In the Great Plain...
After half an hour of tension-filled waiting, the air became unbearably heavy. The sounds of whispering cut off abruptly as the beam of light towering in the sky began to intensify its glow, like a small sun on the verge of exploding.
Everyone raised their heads—pale faces reflecting shades of gold and silver—as if preparing to receive a miracle... or a catastrophe.
"It's coming!" a shout pierced the silence, let out by one of the Lords standing at the front.
In the next moment— BOOM!
The entire plain shook as if an earthquake had struck from the depths. A violent airwave surged, pushing everyone in the field backward, while small rocks shattered and pebbles scattered into the air.
A cloud of thick dust blanketed the sky, and a strange humming sound echoed from the center of the explosion, as if the world itself was groaning.
[System Warning: Massive energy disturbance detected.]
[Recommendation: It is advised to move back at least 30 meters.]
But no one listened. Curiosity was stronger than fear. As the dust slowly cleared... a massive golden mass appeared amidst the smoke. It was a shimmering treasure chest, its edges engraved with glowing incantations, standing half the height of a man. It emitted deep magical echoes as if its interior was swallowing light itself.
"A treasure chest!" someone shouted in awe and excitement, followed by another: "I didn't expect it to be a real treasure!" "Looking at its brilliant appearance and the exaggerated way it appeared… it must be rare!"
[Random Event Discovered: "Abyss Treasure – Grade C"]
[Alert: Only one player can open the chest. Upon touch, the primary owner will be accounted for.]
The words froze on everyone's lips. Only one player. In an instant, the scene shifted from anticipation to madness.
"Back off! The chest is mine!" "Yours? Are you joking? I saw it first!" "Damn it! Whoever touches it first deserves it!" "Curse you, don't force me to fight!"
Within seconds, the peaceful plain turned into an arena of chaos. The Lords rushed forward, each leading their summoned troops—knights, mages, and feral beasts—ignoring every previous agreement or alliance. Magical weapons clashed, arrows flew like rain, and explosions lit up the sky.
[Notice: Lord "Kai Forster" has lost half of his forces.]
[Lord "Elena Silver" has withdrawn from the battle.]
Blood flowed, and it looked all too real. The screams, the sounds of agony, the groans of summoned creatures… it all blended into one scene of collective obsession with survival.
"Cooperation? Friendship? To hell with that!" one shouted before being torn to magical shreds. "He who does not fight today will not live tomorrow!"
Everything blurred into a chaos of color and light until the entire scene was like a pulsing hell of insanity. Only a few breaths passed before a young man in a gray coat rushed toward the chest, gasping, covered in dirt and sweat. He approached just a few steps, extending his trembling hand to touch the golden lid.
"I made it!" he screamed with hysterical joy.
But his voice was drowned out by another explosion. Dozens of attacks surged toward him all at once—fire, swords, and ice spells. He didn't have time to dodge a thing. In a single moment, his body disintegrated into thousands of bloody fragments.
[Lord "Edric Nova" – Eliminated.]
[Cause of Death: Instant destruction by multiple attack sources.]
A heavy silence fell. Even those who had attacked him seemed as if they had just woken up from a fit of madness. "Did we… did we really kill him?" someone muttered. "Was that necessary?" "It doesn't matter. What matters now is the chest!"
But before anyone could move again—a faint black flash crossed the area. It was as if the shadow itself had decided to move.
From among the crowd, no one noticed how the light retreated from a point in the void, only for a dark figure to emerge, writhing like smoke. With a single step, the entity crossed the entire distance separating them from the chest, as if it were not subject to the laws of space. Its eyes glowed with a deep crimson.
[Entity Identification: Shadow Follower – Wagyu.]
[Owner: Lord Shaun Evander.]
[Current Objective: Acquire the Grade C Treasure.]
"What is this…?!" a player screamed. But before anyone could respond, Wagyu had vanished again. He left behind nothing but a faint ripple in the air and the soft sound of a golden lock snapping shut.
[System: First touch recorded – The authorized owner of the treasure chest is "Shaun Evander".]
[Automatic opening process begins in 60 seconds.]
[Warning to all nearby units: Repulsion Field will be activated.]
"What?! Who the hell is this Shaun?!" "He snatched the treasure from right in front of us!" "Impossible! We didn't even see him approach!"
In the next moment, the chest exploded with black and golden light, forming a semi-transparent barrier that repelled everyone who approached several meters back.
[Repulsion Field Active: 20-meter radius]
[Opening Process: 42 seconds remaining…]
Outside the field, atop a small hill at the edge of the forest, Shaun stood silently, a tilted smile forming on his face. He was watching the event through Wagyu's eyes, his right hand clasped behind his back like a general planning a coming war.
"Very beautiful," he muttered calmly. "Let them fight, and I shall reap the spoils."
[System: Owner "Shaun Evander" is about to open the Abyss Treasure – Grade C.] [Probability of acquiring rare resources: 67%.]
[Probability of a monster egg appearing: 12%.]
[Probability of triggering a global event: 4%.]
Shaun laughed lightly as the golden light began to leak through the shadows surrounding the treasure. "Only twelve percent?" he said in a playful tone. "I like small numbers… no matter, I won't need a pet in the first place."
Down in the Great Plain, the chaos was still raging. It had reached its peak. The blood, the screaming, and the overlapping commands made the place look like a miniature battlefield rather than a meeting of greedy players.
But amidst that chaos… she appeared.
From the crowd, a girl wearing dark armor interlaced with shimmering silver threads stepped forward. Her steps were slow, yet weighted with an aura of confidence that made the clamor around her fade gradually, as if the world itself was making way for her. Her eyes were amber, emitting a mysterious spark as if they saw beyond appearances.
[System Warning: Grade D Lord detected in range — Username: Elia Fairmont]
[Automatic Analysis: Territory — "Valley of Silence"]
[Territory Level: 11]
[Power Rating: Intermediate Bronze]
Someone whispered from a distance while swallowing hard: "A Grade D Lord? Level 11? On the fifth day only? How?!"
But the most terrifying thing wasn't her… it was the creature that appeared behind her. From a vortex of silver ash, the body of a giant creature formed, with the head of a fox and four arms writhing like snakes. It stood over three meters tall, its eyes like burning embers, while an ethereal mist wound around it like chains.
[Rare Unit Detected!]
[Unit Name: "Kitsura — Shadow of a Thousand Faces"]
[Rank: (Epic)]
[Level: 12]
[Special Ability: (Clone Manifestation) — Can create clones of enemies at 40% of their original strength for one minute]
The crowd breathed in amazement; some retreated involuntarily.
"That… that's impossible, units of this type exist?"
But Elia answered no one.