Orion Online was not just a Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG). For billions of humans on Earth, it was a second reality, an absolute server masterpiece that simulated physical laws and magical wonders with an unparalleled degree of freedom.
In Orion Online, that freedom began from the very first breath. Players chose one of four main races as the foundation of their existence: Humans, who were balanced and adaptive; Elves, possessing the highest Mana sensitivity; Dwarves, the masters of endurance and earth materials; or Beastmen, who dominated with physical predatory instincts.
In Orion Online, power was not limited by rigid skill trees. As long as a player met certain prerequisites, they were free to learn any skill and magic in this world, weaving limitless deadly combinations. However, the true foundation of a player's power was determined by the Job they held. The journey began from the classless Mortal Phase, crawling up to a Basic Job at Level 10, fighting through an Advanced Job at Level 30, until reaching the Awakening Job at Level 60, with a maximum level cap of 100.
The apex of this ecosystem's food chain lay with a handful of players who managed to trigger secret conditions and acquire a Unique Awakening Job—an exclusive class that broke the system's standard rules. At the top of the pyramid of the giant factions ruling this virtual world stood the 3 Emperors and 10 Kings.
And tonight, one of those 10 Kings was waiting for new history to be engraved.
Inside the Throne Room of Starlight Castle, the main headquarters of the giant faction Guild Pioneer, the atmosphere was filled with pulsating anticipation. The massive hall was lined with black marble and golden pillars, illuminated by Mana crystals floating in the air.
Twenty-two figures sat or stood around the hall. They were the twenty-two core members of Guild Pioneer, virtual titans who each held a Unique Awakening Job. Their presence in the same room emitted an aura pressure that made the virtual air feel heavy. They had all gathered tonight for one purpose: to welcome the biggest system update in the game's history, rumored to unlock a new continent and increase the level cap.
Upon the main throne sat the King, Alphonse, who bore the title Sovereign of Fate.
His appearance exuded a dark aristocratic charm. His pitch-black hair was left slightly messy, framing a pair of glowing golden eyes that implied intellectual sharpness. A golden monocle with a thin chain rested on his right eye. He wore a pitch-black outer cloak with intricate gold embroidery accents, while the inside of the cloak was a deep maroon. Pure white feathers circled his collar, providing a dashing silhouette that covered a black vest and a classic ascot-collared white shirt underneath. Floating right in front of him was his main weapon: a black gemstone crystal the size of a fist, within which the glow of a nebula and cosmic stars spun vibrantly.
"Three minutes left," a cold and sharp voice broke the murmurs in the hall.
To the right of the throne stood Priscillia Astride, widely known as Vrischil. The Vice-Leader nicknamed the Scorpion Queen, holder of the Scorpio Job. Her face was beautiful yet radiated absolute sternness, accentuated by silvery-white hair that cascaded down to her waist. The ends of her hair had a soft turquoise gradient, with meticulous small braid accents and crystal ornaments resembling tiny wings atop her head. She wore an asymmetrical body-fit combat suit—a blend of black, dark gray, and bright turquoise accents with gold details. Her shoulder and arm guards had a futuristic-fantasy design. Around her, sharp fragments of her weapon, the Shattered Blade, floated magically while she only held the silver hilt accented with gold and blue gems.
"Calm down a bit, Vrischil," chuckled a tall man leaning casually against one of the pillars. Marcus Vance, known as Arcus. The holder of the Sagittarius Job.
His appearance contrasted sharply with his peers. Arcus wore a high-fantasy formal suit dominated by crimson. His long coat had sharp cuts with intricate gold embroidery along the collar and cuffs. Underneath, a pristine white vest with gold buttons paired with a matching tie, creating a neat impression beneath his slightly long and messy golden-blonde hair. In his hand, he held a magnificent fantasy wooden bow—crafted from ancient wood with gold plating and glowing runic carvings. A white-feathered arrow with a sharp golden arrowhead was tucked between his fingers.
"Based on the leaks in the forum, this expansion is going to be insane," continued Arcus with a calm yet focused face. "We are going to hunt gods tonight."
"Focus on your respective positions," Alphonse's heavy voice echoed, filled with the absolute authority of a king. The other twenty-one core members turned in unison. "Once the patch finishes downloading, I will map out the new continent. You all prepare for the first invasion."
The giant holographic clock in the center of the hall ticked into its final ten seconds. The blue digital numbers glowed brightly.
10... 9... 8...
Arcus twirled his wooden bow. Vrischil sharpened her gaze, making her blade fragments spin faster. Alphonse stared at the declining numbers.
3... 2... 1... 0.
Instead of the patch notes screen appearing, the hall space was suddenly distorted by blood-red static. A deafening tearing sound ripped through the air—as if reality itself was being torn apart. The virtual earth beneath the feet of the twenty-two Pioneer members shattered into pieces. Gravity collapsed, and a spatial black hole swallowed them all in the blink of an eye.
That night, in a distant universe, the sky neither cried nor thundered. It simply split open. Tens of thousands of golden streaks of light shot through the atmosphere, crashing onto the land soundlessly and without craters.
In the heart of the Ancient Forest of Eldoria, one of those falling stars dimmed above an expanse of wet moss.
Alphonse opened his eyes.
