3026 AD, July 8th—forty-eight hours since Divine Descent's launch.
Karen logged in an hour early, the second screen Dr. Cole had scrounged up propped beside his neural bracelet in the tin hut. Ella's soft voice filtered through the comms, groggy but excited.
"Can you show me the village first? It sounds pretty."
He guided his avatar through Novice Village 49554, the morning light gilding the wooden cottages and market stalls, and described the scene to her as he walked. "There's a blacksmith with a dog that begs for bread, and a baker who gives free pies to new players."
Ella laughed. "I wish I could taste one."
Karen's chest tightened. "Someday you will."
A ping from the guild chat pulled him back—Sophia and the rest were waiting at the village gate, the map to the Forgotten Temple in Jason's inventory. Karen joined them, his team's avatars all level 7, geared with loots from the catacombs and wolf den: leather armor for speed, enchanted blades, a frost-infused bow for Hawk.
"Rossettis were spotted scouting the temple an hour ago," Sophia said, her HUD displaying a blip of red tags three miles out. "They've got a bigger team—ten players, all level 6 or higher."
"Good," Karen said, his hand resting on the hilt of his newly enchanted sword, Firebrand. "They'll make it worth the fight."
Ella's voice piped up. "Fight? Are you gonna be okay?"
"Always," he said, grinning. "You just watch how your brother wins."
The journey to the Forgotten Temple cut through a dense, ancient forest—twisted oak trees with roots snaking across the ground, bioluminescent flowers glowing blue in the shade, the air thick with the scent of pine and moss. Karen led the way, his eyes sharp for traps, his ears tuned to the rustle of leaves that wasn't wind. The rest of the team fell into formation behind him: Tank at the front with his shield, Blaze and Frost flanking, Hawk on overwatch, Jason and Sophia at the rear.
They'd walked two miles when the first arrow struck.
It whizzed past Karen's head, embedding itself in a tree trunk, a red Rossetti tag flashing in the treetops above. Before anyone could react, a volley of arrows rained down—Hawk raised his bow, shooting three in quick succession, and three red tags vanished from the HUD, their avatars falling from the branches.
"Ambush!" Tank roared, slamming his shield into the ground to form a barrier. Arrows clanged off the metal, harmless.
Blaze unleashed a wall of fire, cutting off the forest path behind them—six Rossetti players burst from the flames, swords and maces raised, their leader a towering warrior with a serpent tattoo on his neck, level 8.
"Morgan's little pets," the warrior sneered, his voice booming through the guild comms. "The temple's ours. Hand over the map, or we'll delete your avatars."
Ella gasped. "Delete them? Can they do that?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Karen said, his voice cold. He activated Rage Fire, Firebrand blazing red, and charged. "Tank—hold the front. Blaze, Frost—area damage. Hawk—pick off the mages. Jason, Sophia—flank the leader. I'll take the front line."
The fight erupted in a storm of steel and magic.
Rossetti players swarmed Tank, their blades clanging against his shield, but he held fast, his axe swinging in wide arcs, drawing aggro and soaking up damage. Frost rained ice shards down on the crowd, freezing their legs, while Blaze's fireballs exploded among them, burning armor and flesh. Hawk's arrows found their marks every time—an archer's throat, a mage's casting hand, a warrior's knee. Jason and Sophia darted around the fray, striking at the leader's flanks, their blades cutting deep, but he shrugged off the damage, his health bar barely dipping.
Karen tore through the front line, Firebrand cleaving through armor and bone. Arc Slash took down two players at once, their health bars vanishing in a single hit, and Full Strike finished a third before he could retreat. He moved like a shadow, unhittable, his Rage Fire burning bright—his health bar dipped to 30%, but he didn't stop, didn't flinch. This was what he was made for: the fight, the chaos, the win.
"Karen—behind you!" Ella shouted.
He spun, parrying a mace swing with Firebrand, sparks flying, and drove the blade into the attacker's chest. The Rossetti player vanished, and Karen turned to face the leader, who'd broken free of Jason and Sophia, his battleaxe raised.
"Just you and me, Ghost Wolf," the warrior said.
Karen smiled, cold and sharp. "Perfect."
He charged, Firebrand clashing with the battleaxe, the impact sending a shockwave through the forest. The leader was strong—stronger than anyone Karen had fought in the game yet—but he was slow, predictable, his swings wide and easy to dodge. Karen danced around him, striking fast and hard, hitting weak points: the gap in his armor at the neck, the unprotected wrist holding the axe, the knee that buckled when he swung.
The leader roared, activating his own rage skill, his axe glowing black, and swung with all his might. Karen dove to the side, the axe slamming into the ground, cracking the earth, and he leaped onto the warrior's back, driving Firebrand into his skull.
-327
A critical hit. The leader's health bar vanished, and his avatar dissolved into dust, a rare battleaxe clattering to the ground.
The remaining Rossetti players scattered, fleeing into the forest, their red tags fading into the distance. The guild chat fell silent, save for heavy breathing—then Hawk whooped.
"We crushed them!"
"Took you long enough to finish the leader," Sophia said, but her voice was warm with laughter, her avatar clapping him on the back.
Tank grunted, his shield dented, his health bar low. "He hit hard. Frost, a heal?"
Frost obliged, her hands glowing blue, and Tank's health bar refilled. Karen bent to pick up the leader's battleaxe—Serpent's Wrath, level 8, +20 strength, chance to poison—and tossed it to Tank. "Upgrade."
Tank's face lit up, slinging the axe over his shoulder. "Thanks, Ghost Wolf."
Karen checked his HUD—his level had jumped to 8, his guild reputation spiking. A notification popped up: Rossetti Guild Reputation Decreased! Wings of Liberty Ranks #3 in Novice Village 49554.
"One step closer to first," Jason said, grinning.
Ella's voice was soft, awestruck. "That was amazing. You're so fast."
Karen smiled, his heart light. "Just getting started."
He led the team forward, the forest quiet now, the only sounds their boots on the path and the glow of the bioluminescent flowers. Ten minutes later, the Forgotten Temple came into view—ancient stone columns framing a massive iron door, carvings of gene strands and winged eagles covering the walls, a faint blue glow seeping from the cracks between the stones.
The gene-binding relic was inside.
Karen stepped forward, his hand resting on the iron door, and pushed. It creaked open, revealing a dark, winding corridor, the blue glow growing brighter ahead.
"Stay sharp," he said, his voice low. "The ambush was just the warm-up. The temple's guardian won't be as easy."
The team followed him inside, the iron door slamming shut behind them with a thunderous bang.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
And the real fight for the relic began.