"Make sure to survive." The white-bearded old man's words hung in the air, a cryptic command that felt less like encouragement and more like a heavy burden. His stare, deep and unreadable, bore into Mirabella.
Mirabella met his gaze, her blue eyes hardening with resolve. "Ok then... If that's what it will take." Her fingers tightened around the worn leather grip of her metal dagger. She shifted her focus to the ten heavily armored knights arrayed before her. They weren't just threats; they were a test.
She had planned to conserve her strength, to chip away at the obstacle, but the old man's words—and the sheer oppressive aura of the knights—shattered that notion.
"This is the first time I will be fighting seriously," she murmured, a trace of unfamiliar thrill mixed with deep-seated caution in her voice. The moment the last syllable dropped, the world blurred.
WHOOSH!!
The ten knights vanished, moving with a speed that defied their massive plate armor. Their synchronized attack was a deadly, iron wave.
BAM!!!
Their swords met a vacuum. Mirabella had preempted their assault, not by dodging, but by an instantaneous shift in spacetime. She reappeared behind the closest knight, her movements a flash of practiced lethality. The dagger, a blur of silver, bit deep.
{Spirit energy: 79,500/80,000.}
{Damage: 400,000.}
{Defense: 600,000/1,000,000.}
'Teleport. Strike. Teleport.'
It was a deadly, low-cost rhythm. The knights, seemingly World Bosses but moving with a frightening, disciplined unity, were reacting with a lag that spoke of an unfamiliar energy signature.
WHOOSH!!
She appeared behind the second knight.
Clang.
{Spirit energy: 78,500/80,000.}
{Damage: 400,000.}
{Defense: 600,000/1,000,000.}
Third knight. A strategic slash at the leg joint to hamper movement.
{Spirit energy: 77,500/80,000.}
{Damage: 400,000.}
{Defense: 600,000/1,000,000.}
Before the first knight could even reorient, she was there again, sinking her blade into the same weakened spot.
{Spirit energy: 76,500/80,000.}
{Damage: 400,000.}
{Defense: 200,000/1,000,000.}
The knight staggered, its colossal defense shattered. She had spent a mere 4,000 Spirit Energy, yet she had reduced one foe to near-critical vulnerability. This was efficiency born from past-life tactical genius, augmented by the system's power.
Mirabella disengaged, teleporting a few feet away, her breathing measured.
{Spirit energy: 75,500/80,000.}
She looked at the World Bosses. "Time to end this," she whispered, not to them, but to herself. The calculated approach was done. Now, for the show of force.
Her blue eyes flared with brilliant, incandescent light. In a terrifying, instantaneous blur, she activated a complex chain of skills:
{Dash: -500 spirit energy.} (Initiation)
{Sonic gravity: -500 spirit energy.} (Debuff/Control)
{Ground Shaker: -2,000 Spirit energy.} (Persistent AoE Damage)
{Blood slash: -5,000 Spirit energy.} X5 (Defense-piercing attacks)
{Teleportation: -1,000 Spirit energy.} (Evasion/Positioning)
The air around her screamed. Her base agility stat, a respectable number, was temporarily augmented by 1,000,000, granting her the combined speed of all ten knights. The Ground Shaker skill erupted, an invisible, continuous vibration that hammered at the knights' foundations, while the Blood Slashes—five focused, defense-passing energy attacks—ripped through their remaining armor and health.
Mirabella was no longer a person; she was a whirlwind of energy and metal, a lethal singularity moving faster than thought. She weaved through the mass of iron, her attacks overlapping with the debilitating effects of Sonic Gravity. The battle lasted mere seconds—a furious, devastating burst of power. She leaped backward, landing heavily, her chest heaving, the exertion evident even with her high stats.
She watched, her gaze piercing the gloom. One by one, nine of the massive, iron-clad figures crashed to the stone floor, their internal energy matrices completely drained.
"Huh? Why wasn't there any announcement?!" She frowned, a pang of pride wounded. "I took down nine world bosses."
The last knight remained standing, its armor a spiderweb of deep cracks.
{Health: 100,000.}
{Defense: 0/1,000,000.}
Mirabella checked its profile, calculating the cost.
{Spirit energy: 36,500/80,000.}
A cost of 44,000 for a clean sweep. Acceptable. She lunged, her dagger slicing through the air with a final, decisive arc. She stopped behind the shattered knight, resting on her knees, taking a steadying breath.
