Archael steadied his hand, moving slowly and deliberately before finally clicking the button.

Tring Tring Tring!! 

The annoying bell sound rang out again, but this time, it was accompanied by a blinding light that flared up around him. The air thickened, crackling with energy as mana from the surroundings rapidly gathered. Tiny sparks of light formed, swirling together like a whirlpool of radiant colors—blues, purples, and golds—pulsating with vibrant intensity. The mana twisted and coiled, drawn toward a single point as if pulled by an unseen force, condensing into a brilliant sphere that hovered before him. The light grew brighter, filling the space with an overwhelming glow before suddenly dimming as the energy dispersed into a faint shimmer.

A new system window appeared:

Archael stared at the system window, reading it for the hundredth time, unable to believe his eyes.

“You have acquired a Transcendent-Tier Skill—the highest of all tiers!”

All his life as a guide on Earth, he had never seen anyone obtain this level of skill. It was far beyond anything he had ever encountered. Not even Joenie, who had received an SSR++ Skill from the Rainbow-Tier card, had come close to something like this. Archael froze, his eyes darting over the text repeatedly, trying to process what he was seeing.

This kind of tier exists??? There’s something beyond SSR++???

With a slightly shaking hand, he clicked the Confirm button and quickly accessed his skill window again to see what he had just unlocked.

Archael's eyes widened as he read through the skill description. He leaned in closer, the glowing text reflecting off his irises. This skill was the perfect fit for the first Trial, eerily so, as if the Norns had deliberately given him this card, knowing what lay ahead. He blinked slowly, processing the information. But the Norns didn’t work like that; they were there to help humans with mana, not to intervene directly in a player’s journey, especially not with something this powerful. Archael couldn’t make sense of it, but he knew he didn’t have the luxury of dwelling on it. He needed every bit of help he could get.

He closed the window with a flick of his hand, the translucent screen fading from sight. Rising from the bench, Archael adjusted his cloak, pulling it tighter around his shoulders. He needed to find Joenie. He didn’t know who else he was supposed to save for the quest, but Joenie was the only hero whose location he could roughly pinpoint.

Archael didn't waste any time. He took one last, lingering look across the road before turning away. Turning away, he began to navigate the streets again. His footsteps were quick and light as he moved along the sidewalk, weaving through the sparse late-night pedestrians. He kept to the shadows where possible, his movements fluid and deliberate.

He slipped into a narrow alleyway, the dim light casting elongated shadows on the brick walls. Archael moved with purpose, his eyes scanning his surroundings for any signs of trouble. He turned corners swiftly, his familiarity with the city's layout guiding him through back-streets and shortcuts. The sounds of the city at night—a distant siren, the hum of traffic—faded into the background as he focused on his path.

In just a few hours, the plaza in the middle of Fenriv City had been barricaded by the military and the country's best attack and defense teams. Despite the barriers, crowds of curious onlookers gathered around, eager to glimpse the mysterious object that had appeared suddenly in the middle of the night. People held up their phones, recording videos and taking photos, the flashes punctuating the darkness like sporadic stars.

During those few hours, an emergency meeting had been held by the leaders of Noraine, the nation where Fenriv City was located. They debated fiercely on how to handle the situation. They needed answers about this glowing phenomenon—what it was and what to do with it.

Contingency plans were needed, and fast. Teams of scientists and experts were assembled, sparing no expense in the effort to uncover the truth. The urgency was heightened by a chilling fact:

Some people had tried to approach the portal earlier,

And...

They all turned to dust.

Yes, every single one of them disintegrated into dust upon coming within a 10-meter radius of the glowing structure. The horrifying transformations were all recorded, spreading panic throughout the country as the footage circulated widely. The government knew they needed answers, and fast.

The chaos wasn't confined to Noraine. The videos had been shared online, reaching international audiences in nations like Istaris and Ysoria, where officials were equally alarmed. If the glowing structure was some sort of weapon capable of disintegrating people upon contact, it posed a grave threat to international peace treaties.

But in reality, there wasn’t much anyone could do—not the scientists, nor any other experts. Earth simply didn’t have enough knowledge or resources to study the phenomenon adequately. Nevertheless, the urgency was clear, and the government pushed for immediate action, bringing in all available experts, including Reine Atreides.

Reine was fast asleep in her lab when her phone rang, jolting her awake. She fumbled for the device, blinking at the screen before answering. It was her boss, Cherra.

“What is it?” Reine mumbled, still half-asleep.

“Just come to the location I sent you, we need to meet... now.”

“At 4:00 AM? Really?”

“You haven’t seen it?”

“Seen what?”

“Just come first, I’ll explain later.”

