The sky above Lucidia World tore open. Not with violence, but with divine light. Golden, ethereal script scrolled across the heavens, visible from every forest, every dungeon, every city.
[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT: Player 'Kaelen' of Guild 'Ignition' has achieved the First Clear of the 'Pinnacle of Divinity' Dungeon and has been granted the Hidden Class: [HOLY KNIGHT]!]
The announcement repeated, a celestial broadcast that silenced the entire game.
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BREAKING NEWS: 'Ignition' Guild Shatters the Ceiling! Kaelen Becomes World's First Holy Knight!
Lucidia Times: "The balance of power has been irrevocably shifted! In a stunning display of coordination and power, the Ignition guild, backed by the biotech giant 'Genomitech,' has conquered what was deemed 'unbeatable.' Kaelen's ascension to the Holy Knight class marks a new era in competitive play. Stock in Genomitech soared 15% in after-hours trading."
VR Sports Weekly: "Move over, old gods, a new one has arrived. Kaelen, the 'Gilded Paladin,' held a press conference from Aethelgard's skyscraper in the capital city, Luminoth. 'This is just the beginning,' he stated, his new armor radiating a soft, holy light. 'Ignition will lead the charge into the game's uncharted territories.' Sponsorship deals are reportedly flooding in."
The world was watching. And the other top guilds were scrambling.
The hierarchy of Lucidia World was now crystal clear:
1. Aethelgard: The new monarchs. Backed by Genomitech's bottomless resources, they were the epitome of corporate-sponsored excellence.
2. Ouroboros: A mysterious and ruthless guild funded by the Sable-Mercurial Conglomerate, a shadowy entity with ties to finance and insurance. They played the long game, specializing in market manipulation and information control.
3. Ignition: The old guard. Sponsored by Pyre Industries, a global energy leader, they were known for raw, overwhelming force and had held the top spot for years until today.
4. Vanguard: The fan favorites. A guild of pure meritocracy with no corporate sponsor. They were an alliance of elite solo players and adventurers. Many believed that with financial backing, they could challenge for the number one spot.
In the sleek, obsidian headquarters of the Ignition , a recruiter named Agent Park nervously presented a tablet to his superior, Director Choi.
"Sir, look at this. The player from the goblin wave video. His tag is User #0003. Look at that control! It's... unnatural."
Director Choi, a man with the calm demeanor of a shark, didn't even glance at the tablet. "Control? Agent Park, this is *Lucidia World*, not a sword-fighting simulator. Control is meaningless without a powerful class and the skills to match. Recruiting a gimmick player like this would make us a laughingstock. The Syndicate would sink. Do you understand me? Continue your work, but focus on established talents with proven class advancements."
Dejected, Agent Park left the office. As he stepped out onto the busy virtual street, a blur of motion collided with him.
BRUK!
"Oof! I'm so sorry, sir! I'm in a hurry!" a high-school-aged boy blurted out, bowing quickly before sprinting off.
"Wait, young man! You dropped this!" Agent Park called out, picking up a simple, metallic game card from the ground.
The boy—Hyun—ran back, snatched the card with a hurried "Thank you!", bowed again, and vanished into the crowd.
As the agent's eyes unconsciously registered the number stamped on the card, his blood ran cold.
#000003.
His jaw dropped. He looked at the empty spot where the boy had been, then back at his own hands.
"My... my golden goose..." he whispered, before a strangled cry escaped his lips. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The school bell was ringing its final warning. Hyun, fueled by pure adrenaline and the lingering muscle memory from his training, saw the school gates 50 meters away, already beginning to close.
'Angle of approach: 45 degrees. Gate closure speed: approximately 1.2 m/s. Required velocity: NOW!'
With a final, desperate burst of speed that would have made Old Man Gerald nod in approval, Hyun shot through the narrowing gap, sliding into the school grounds just as the gates clanged shut. The security guard stared, dumbfounded.
"Made it..." Hyun panted, his body screaming for sleep.
In class, Mina immediately pounced on him. "Hey, you! Hyun! You look like a zombie! A walking corpse!"
"Uh. Huh? Yeah," Hyun mumbled, his head already drooping onto his desk.
"I knew it! You're addicted to *Lucidia*!" Mina said, a mix of concern and excitement in her voice. "Look at this! Last night, I did a boss raid with User #0003! Look how amazing he is! A little crazy, but amazing!" She shoved her phone in his face, showing his own bloody rampage.