{Spirit energy: 36,500/80,000.}
{Damage: 400,000.}
{Health: 0/500,000.}
{Defense: 0/1,000,000.}
The final knight disintegrated into shards of light and metal, and the System finally registered the kill.
[Congratulations Player Spectral for killing a World Boss. Gained 1,000,000 galaxy Fall coins.]
[Gained +20 Neutral Reputation.]
{Congratulations!! Host killed a World Boss, gained 100,000 EXP.}
[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT: Player Spectral soloed and killed a World Boss! And gained 20 neutral Reputation.]
"Impressive."
The old man's voice, calm and deep, drew Mirabella's attention away from the shimmering loots. She frowned, trying to glean any information on him, but the System responded with a jarring error.
'Error... System error? This is unprecedented,' she thought, her suspicion skyrocketing. A figure that could bypass the all-seeing master account system was a threat of the highest magnitude. She gripped her dagger, her posture shifting from exhausted victor to coiled viper.
"I want to ask two questions," she stated, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Oh... You completed the test, so you have the right," the old man nodded, his expression softening.
"First... That knight's energy, why is it different from other monsters?" The knights had felt... alien, exactly like Angra Mainyu. Their power source was cold, rigid, and lacked the natural, chaotic signature of monsters native to Galaxy Fall.
"Oh?" The man's surprise seemed genuine. "You could tell the difference? A true prodigy of the Sun bloodline." He paused, his gaze distant.
"Well... This knight isn't a monster from Galaxy Fall. He was sent here from the sky. Time will tell you more of these invaders, I fear."
'He didn't tell me anything meaningful,' she thought, but the phrase "from the sky" was a potent, terrifying piece of information.
"Who are you?" she asked, cutting to the chase.
"I am the Patriarch of the Sun family. Yep, I am your grandfather," he declared with an easy smile.
"So that blade?" she gestured toward the sword plunged into the stone.
"It is our Sun family heirloom. A weapon which can keep leveling up till it reaches the god rank."
A weapon that leveled up indefinitely. Such a concept was unheard of, even in the lore of her previous life's highest-tier servers. Why here? Why now? Why was this apocalyptic power linked to the family Galaxy Fall had placed her in? The universe was clearly tipping its hand, preparing for a cataclysmic event.
"I know you have a lot of questions, child. But as I said. With time. You will know everything... And, be watchful of the Dragon Emperor. If you can, keep your identity a secret." His tone shifted to one of grave warning. He moved aside, gesturing to the sword.
"Come now, take your birthright. This test was not to kill you, but to prove you were worthy of the burden."
Mirabella eyed him, her skepticism battling the deep, primal pull of the weapon. 'If I am his granddaughter, why risk my life with ten World Bosses? He is testing me, yes, but he is also making a powerful statement: Survival is paramount.'
"Come on, I won't kill you... You still have a very important battle ahead of you. A battle that will change the fate of worlds. Giving you this will help you greatly."
Mirabella slowly nodded. She sensed no malice, only profound urgency. Perhaps she was not just a player in Galaxy Fall, but a chosen agent—the sword the world needed to fight the encroaching darkness.
She stood before the sword, placing her hand on the hilt. An instantaneous, profound awakening surged through her, a sense of belonging she hadn't felt since her rebirth. The sword hummed, and in unison, the royal bloodline energy in her soul responded.
"....?!"
She wrapped her fingers around the hilt and pulled.
HMM!
An unholy amount of raw Spirit Energy burst from her, shattering every torch, plunging the ancient chamber into an oppressive darkness. At the entrance, Cupcake sat unmoving, a tiny, glowing beacon of calm in the chaos.
The sword then began to glow, its faint light intensifying until it flooded the room with pure, clean white. Mirabella smirked—this was more than Legendary-class; this was a weapon of destiny. The new title confirmed it:
{Title: Heir of Sun family.}
{Advantage: Agility permanently increased by 10,000. Physical attack: 1,000. Magical attack: 1,000. Defense: 10,000.}
'The Sun family must have been legendary to grant base stats like this,' she mused. She turned to ask the old man about his family's fate, only to find an empty space where he had stood.
"He is gone? I wanted to ask what happened to the Sun family," she muttered, staring at the glowing sword in her hand. She felt a deep, profound connection to it, as if it were an extension of her own will.
"System, need details on this," she commanded.