MMORPG : Ancient WORLD C.516 A Great Tragedy

After his grueling battle with Tsolmir, Alex found a city called Astraea, nestled within the Magi Empire's M27 sector, a sprawling metropolis that housed close to four million realm inhabitants.

The city's skyline was covered by towering spires and floating noble citadels, whose architecture matched the old era of the ancient world.

The streets below teemed with life, a bustling mix of residents and adventurers, all of whom possessed abilities deeply rooted in magic.

As its name suggested, the Magi Domain was house to all forms of arcane power systems, as every inhabitant, from the youngest child to the oldest elder, wielded some form of magic.

The cities of the ancestral realm served as the same haven for even adventurers, as realm inhabitants had no use for law tokens.

While a realm inhabitant could kill an adventurer, such an act would invoke the wrath of the realm if done unjustly, ensuring the adventurer's revival without the need for a law token, and the same protection applies if an inhabitant worked with an adventurer to kill another adventurer.

In the days following his arrival, Alex immersed himself in learning about the Magi Domain's power systems and the intricate society.

The realm no doubt was a hell hole for the adventurers because of their constant struggle for the law token and against each other in games, but for its inhabitants, it was the same as the ancient world, just on a much bigger and more diverse scale as it housed a vast number of power systems.

Astraea was a part of the Magi Empire, located in its inner area that alone was bigger than the entire human continent, while the Magi Empire itself was surrounded by two other similar scale powers, namely the Cultivator Domain and the Empire of Iron.

The Cultivator Domain was inhabited by individuals who harnessed the world's energy to create meridians, channels within their bodies that allowed them to cultivate and manipulate Qi, intern-wielding it in a wide variety of applications.

The Iron Empire, on the other hand, was a fascinating blend of technology and biological enhancement.

Its citizens combined cutting-edge technology with cosmos energy, creating a society where cyborgs and augmented beings thrived.

While there were other smaller powers within the realm, these three empires housed the majority of powers and held the most significance and influence.

Alex felt a sense of relief upon learning that no major full-scale wars were currently raging because, from given information, the last time the realm had opened, a devastating war was ongoing between the cultivators and the magi, making survival even more challenging for adventurers.

Although minor skirmishes and conflicts persisted between various factions allied under the two empires, such disputes were common and relatively contained.

Alex learned about the world order and all the power systems, both of the realm and one used by the adventurers.

Alex spent his days gathering intelligence, knowing that to thrive in this realm, he would need to master not only his own abilities but also understand the strengths and weaknesses of those around him.

In his research, Alex learned that the objective of his Epochal Trial would require him to visit all three major empires, and while he had anticipated this challenge, the true difficulty lay in the nature of his objectives.

These tasks were common among adventurers, meaning many could team up to complete a single objective, and it would be considered completed for all of them.

However, it also meant that achieving remarkable results would be exceedingly difficult because all three of the targets had strengths similar to Elemental Rulers, were hard to find, or lived in places that lurked with death.

All three objectives could be completed in two ways: The straightforward approach, which involved simply killing the designated targets, or the meticulous method, which required following precise instructions and was a hundred times more challenging.

Alex obviously wanted the best, so he chose the second option, and not willing to take any partners, he began researching while also working on growing his strength.

Alex discovered he needed around 60 law tokens for his Sixth Rank promotions, and from the first day of the second week, he was finding targets to hunt.

Everything was going well until it was not, as one unlucky day, he suffered the biggest loss, losing his legacy sword.

-----------------

"Seven Months Later"

Alex was seated in a bustling pub, a melting pot of races, both familiar and unfamiliar, each engaged in their own affairs, as the air was thick with the sounds of clinking mugs, hearty laughter, and hushed conversations.

Across from Alex sat a strikingly beautiful cat lady named Nyxara, whose beauty was undeniable, with sleek, ebony fur that shimmered in the dim light, large, almond-shaped emerald eyes that seemed to pierce through any facade, and delicate, whiskered cheeks.

Nyxara was a high-ranking member of the Information Ring, an organization that dealt in the trade of information, and Alex had gone through considerable trouble to arrange this meeting.

"Another round of Dragon's Breath!" Nyxara called out, her voice commanding yet melodious.

A waitress, clearly accustomed to Nyxara's demands, swiftly rushed in to replace the empty mug with a full one.

"So, what do you know about Zarach and his abilities?" Alex questioned, his voice dry and cold, nothing like the one he had seven months ago.

"I know a lot about Zarach, but I guess you are not here to learn how shrewd of a man he is and how many people are after his head, so let's talk about what you really want to hear," She replied, her voice smooth and confident.

"Many believe the element he wields is time, but that is completely false, and even my organization doesn't know his true abilities for certain, but we are convinced it is not time."

"Our extensive investigations show that his abilities are akin to perfect hypnosis."

"Hmm," Alex responded, his eyes flat and emotionless.

"Imagine this," Nyxara began, her eyes narrowing slightly as she leaned closer.

"Zarach's true power lies in his ability to manipulate perception, as he can control his opponent's perception of time and reality, making it appear as though he had delivered ten strikes before they can even register the strikes, let alone react to them."

"Another Dragon's Breath!" Nyxara shouted out before turning back to Alex.

'This information is not even basic, as I deducted these two options myself, and here I had hope that paying these bastards months of hard-earned money would be worth it,' Alex thought, anger boiling in his mind, but he kept his anger and thought in check.

"We understand that what we have provided might not seem very satisfactory, but as we always put our customers first, we are willing to make up for the payment you gave us."

"How?" Alex said in a flat and emotionless tone.

"The Information Ring can arrange a meeting with Zarach, with the sword you lost and the sword you wanted both on the line," Nyxara explained.

"But he does not want just any random unique weapon. It should be something of equal value to the other swords, and the additional fee to cover the second sword would be your life in the realm."

"Give me the real information on that bastard, and if it's more money that you need, then spit it out." Alex said, his eyes narrowed, his irritation apparent as he slammed his fist on the table.

"The Information Ring always puts our customers' interests first,"

"If you are willing to take the bet that is open for the next three years, feel free to find a valuable sword and contact us," Nyxara uttered as she stood up, her expression carefree as she turned and walked away, leaving Alex steaming with frustration.

Alex wanted nothing but to pin that hateful bitch to the floor and force out all the intell she knew, but he understood superior than to make enemies of a powerful faction, knowing his emotional actions would have far-reaching consequences he could not handle.

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