His first breath in this world was not met with agonizing shock, but rather an instant biological epiphany. The thick, heavy air, charged with static electricity—which he immediately recognized as pure Mana energy—flowed into his lungs and instantly integrated with the circuits within his body.
He stood up. His movements were incredibly smooth, light, and absolute. His brain instinctively and innately recognized and mapped every muscle fiber and bone in his body. His Level 100 attributes from inside the game had transitioned into a perfect physical reality. Without the need for dramatized pain, he knew that his bones were now harder than alloy steel, and his neural reflexes surpassed the natural limits of living creatures.
Alphonse clenched his fist. The wind rustled through his fingers due to pure kinetic pressure. His body was a perfect weapon of mass destruction. He looked down and saw his cloak, [The Sovereign's Eclipse], and his maroon vest still perfectly attached. His galactic crystal, [Stella Obscura], also floated obediently at his side.
"System," he commanded instinctively. "Open menu."
Silence.
No holographic blue screen responded to his call. There was no Mini-Map in his field of vision, no HP or Mana indicators, and no log-out button. The destruction of this digital interface told his brain one absolute fact: This was a flesh-and-blood reality.
Alphonse focused his mind, envisioning the dimensional space where he stored his Inventory. The home to billions of Gold Coins, disaster-class rare materials, and Epic weapons.
He cast the intent of spatial opening. Nothing happened.
His golden eyes narrowed sharply. A rational conclusion formed within seconds. The in-game Inventory was purely lines of code without a physical entity. When the game system perished and was replaced by the physical laws of the real world, all assets that possessed no material form or were not attached to his body... were erased forever.
The majestic Aethelgard Castle and all the wealth of Guild Pioneer were now merely dimensional dust.
"So that's how it is," Alphonse muttered calmly. There was no panic, only cold calculation. As a King, he was used to building things from scratch. "If the UI is gone, let my knowledge be the guide."
The past game system might be dead, but the memories of the magic and skills he had mastered were now imprinted as the instinct and intuition of his soul. He raised his hand, summoning the absolute ability of his Unique Job.
"EX Skill: Akashic Terminal."
An incredibly dense fluctuation of Mana exploded from within his body. Because this was an EX-tier skill, its processing load physically struck his mind for a moment, but his Level 100 mental resistance muffled it quickly.
Alphonse's consciousness shot out of his physical shell, piercing the atmospheric boundaries and connecting into a silent, boundless dimensional data space—the Akashic Records, the memory library of the planet Orion.
The Akashic Terminal skill wasn't an ability that made him suddenly omniscient or an all-knowing god. It was a cosmic search engine—an astral Google for this world. He could search for any information, any blueprint, or any history, as long as he entered specific mental "keywords" or question formulations. If he didn't ask, the terminal would remain silent. The genius of its user was the limit of this skill's capability.
Alphonse posed his first question into his mind's terminal. 'Where am I right now? What is the status of this transfer phenomenon?'
The terminal responded. Lines of data flowed neatly into his cerebral cortex. This was not a virtual world made real, but an actual physical planet. And in tonight's "The Great Arrival" phenomenon, only 10,000 players were randomly pulled and scattered across the continent. Millions of other players, including enemies and the remaining outer guild members, had not crossed over.
Alphonse squinted, formulating his next search. 'What is the history of this planet? What is the power level of the natives?'
The terminal once again presented the track record of the past. The history of the world of Orion was post-apocalyptic. Thousands of years ago, the native civilization was highly advanced, surpassing Level 100 with astonishing magical technology. However, an invasion from a cosmic dimension called the Abyss destroyed everything. This world only survived the apocalypse thanks to the sacrifice of 10 Guardians. Ironically, that salvation demanded a steep price: the entire legacy of knowledge, Mana circuit training methods, and alchemical blueprints were completely wiped out. The natives of the present era had their growth stunted purely due to the ignorance of the rulers who monopolized knowledge and the loss of their evolutionary keys. This caused the average strength of commoners to be below Level 30, while rulers and other influential figures possessed strength below Level 60.
Alphonse smiled faintly, adjusting his monocle. The golden glow in his irises shone, illuminating the darkness of the ancient forest.
The past game system he had played was apparently a simulation of the lost ancient knowledge of Orion. And now, through the Akashic Terminal, he was the only human on this planet who had search access to all blueprints, ancient Magic, and genetic engineering of the golden era. He was not an omniscient entity, but he held the key to the library that had all the answers.
Before severing the connection, he used the terminal's tracking function for one last question. 'Search for the locations of the Pioneer guild's core members who hold Unique Awakening Jobs.'
Out of his twenty-one comrades, the terminal provided two responding spatial coordinates.
Far to the west, a calm and precise deadly aura was detected. Marcus Vance, "Arcus".
In the freezing northern region, radiated an aura of poison and the dominance of shattered blades. Priscillia Astride, "Vrischil".
Alphonse severed his connection. His breathing was slightly ragged due to the massive Mana consumption. Without MP-replenishing potions in an inventory, he had to rely on his passive EX-tier skill, Mana Lover.
The natural laws of thermodynamics instantly bowed to him. Mana particles from the surrounding forest aggressively scrambled to seep into his pores, automatically restoring his magical energy by 1% per second.
Alphonse adjusted his monocle. His past throne might have crumbled into digital dust, but with the world's history search engine inside his head, he would build a physical empire that could never be torn down.