The pillar of light from the Void Altar gradually collapsed, condensing into a swirling star-gate. From within came a low mechanical hum, sounding like the whispers of an ancient intelligence.
Without hesitation, Liam stepped through.
The world around him shifted instantly.
He stood at the center of a colossal arena suspended above a sea of stars. Broken floating islands, the hulks of shattered starships, and countless drifting holographic runes surrounded him—this was a pocket dimension constructed directly by the Galactic Overmind.
[Genesis Trial Rules]
Time Limit: 24 Hours.
Objective: Defeat the three Guardians to pass.
Penalty: Death results in a permanent exit and a 72-hour ban from re-entry.
Reward: The first 100 players to complete the trial receive "Real-World Credit Anchor" status and a Unique Title.
Liam took a deep breath. He knew these three Guardians represented the ultimate tests of Strength, Skill, and Wisdom.
The first trial: The Gravity Tyrant.
It was a massive construct powered by an anti-matter core, standing ten meters tall and shrouded in a distorted spatial field.
Gravity Tyrant (Elite · Trial Exclusive) Level: 15 HP: 15,000 Skills: > * Gravitational Collapse: Increases gravity by 3x within range, reducing Move Speed by 70%.
Star-Core Stomp: Deals AoE True Damage and inflicts "Stasis."
Against Liam's Level 2 stats and 420 HP, a direct confrontation was suicide. But a faint smile played on his lips.
"Just like the rumors from my past life... the Guardians have mechanics."
He recalled a forum post mentioning that the Tyrant's weakness lay in the energy nodes on its back. Three precise hits would temporarily paralyze its gravity field. With Eagle's Gaze and his stacked HP, he was the perfect candidate for this strategy.
"Bring it." Liam drew his beginner's bow, kiting backward like the wind.
The Tyrant roared, the ground cracking with every step. Liam timed his shots perfectly, firing as the beast lifted its massive foot.
-84!
The damage was higher than expected—his HP had quietly climbed past 500.
One hit. Two. Three!
Boom!
The gravity field shattered. The Tyrant fell into a 5-second "Imbalance" state. Liam seized the moment, unleashing a barrage of arrows. Each shot now carried 10 points of True Damage (2% of 500 HP).
Ten seconds later, the giant collapsed into scrap metal.
[System Notification: You have defeated the Gravity Tyrant! Reward: +5,000 EXP, +10 Stat Points, 3x Rare Material "Antimatter Shards".]
Liam's level skyrocketed to 5. He dumped all 10 points into Attack Speed, pushing it to 1.23—finally, his attacks felt fluid.
He moved to the second gate. The Guardian here wasn't a monster, but a holographic projection of a silver-armored warrior holding twin blades.
[Trial Guardian: Aeris the Duelist] "Only through mastery of skill may you proceed."
This was a pure PvP-style duel. Aeris would perfectly replicate a player's habits and increase the difficulty dynamically. Most experts failed here because she could predict their every move.
But Liam's strategy was simple: maximum range, infinite kiting.
Utilizing the extra range from Eagle's Gaze, he stayed at the very edge of her reach. When she lunged, he retreated. When she threw her blades, he sidestepped. Every arrow he landed stripped away 1% of her HP in True Damage.
In less than two minutes, Aeris dropped to one knee.
"You do not fight with brute force, but with patience and calculation," she whispered. "You are ready for the final trial."
The third gate held no enemy. Only a massive data terminal scrolling through endless lines of code.
[Final Trial: The Logic Lock] Solve the riddle to pass. Hint: The answer is not in the code, but in your choice.
Liam frowned. No one in his past life had mentioned this. Is it because I triggered the hidden achievement?
He studied the terminal. Amidst the chaotic code, a sequence repeated every few lines: Δ-7-Ω.
It reminded him of a logic game Willow loved as a child—three symbols representing Past, Present, and Future.
"Δ is change... 7 is a complete cycle... Ω is the end," Liam murmured.
He realized this wasn't a programming puzzle, but a philosophical one. He didn't type a single line of code. Instead, he spoke to the terminal:
"I choose... to change the past."
The terminal erupted in a brilliant white light.
[Genesis Trial: Complete!] [Congratulations to player "Snow Emperor" for being the 17th player worldwide to clear the trial!] [Rewards: Title "The Pioneer", Real-World Credit Anchor (Tier-1), Special Guild Charter x1, Genesis-tier Skillbook "Divine Retribution" (Inactive).]
Before he could even inspect the rewards, a world announcement shook the server:
[World Announcement: Player "Snow Emperor" has founded the Guild—The Mortal Vault!] [Motto: "Even a mortal frame may shake the throne of gods."]
The Nexus went wild. "The Mortal Vault? What kind of name is that?" "Who is Snow Emperor? Building a guild on day one?"
Far away, in a sanctuary carved from pure white crystal, a man in star-woven robes opened his eyes.
"Snow Emperor... how curious," he said softly. "A mortal dares to claim the title of Emperor and build an organization against the Order?"
Behind him, thousands of followers chanted in unison: "The Celestial Oath shall purify all who overstep."
This was Kaelen the Pure, Chief Arbitrator of the Celestial Oath. Liam didn't know it yet, but his fledgling guild had already been flagged as a "High-Risk Organization" on the Oath's purge list.
Back in reality, Liam pulled off his haptic helmet. He checked his bank account immediately.
Balance: 32,400 Credits.
30,000 came from the initial Anchor credit—enough for Willow's surgery. He called the Medical Center instantly. "I am Willow Stormrider's guardian. Schedule her surgery for tomorrow morning."
Hanging up, he looked out at the neon-lit stars of the city. Hope burned in his eyes.
"This is just the beginning," he whispered. "The Mortal Vault will be the sanctuary for all who refuse to be pawns of fate."