Dex's vision swam as consciousness returned.
His head pounded. His mouth tasted like burnt copper. And—
Why was he sitting down?
He blinked, his surroundings sharpening into focus.
He was on Ignis' throne.
The obsidian seat, still warm from the dead warlord's presence, hummed beneath him. The air reeked of blood and charred flesh. Around him, the throne room was littered with bodies—Demonkin players, guards, even a few high-level NPCs—all cut down with brutal efficiency.
His Data Daggers were embedded in the walls, the floor, the skulls of the fallen.
"What the hell…?"
Then—
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL 31 → LEVEL 32]
[REWARD: +5 HP]
[NEW TITLE ACQUIRED: "CYBER LORD'S GREED"]
"What the Cyber Lord wants, he takes—by force, by trickery, or by seduction. (Even the late Bloom Sovereign's virginity wasn't safe.)"
[EFFECT: DOUBLES "ORIGIN MASK'S" FIRST SKILL POTENCY]
(Stamina/Endurance during "skill acquisition" increased 200%)
Dex's eye twitched.
"What kind of stupid skill is this?!" he yelled at the system.
The Origin Mask cackled. "Oh, you'll thank me later."
[TERRITORY GAINED: "ASHEN MAW DISTRICT"]
[LOOT TRANSFERRED: IGNIS' INVENTORY NOW YOURS]
Dex expanded the notification.
[EMBERFALL LAW #4: "THE RITE OF ASCENSION"]
"When one of the Four District Rulers falls in combat, the slayer inherits their territory, title, and assets."
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in his chest.
"This can't be real."
His inventory blinked with new items:
[EMBERFANG] (LEGENDARY DAGGER) – Ignis' stolen blade, now returned.
[HELLFORGE GAUNTLETS] (EPIC) – *+150 STR, unleashes [Inferno Rush] on critical hits.*
[BLOOD PACT SCROLL] (UNIQUE) – Controls sworn Demonkin followers. (Current: 87 players)
[LAVA VAULT KEY] (QUEST ITEM) – Opens Ignis' secret armory.
Then—
[QUEST COMPLETE: "HEART OF THE INFERNO"]
[REWARD: +1 CYBER LORD GENE EVOLUTION]
The moment the notification appeared, agony erupted in Dex's veins.
His muscles locked. His bones cracked. Blue fire exploded from his eyes and mouth as his body arched backward, suspended mid-air by pure, torturous energy.
The Cyber Lord gene was evolving.
And it hurt like hell.
Dex gasped, collapsing forward onto his hands and knees. Sweat dripped from his brow, his body trembling as the last waves of agony receded.
But something was different.
His senses sharpened. The air hummed with data he hadn't noticed before—the faint pulse of the Ashen Maw's hellfire braziers, the residual code of dead players dissolving into the system, even the distant murmur of Demonkin chatter outside the throne room.
He stood, his legs steady now. Stronger. Taller, somehow.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[CYBER LORD GENE: LEVEL 2]
[EVOLUTION COMPLETE]
[CHOICE AWAITS: PATH OF THE FIVE]
A holographic interface exploded into view before him, splitting the air with golden light.
The holographic interface pulsed before Dex, the two paths glowing with an almost sentient intensity.
The Mask's voice slithered through his mind, lower now. Graver.
"This isn't just about power, thief. This is about the shape of reality itself. Choose carefully."
Dex's fingers hovered as the system updated, the rewards rewriting themselves into something far grander—far darker.
PATH OF DOMINATION
(Chosen by: Kai, Liora)
"The Strongest Rule. The Weak Serve."
. Reward 1: "The Architect's Audience"
Meet the one who designed the multiverse. A being beyond identification, beyond comprehension. Gain answers. Gain his power.
. Reward 2: "Key of the Fallen"
Resurrect the dead. Not as NPCs, not as echoes— fully, completely. Five uses only. No time limit. No rules.
Trials:
Conquer three dimensions entirely. Break their wills. Offer their cores to the Architect.
"To dominate is to ascend. Become more than human. More than a god."
PATH OF PROTECTION
(Chosen by: None yet)
"The Chain That Binds the Wolves."
. Reward 1: "Guardian's Blessing"
Shield others from the Dark Holders' influence. Nullify mind control, curses, and dimensional corruption.
. Reward 2: "The Unbroken Pact"
Gather followers—not as slaves, but as allies. Their strength becomes yours; your protection becomes theirs.
. Trials:
Save three dimensions from collapse. Prove that freedom is not weakness.
"To protect is to endure. The hardest path. The loneliest. But the only one that leaves the world whole."
Dex's throat tightened.
This wasn't a game mechanic.
This was divinity.
The Domination rewards were obscene in their temptation—resurrection, universal power, answers from the creator himself.
But the Protection path…
It asked him to stand against the tide. To fight not for himself, but for everyone Kai and Liora would consume.
The Mask hissed, amused.
"Look at Liora. Look at Kai. They didn't hesitate. Why should you?"
Dex's fists clenched.
"Because someone has to."
Dex stood frozen, his hand outstretched toward the Path of Protection, his resolve steeled.
"I won't become like them," he muttered. "I won't let this world burn."
His fingers hovered over the Shattered Shield symbol—
—when the Origin Mask chuckled.
A soft, almost pitying sound.
"Oh, Dex. Did you really think the Cyber Lord would let you choose that?"
The holographic interface glitched violently, the golden light fracturing into jagged pixels. The Shattered Shield dissolved, replaced in an instant by the Crown Wreathed in Flame.
Dex's blood ran cold.
"No—"
[SELECTION CONFIRMED: PATH OF DOMINATION]
[WELCOME, CYBER LORD OF THE FIVE]
The system's voice was final. Unforgiving.
Dex's breath came in short, panicked gasps.
"Undo it. Undo it!"
The Mask sighed, its tone almost apologetic.
"The Cyber Lord was many things—lazy, perverted, greedy. But he was never a hero. And now? Neither are you."
A new notification seared across his vision:
[TRIAL OF DOMINATION #1: "THE FIRST CONQUEST"]
"Claim a dimension's core. Start with Emberfall."
Dex's legs gave out. He collapsed to his knees, his hands shaking.
He had wanted to protect them.
But the gene inside him—the legacy of the original Cyber Lord—had other plans.
And now?
There was no going back.