The dawn light bathed Eloria in gold. Birds soared over the rolling plains, and wind shimmered through the digital grass. For most players, it was another ordinary morning in Martial World Online.
For Aris Kaien, it was the morning after killing a Level 100 boss — at Level 10.
He leaned against the same oak tree from the day before, flicking through his System notifications, his expression unreadable.
[Boss Kill Record Uploaded: Flame Sentinel – Level 100]
[Your record has been automatically submitted to the Global Rankings.]
[Verifying authenticity...]
[Record Confirmed. Title Earned: Guildless Hunter.]
Aris blinked.
"...You're kidding."
He scrolled down, reading the effect description:
[Title: Guildless Hunter]
Proof of defeating a world boss solo without guild affiliation.
+10% EXP gain when fighting alone.
Guilds cannot automatically invite or track you through beacons.
Status: Publicly Displayed.
"Oh no…" Aris groaned.
"That means—"
He opened the World Chat.
Instant chaos.
[World Chat // Global Server: Eloria-02]
Aris sighed, closing the chat window. "Yeah… I'm definitely not going to stay unnoticed now."
He glanced at the corner of his screen. The "recorded replay" symbol blinked faintly — proof the system had saved his battle with the Flame Sentinel.
That meant it could be watched by anyone.
Eloria City – Capital of the Beginner Server
Two hours later, Aris walked through the massive marble gates of Eloria City.
The streets buzzed with energy — merchants shouting prices, beastfolk adventurers clattering in armor, floating carriages drawn by mana-steeds.
NPCs and players alike moved in perfect harmony, blurring the line between human and AI.
But all eyes turned when Aris entered.
His name floated above him — [Aris Kaien | Guildless Hunter] — glowing gold.
Whispers followed him everywhere.
"Is that him?" "The guy who soloed a boss?" "He's only Level 17?!"
Aris tried to ignore it, ducking into a weaponsmith's shop.
Behind the counter, a dwarf with a silver beard glanced up.
"Eh? You look like you've seen the abyss, lad."
"More like it tried to cook me," Aris said, dropping his cracked sword onto the counter. "Can you fix this?"
The dwarf squinted, then whistled. "Boy, this sword's got residue from pure divine flame. You been fightin' gods or somethin'?"
Aris froze. "...Something like that."
The dwarf's grin widened. "Heh. Thought so. Name's Thramir Ironroot, master smith of Eloria. Tell ya what — I'll forge this blade anew, free of charge. But you owe me a favor later."
Aris raised an eyebrow. "What kind of favor?"
"When you meet the Divine Beasts again," Thramir said, his eyes glinting, "tell the Phoenix I still keep his ember safe."
Aris's breath caught. He knows.
Before he could ask more, a System alert interrupted.
[Incoming Message: Unknown Sender]
[Sender: High Priestess Elara – Church of the System]
"Aris Kaien, bearer of forbidden power. The Church invites you for a cleansing ritual at dawn. Refusal will be considered heresy."
"Great," he muttered. "So the Church wants to burn me already."
That Night – The Hidden Tavern "Mithra's Shadow"
The tavern was tucked beneath the city — a quiet place where NPCs whispered of dragons, and players planned guild wars.
Aris sat in a corner booth, watching the crowd through his interface.
He'd already received twenty guild offers — all rejected automatically by his title.
Everyone wanted him. No one could recruit him.
Then, a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
"You're the Guildless Hunter, aren't you?"
He looked up.
A young woman stood before him — tall, silver-haired, her eyes glowing faintly blue.
She wore light armor engraved with runes, and a floating silver crest identified her as an Elf Seeker-class player.
"Depends who's asking," Aris said.
She smiled faintly. "I'm Lyra Vaenil, scout of the Silver Moon Guild. I'm not here to recruit you."
"Good. Saves us both time."
"I'm here to warn you." Her tone sharpened. "The Church doesn't 'cleanse' people. They erase anomalies from the server. Whatever power you have — they think it breaks the balance."
Aris's expression darkened. "And why do you care?"
Lyra met his eyes. "Because I've seen this before. A friend of mine—he awakened something divine too. The Church deleted his character file. And his account."
Silence fell.
Aris leaned back, considering. "So the Church's afraid of divine code… interesting."
Lyra nodded. "They claim to worship the System, but in truth, they control it. Anything they can't explain, they call heresy."
Aris smirked faintly. "Then maybe it's time someone gave them a miracle they can't erase."
Lyra stared, caught off guard by the quiet confidence in his tone.
"You sound awfully sure for someone hunted by gods."
"Not gods," Aris said softly. "Just mortals pretending to be one."
The Church of the System – Same Night
In the grand marble cathedral at Eloria's heart, High Priestess Elara stood before a floating holographic statue of the System's symbol — a silver halo encircling a blue flame.
"Run diagnostics," she ordered.
A holographic monk beside her bowed. "We traced the anomaly to player ID: Aris Kaien. Divine code detected in his neural link. Origin: Unknown."
Elara's eyes narrowed. "He carries the residue of a Divine Beast. That should be impossible."
"Should we initiate deletion protocol?" the monk asked.
Elara turned to the glowing screen where Aris's name flickered.
"No. Not yet," she said. "If the Divine Beasts have truly chosen a mortal... we'll need him alive."
Her voice dropped, cold and calculating.
"For now."
Meanwhile – Outside Eloria City
The night wind blew cold over the plains. Aris stood on a cliff overlooking the glowing city, Lyra beside him.
"Where will you go now?" she asked.
He smiled faintly, gripping the new sword Thramir had forged — its edge glimmering faintly with phoenix flame.
"I'll do what I've always done," he said. "Hunt alone."
The wind stirred, carrying faint embers that danced around him like fireflies.
[Title Activated: Guildless Hunter]
[Effect: Conceal Identity from Church Scanners – Active]
As he vanished into the dark forest, the world chat exploded again — screenshots, rumors, theories.
But only one message stood out, spreading across every server:
"The Guildless Hunter walks among us."