Hi everyone,
Thank you sincerely for reading and supporting the series.
I wanted to let you know that I've decided to end the story with Chapter 153.
I'm truly grateful to everyone who took the time to read along. Unfortunately, I've come to realize that LitRPG isn't my strongest genre. The story naturally shifted into a more traditional fantasy adventure, similar to my other web novel.
Thank you again for your time and support, and I'm sorry I couldn't carry the series further.
Best regards,
Mayuces.
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*Date: 33,480 Third Quarter — Chalice Theocracy* - A month ago
Firgo sent a message two days later to the inn where Aris was staying. A simple note, delivered by a street urchin who vanished before Aris could ask questions. The paper contained only a location and a time.
Midnight. The Old Cathedral.
Since he did not know how long he would be staying at the inn, Aris had spent those two days working whatever menial jobs he could find. Gutting fish. Hauling crates. Sweeping tavern floors. Twenty copper coins now jingled in his pocket, hard earned and precious.
"Again, Aris, are you sure about this?" Fox asked.
Aris was wearing a new coat he had found at a secondhand stall. It was threadbare in places and smelled faintly of mold, but it held against the harsh cold breeze that swept through the city at night. He strapped his boots tight and took a deep breath.
He looked down at Fox. The black fox's eyes were filled with concern and something else. Fear, maybe. Or doubt.
"Of course I'm sure." Aris opened the door. "There's no coming back. I will find a way to open those gates. And for that, we need Old Lyra and power. With Marduk, I can get both."
"But even he said it." Fox followed him into the hallway. "He is corrupting you."
"I know who I am. I know what I am."
"What does that mean?"
But Aris did not answer. He started walking toward the rendezvous point.
---
He knew the place well. During his days of searching for work and assessing alchemy shops, he had nearly memorized the small city. The Old Cathedral sat just outside the city walls, perched on a cliff overlooking the sea.
Once, high priests had lived there. Holy men and women who served the old gods before Aeloria united the faith under her banner. But years ago, during one of the game's grand events, the cathedral had been attacked by construct races. Machines of war that came through the gates. They had slaughtered everyone inside.
Now, with the gates closed, even the constructs had abandoned the place. It stood empty. A monument to violence and forgotten prayers.
The path wound through dead gardens and shattered statues. The artificial moon hung low in the sky, casting silver light across broken stone. Aris could hear the sea crashing against the cliffs below, a rhythmic thunder that seemed to echo the pounding of his own heart.
"Aris, this place is so scary," Fox whispered.
"Fox, what is your problem? I thought you were brave."
Fox puffed out his chest and took a deep breath. "I know. I know." He turned his dark eyes to Aris. "I'm with you, buddy."
They entered through the main gate, even though the wall beside it had crumbled to rubble. The wooden doors hung askew on rusted hinges. Inside, the pews were shattered. Splinters of ancient wood littered the floor like the bones of the faithful. Statues lined the walls, but they had been defaced. Their features chipped away until they resembled demons more than saints.
Only the artificial moonlight streaming through broken windows illuminated the interior. Dust motes danced in the silver beams.
And on the only unbroken seat in the cathedral, a single figure sat motionless.
Marduk did not turn when Aris entered. He did not flinch or acknowledge the footsteps echoing through the ruined nave. He simply stared at the altar ahead, where a cracked stone tablet still bore the faded symbols of a dead faith.
Aris walked past him and stood directly in his line of sight.
The Arbiter of Chaos looked different than he had in the dungeon. Younger, somehow. Or perhaps it was the moonlight playing tricks. His angular features seemed carved from shadow, and his eyes held the weight of centuries.
"You know," Marduk said, finally shifting his gaze to Aris, "I was a demon king for a year."
"What?"
"Years ago, one of my prodigies became the Blood Monarch." Marduk's voice was soft, almost wistful. "He reached level one hundred. He was so successful at ruining player campaigns and events that the Creator pulled me into his world and created a new faction. Gave me power. Minions. An army of darkness." He smiled. "And we waged war against every player. My prodigy and I. Together."
"What?" Aris asked again, genuinely confused.
"It was the best days of my life." The smile lingered on Marduk's lips like a fond memory.
"What are you talking about?" Fox asked from behind Aris.
"Sorry, sir." Aris straightened his posture. "But I'm here to learn about the device to bring back Lyra."
Marduk shook his head. The smile faded, replaced by something more businesslike. "Anyway, let's drop the past and talk about the future." He leaned forward. "Aris, Lyra cannot save this planet. However, she can play a part in your journey. So..."
"So what?"
"I have located a Locke that can help Lyra."
Fox's ears perked up. "Where is it?"
"In Capital City Parthanon." Marduk steepled his fingers. "However, it will be given as a reward for the tournament winner. The fools who hold it probably used it on themselves and only saw a screen. Meaningless to them. So they are giving it away this easily."
"What do you mean easily?" Aris felt his frustration rising. "How am I going to get it?"
"What do you mean?" Marduk raised an eyebrow. "You were phenomenal against the best students of the academy."
"Yeah, but there are players with high levels."
"Higher than Sliver," Fox added.
"Oh, this tournament is for below fifty levels." Marduk waved a dismissive hand. "You can win this if you time your stone and potions correctly. But..."
"But what?"
The Arbiter's eyes gleamed. "I'm going to need you to bring me something as well."
Aris's stomach tightened. "What is it?"
"Something that will carry you to the next level with your blood titles."
Aris gulped. The man was clearly trying to guide him. To hijack his path and mold him into something useful. But what choice did he have?
"Do I have to?"
"You don't have to do anything." Marduk spread his hands. "But I will make you stronger with each quest you complete."
"Will it really make me stronger?"
"Aris," Fox growled in warning.
Marduk ignored the fox. "You have no idea. If you reach the last blood title, you will bend reality itself. And you will need that power on the path to the control room for the gates."
Aris felt his heart racing. Bend reality. Control the gates. Find a way home.
"What do I need to do?"
"My little agents have told me there is a golem under the city." Marduk's voice dropped to a whisper. "An anomaly. Something the Creator did not intend. I need its mutated heart."
"What will you do with that?"
"Oh, you will see." The smile returned. "Everything I do is for my precious prodigies. With your luck, we can make you whatever you want."
Aris stood in the moonlight, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. Behind him, Fox was tense and silent. Before him, the Arbiter of Chaos waited with ancient patience.
"Now," Marduk said, rising from his seat, "find a caravan and head to the capital. I will be here, trying to contain Aeloria."