In the endless void of their minds, a voice—a deep, ancient voice filled with sorrow and power—began to narrate a tale.
**
To protect this realm from external threats, the Architects created the Voidknights, warriors of unparalleled strength and loyalty. They were the defenders of the cosmos, the first and last line of defense against any force that sought to bring harm to Lambda.
At the head of these noble warriors was their captain, Arbeul dal Garm, the Abyss Knight. A warrior unmatched in strength, cunning, and devotion, he was a symbol of unyielding justice.
But even the Architects, for all their power, were not invincible. One day, an Architect from another world breached their domain. His presence disrupted the construct of Lambda, twisting the natural order. The Architects, bound by cosmic law, refused to act against him, for to defy that Architect could mean the erasure of their entire existence.>**
The voice grew heavier, tinged with bitterness.
**
Assembling his Voidknights, Arbeul led them into battle. Yet, the moment they faced the Architect, he spoke but a single word. And with that word, every soldier under Arbeul's command was erased from existence. Only Arbeul was spared, left broken and defeated.
When he returned to the Architects, they were enraged by his defiance. For his insubordination and the loss of his troops, Arbeul was stripped of his rank as the Abyss Knight. To ensure he could no longer interfere, they imprisoned him within the Dungeon of one of the many infinite Omniverses *EGO*, condemning him to an eternity of torment as one of its many guardians.
But the Architect's actions did not stop there. The balance of World Lambda was shattered, and the infinite worlds within it began to distort and separate. This Architect's influence continues to plague the cosmos even now.>**
The voice grew quiet for a moment before resuming, filled with regret.
---
The light began to fade, and the party found themselves back in the throne room. The orb had disappeared, but its story lingered in their minds, vivid and undeniable.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Finally, Takashi broke the silence, his voice hushed. "That… was his story. The Void Knight we just fought. He was… the Abyss Knight, Arbeul dal Garm."
Ronin's brow furrowed. "He defied the Architects to protect this world. And they punished him for it."
Sherry shook her head. "It doesn't justify what he did in the dungeon, but… it makes sense now. He wasn't just a boss. He was… a fallen hero."
Ichio remained silent, staring at the throne. "The Architect from another world…" he murmured. "He's still out there. His actions disrupted everything, didn't they? Even now, the worlds remain broken because of him."
Yasei crossed his arms, his tone skeptical. "And what are we supposed to do about it? We're just players in a game, right? How are we supposed to fight something that even the Voidknights couldn't touch?"
Ryoka glanced at the others, his expression grim. "Maybe it's not about fighting him… yet. But this story—this dungeon—it's all tied to something bigger. We've cleared Floor 91, but I think the real challenge is just beginning."
The group fell silent, the weight of what they had learned pressing down on them. As the announcement of their victory still echoed through the game, they couldn't shake the feeling that their journey had just taken a darker, more dangerous turn. Almost like it would disrupt their very existence.
Ichio crossed his arms, his brows furrowing in thought. "Wait, is that the story for this world in the game? I mean, it's kind of intense. And, given the kind of powers in this game, it's no wonder it actually has gods who protect it."
Ronin groaned, rolling his eyes. "You dumbass. Did you even listen? They said Architects, not gods. Get it right."
Rosewalt smirked, stretching her arms. "Well, I think it's already midnight, so we should log out before we pass out In-Game."
Ichio held up a hand, stopping them. "Wait. Before we do that, step into the shadow beside the throne."
Sherry tilted her head, confused. "The shadow?"
Ichio nodded, pointing at the dark patch cast by the throne. "Yeah."
The group exchanged wary glances before stepping into the darkness. The moment they were all within its bounds, the world around them blurred and shifted.
In an instant, they were back in the Sevian Guild on the 79th floor, standing at dark corner.
"What just happened?" Sherry asked, spinning in place.
Ichio grinned. "It's called Dark Movement. It lets you move between two dark points. Kind of like shadow movement, but it's more complex."
Yasei yawned, waving a hand dismissively. "That's cool and all, but I'm done for today. Tomorrow's Saturday, and I don't want to sleep in. Got plans."
Ryoka nodded in agreement. "Same. I need to get up early." The two waved at the group. "See you guys tomorrow."
They raised their hands in a triangular shape, pulling their fingers apart. A virtual interface appeared before them, and with a few quick taps, they logged out, their avatars vanishing.
Rosewalt turned to Ichio, smirking. "Ichio, we should log out too. You're the king of oversleeping. If you don't go to bed now, you won't wake up early tomorrow."
Ichio scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Fine, fine."
As they prepared to log out, Sherry hesitated. "Wait, Ichio."
He paused, looking at her curiously. "What's up?"
Sherry took a breath, her voice steady. "Do you mind logging in at 1 PM tomorrow? I want us to take a quest together."
Before Ichio could respond, Ronin interjected. "Do you mind if I join you?"
Sherry frowned slightly. "That's not necessary."
She turned to Rosewalt, her gaze direct. "Aiko, I hope there isn't a problem with that."
Rosewalt raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Sherry, we're In-Game. You don't have to use my real name, you know."
Sherry blinked, then flushed. "Oh, sorry."
Rosewalt shrugged. "It's fine. Do whatever you want."
With that, Rosewalt and Ichio made the triangular hand gesture, pulling their hands apart to open the logout interface. After a few taps, they vanished.
---
Ichio's VR pod hissed open, and he blinked against the dim light of his room. As he sat up, he saw Aiko stepping out of the pod beside his. She stretched, yawning.
"Well, tomorrow then," she said casually before heading out.
Ichio watched her leave, then sighed, heading to his bed. He flopped onto the mattress, staring at the ceiling. "An Architect..." he muttered. "Why does that sound familiar?"
The pieces clicked into place as he thought back to the game's older versions. "Oh, yeah. Back when it was EG: Explore Game, whenever I hit max level and completed the game, it always said I'd become an Architect."
His eyes widened slightly. "So that's what the Architects are. They're… insane. When my character became an Architect back then, the things I could do were beyond overpowered."
He let the thought linger for a moment before closing his eyes. "If that's the level of power we're talking about... then this just got a whole lot more complicated."
With that, he drifted off to sleep, his mind spinning with thoughts of Architects, voidknights, and the challenges still ahead.
[Well! I wonder what will happen next].
CHAPTER END.
Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!
Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.
READ NOVEL ONLINE