This wasn’t the first time Reine had received a cryptic phone call from her boss, but it was the first time she’d been summoned at 4 AM. Something serious had to be going on. Reine quickly grabbed her lab coat from the back of her chair, pulling it on as she glanced at her reflection in the glass window of the lab. She saw the mess of her appearance and quickly gave up trying to fix herself—there was no saving it at this hour.

Reine hurried down the hallway, her shoes clicking against the floor as the dim lights flickered overhead. She stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the basement. A robotic voice echoed through the small space, “Going Down.”

Her hand paused inside her coat pocket, fingers brushing against her phone as she hesitated for a moment. The elevator dinged, and the voice returned, “B1.” 

Reine stepped out, pulling her phone from her pocket. She punched in a familiar number, walking briskly through the empty parking lot. She wasn’t sure the call would go through, but she had to say something.

“Rei? Is something wrong? Are you okay?”

Joenie’s voice came through immediately. Reine couldn’t help but smile; her brother always answered, no matter when, where, or how.

Reine shook her head, feeling a bit silly for even hesitating to call.

“Before you go into panic mode, I’m fine.”

“Okay, so what is it?”

“It’s just... Cherra called me and told me to meet her, right now.”

“What? Did something happen?”

“Well—”

“Is it dangerous? Tell me where it is, I’m coming too.”

“Bro, chill. It’s fine. I’m calling you so you won’t worry. It’s probably just some angry investor. Nothing big ever happens, you know that.”

“No, we can’t always be sure, you know that too.”

Reine paused, arriving at her car. She fished her keys out of her other pocket and unlocked the car but didn’t get in. Instead, she leaned against it, continuing the call.

“I know. I’m going to be fine. Joenie, I’m not going to be like Mom and Dad. Don’t worry, I’ll be back like always. So stay put and don’t come looking for me, okay?”

“If you update me where you are and what happens every other hour, then I probably won’t start a riot. How’s that?”

“Hey, what kind of police officer starts a riot? Don’t be ridiculous!”

“I don’t care. I’m on break anyway. Just… share your location with me later and tell me what’s happening.”

“Okay, okay. See you later.”

“Hmm... be safe.”

Reine ended the call and quickly got into her car. She was used to Joenie’s overprotectiveness and didn’t mind it. They only had each other left in this world, and they’d always been close, keeping no secrets between them. 

She was glad she had made the call. If Joenie found out later that she’d been summoned somewhere at 4 AM without telling him, his reaction would be fierce—she’d probably be banned from Notflix for a month.

She started the car and input the location Cherra had sent her—it was near the public military defense headquarters. Reine’s brows furrowed slightly as she drove.

That’s odd.

Her research had nothing to do with the military; why were they having meetings there?

Reine decided not to think too deeply about it. Her priority was to get there as quickly as possible.

The city of Fenriv was a fascinating blend of old and new, with towering skyscrapers standing beside ancient stone structures preserved for centuries. The roads were a mix of modern highways and cobblestone streets winding around historic landmarks. Neon lights cast a vibrant glow against classical architecture, creating an atmosphere where the past and present coexisted in a chaotic yet beautiful harmony.

After driving for what felt like an hour through the winding streets, Reine finally arrived at the military defense headquarters. There were twelve or more cars ahead, waiting their turn for identification at the gate. When it was finally her turn, she rolled down her window and was greeted by Cherra instead of a military officer.

Cherra glanced at the officer beside her.

“She’s with me, she doesn’t have an ID yet.”

The officer nodded, noting the information. Cherra turned back to the half-open window.

“Let me in the car.”

Reine unlocked the door, and Cherra quickly slid into the passenger seat.

Reine smiled, adjusting the rear-view mirror.

“Welcome to Chario Express, where to, Miss?”

Cherra pointed ahead to a large, nondescript building in the distance.

“Stop joking around. Get to Building B... over there.”

Reine nodded, steering the car in the direction Cherra indicated.

“Okay, okay, Boss. Whatever you wish for shall come true.”

Cherra’s expression remained tense.

“Reine… after this, wipe off that stupid grin and attitude. We’re going to meet... some big shot.”

Reine glanced at her.

“How big? Bigger than our office building?”

Cherra gave her a long, pointed look, as if questioning every decision that had led to hiring Reine.

Reine chuckled nervously.

“Okay, okay, chill, Cherra. I’m your most loyal dog who comes to your call at 4 AM. How can you doubt me thinking I’d act out here? Even I know something serious must’ve happened.”

Cherra stayed quiet, staring straight ahead, and Reine’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly. She had only been trying to ease the tension, but it seemed her words had done the opposite.

Reine glanced at her cautiously.

“Um… it’s that bad?”

Cherra’s gaze remained fixed ahead.

“Bad can’t even cover it, Reine.”