Hyun was taken aback. He hadn't realized how... intense he looked from an outside perspective. "Hah? That idiot again?" he deflected.
"Ugh, you're no fun! Just look, the video's blowing up on the forums!" Mina pouted.
"Whatever. I'm going to sleep," Hyun waved her off, his eyes already closed.
After a brief, heart-wrenching visit to his mother at the hospital, Hyun returned to his capsule. The familiar world loaded, but his usual hunting grounds were occupied.
"Sorry, man, you can't hunt here," a player said, looking nervous.
"Last time you were here, you wiped out the entire zone's population in an hour. We need to grind too," another added.
Hyun was annoyed, but he relented. They were right. The EXP here was a trickle to him now. "Fine. Happy hunting," he said, turning away.
"Phew, I thought he was gonna go berserk," one player whispered.
"With his reputation? I thought so too. Or maybe..." his friend trailed off nervously.
"Shh! Don't jinx it! Let's just grind."
Hyun headed for the transport stone to finally leave the starter village. But a large, calloused hand landed on his shoulder, freezing him in his tracks.
"Hey, you foolish brat. I let you off last time, but don't think you can run from your teacher so easily."
Hyun's blood ran cold. He turned slowly to see Old Man Gerald's stern face. A primal fear, born of 15,000 perfect sword swings, took over. "AAAAAAHHHHH!" He tried to run, but Gerald's grip was like iron.
"Not this time," the old man chuckled, lifting Hyun off the ground with one hand.
"W-What do you want?! Let me go! I don't want more training! I need to level up!" Hyun yelled, kicking uselessly.
"Impatient child," Gerald grumbled. With his free hand, he held out a single, strangely warm gold coin. "Take this. Deliver it to the blacksmith in the outskirts of Luminoth, a man named Borin. He runs a place called 'The Grieving Anvil'."
"But—"
"No 'buts'. You know what happens if you refuse," Gerald's eyes glinted dangerously.
DING!
_____________________________________
[Hidden Quest: The Old Master's Errand]
[Description: Your... mentor, Old Man Gerald, has tasked you with delivering a token to his old friend, the blacksmith Borin. The nature of this errand is mysterious, but the consequences of failure are not.]
[Objective: Deliver the 'Mysterious Gold Coin' to Borin at 'The Grieving Anvil' in the outer district of Luminoth.]
[Reward: ???]
[Failure: -5 Levels & The Permanent Wrath of Gerald.]
——–—————————————————
"FIVE LEVELS?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Hyun's scream echoed across the entire starter village.
l
The transport to Luminoth was disorienting. One moment he was in a quiet village, the next he was amidst a symphony of chaos and wonder. Skyscrapers of crystal and marble pierced a sky where floating islands housed majestic buildings. The air smelled of exotic spices and magical ozone.
"Whoooooosh!"
A shadow fell over him. Hyun looked up, his jaw dropping as a majestic Azure Drake flew overhead, a Tamer player waving cheerfully from its back. It was breathtaking.
And then—BRUK!
He was knocked to the ground, not by a person, but by the ornate, magically-reinforced bumper of a lavish guild carriage. The entire street was lined with them, a procession celebrating Ignition's victory. Players in gleaming armor with the guild's sunburst emblem looked down at him from their mounts and carriages, their expressions a mix of amusement and disdain.
"Watch where you're standing, trash," one of them sneered. "You're blocking the parade route for your betters."
As Hyun sat there, dazed and humiliated, the crowd parted for a single figure. This one wasn't on a carriage; he walked with an air of inherent authority, his Aethelgard armor more ornate than the others, a sleek, deadly blade at his hip. He didn't offer a hand. He looked down at Hyun, his face a mask of cold contempt.
"This city isn't a playground for level 10 peasants who don't know how to walk," the knight said, his voice cutting through the noise. "If you can't even stay on your feet, you don't belong in Luminoth. Get out of the way before you get trampled. We have real work to do."
He didn't wait for a reply. He simply stepped around Hyun as if he were a piece of garbage on the street, his retinue following without a second glance. Hyun was left sitting in the dust, the splendor of the city suddenly feeling like a giant, impenetrable fortress, and he was alone outside its walls.
Hyun clenched his fist in the dust.
"I'll remember your face."
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End of Chapter 5