. Another at his rage for his father. One blade even targeted the sliver of regret he buried for sacrificing a friend.
---
> [WARNING: Soul-layer Scanning Initiated]
Emotional Structure: 72% unstable
Fragmentation Risk: High
Activate defense? Y/N
---
Aethan whispered, "Yes."
The Echo Core inside him pulsed.
---
> [Activating Soul Cloak: Shadow of the Unwritten Self]
Hides all emotional signatures behind theoretical versions of you that never existed.
Morthiel's analysis now scanning ghost variants.
---
The angel paused. Her swords trembled.
"This… makes no sense. You have infinite versions of grief, none stable. What are you?"
"I'm the one mistake your gods couldn't correct."
Aethan opened his palm—and from it emerged a new weapon, forged from both stolen memory and raw ambition:
Chrono-Tyrant's Fang.
A blade made of refused deaths and misremembered victories.
---
Morthiel's expression finally cracked.
"You can't wield that. That weapon is—"
"Impossible?" Aethan stepped forward. "Get used to it."
---
To Be Continued…
Next Chapter 12: Fang of the Tyrant – Breaking the Celestial Chain