1 Year Ago
"Tsk, I don't know what this Vermillion IV, his commander Marcus, and their vice commander Zhou Rui are planning…"
Julius was inside the Vermillion Palace, located in the heart of Marcus Valley. He had already met with Vermillion and was now waiting for him inside a guest room on the first floor.
The room was built entirely from black stone, cold yet regal in appearance. In the left corner stood a bed covered in red silk sheets. Beside the bed was a simple, empty study table—no drawers, no shelves—just a single lantern resting on it and a wooden chair tucked underneath. Opposite the table, a window hung with heavy curtains allowed no glimpse of the world outside. Near the right wall, a massive cabinet stretched from floor to ceiling, dominating the space.
Directly across from the bed stood a tall mirror. In its reflection was Zhou Rui, standing like a shadow—hands clasped behind his back, posture stiff, composed in an almost military fashion.
"You see," Zhou Rui said calmly, his voice low and sharp, "I can hear what you're saying. And there's no one to save you from me."
"Do you actually think you can kill me?" Julius replied, unfazed.
Zhou Rui's long silver hair was tied neatly at the back, but several curved bangs fell across his right eyebrow, hiding it completely. He wore a pristine butler uniform, complete with white gloves that gleamed in the dim lantern light.
Julius, on the other hand, looked far more disheveled—his white shirt was stained with blood, paired with black trousers, a belt, socks, and polished shoes.
"Do you wanna try?" Zhou Rui asked, taking a step forward.
"Why not?" Julius said with a smirk. "But don't curse me if you end up dead."
Just then, the heavy wooden door creaked open.
A powerful figure stepped in—Marcus.
Clad head to toe in gleaming silver armor, his presence was nothing short of intimidating. His face was weathered, marked with battle-hardened scars. One eye was entirely missing, replaced with a hollow void, while the other side bore deep, jagged scars. His short brown hair was unkempt, and he wore no helmet, holding it instead in the crook of his arm. A sword hung from his left hip, its hilt worn from years of use.
His eyes—deep, brooding brown—looked around the room like those of a seasoned predator. A rough beard covered his jawline, aging him into his mid-forties.
Zhou Rui immediately dropped to one knee, head bowed.
And behind Marcus entered another man—Vermillion IV.
A golden crown rested elegantly atop his head. He wore a long, blue, fur-lined cloak draped over a deep red coat—its tailored form reminiscent of a noble chef's attire, though elevated in design and dignity.
His hair, a wild and fiery crimson, fell freely past his shoulders. Most of it was tied back into a loose, effortless knot at the base of his neck. Yet it was the messy strands that framed his face—those defiant, swaying locks—that made him striking. They moved as he did, with a kind of rebellious grace. His blood-red eyes carried a weight far beyond his apparent age—early thirties, at most. But there was something timeless about his gaze.
Zhou Rui was visibly startled at his presence.
"Greetings to you, my lord—Lord Vermillion IV."
"Yo, Vermillion IV." Julius said with a smirk.
Zhou Rui glared at him furiously. Marcus sighed, covering his face with one hand. Vermillion only smiled, eyes closed in mild amusement.
"Programmer, do not cross your limit." Zhou Rui warned.
Julius stepped down from the bed and stood tall. "And what if I do? What will you do then?"
Zhou Rui tensed, but before he could act, Vermillion clapped once.
Immediately, Zhou Rui knelt once again, bowing his head with closed eyes.
Marcus stepped aside, letting Vermillion approach.
"Okay, that's enough," Vermillion said. "Jul—no, I should say, Airu, let's begin with proper introductions."
He extended his right hand, gloved in deep crimson, for a handshake.
"I am Lucien Vermillion, the fourth head of the Vermillion Family. Most people call me Vermillion IV. I'd be honored if you called me that too."
Julius reached out and shook his hand.
"I'm Julius Marcellus, known in-game as Airu Koruto. I'd be honored if you call me Airu."
They smiled at one another.
"Sure."
"Now," Julius said, his voice firm, "Can I hope that you'll answer my questions?"
Vermillion's smile grew wider. "Of course. You are our savior."
"First of all," Julius asked, "Who are you people? I don't remember any programmer coding you into the game."
Vermillion blinked, surprised. "That's not possible. You're the ones who programmed us."
Both Zhou Rui and Marcus stiffened in disbelief.
"I've read all the files—every document, every line of lore. Characters, weapons, artifacts, armors—everything. But there's no mention of any of you."
Vermillion brought his hand to his face, sighing. "Oh, I see. So you're from after that time."
"'After that time?'" Julius echoed.
"Why don't we sit down?" Vermillion offered.
"Sure."
Julius sat at the chair near the study table. Vermillion took a seat on the bed.
"Three hundred years ago, we were created. But after a few years, we were erased. When we regained our senses—two hundred and fifty years ago—we found ourselves in this world."
"At that time, the head of the Vermillion family was the one who founded it—Aurora Vermillion, also known as the Saint Vermillion. Do you know why she was called a Saint? Because her power was the closest to that of a god."
"Wait," Julius interrupted, eyes widening. "I've met her."
Vermillion stood up, his voice bursting with excitement. "Yes! You are the one!"
"What do you mean? You're being vague."
Vermillion sat again, his voice calming. "Sorry. I know it's confusing. Let me start from the beginning."
He continued, "When we came to our senses, Aurora Vermillion was 19—young, unaware of her true power. When she turned 25, her brother died. It wasn't natural. She investigated and discovered something dark—corrupted data packs."
"We don't belong to this world. We were made for another, by your company. Those corrupted data packs were part of it too, but when we were all transmitted here, something went wrong. The corrupted packs mutated—their power grew stronger. Aurora discovered all of this. That's when she formed the Clouds."
"The Clouds?" Julius asked.
"Yes," Vermillion nodded. "We are the Clouds—existing between the original data packs, the native elements of this world, and the corrupted ones. The dark ones gathered the evils of this world and formed a massive force. Our weapons, our magic—they barely harm them. Their regeneration is beyond comprehension."
He took a breath.
"But Aurora, she created a magic—Cosmos. It could annihilate them. But she fell in love. With a man even we don't know. He betrayed her—he joined the corrupted data packs. During her final breath, she created one last spell—Maiden Gacha 2. Her life force still resides within it. But only Cosmos can summon it."
Julius's voice turned cold. "Tell me, Vermillion… if I told you I had the Maiden Gacha 2, could we revive Aurora Vermillion?"
Vermillion stood again, sweat forming at his brow. "Do you really have it?"
"Yeah."
"Tell me its name. Use the command—'My Power Info.'"
Julius raised his hand. "My Power Info."
A display shimmered before his eyes:
[Maiden Gacha V2]
Maiden Gacha V2 is a mysterious power of unknown origin. It is an upgraded version of the original Maiden Gacha. In this version, only Rare (R) and above maidens can be summoned. No Common or Uncommon ranks. Weapons and armor are removed from the gacha. Only maidens are available.
"What's the name?" Vermillion asked.
"Maiden Gacha V2."
Vermillion sighed, his face falling with disappointment. "It's only Version 2… it's not 2 yet."
The air in the room turned still. There was too much Julius didn't understand—
But he was beginning to.