Overwhelmed by shock, Edward fell backward, landing hard on the rooftop concrete. His breath hitched, chest tight, eyes darting wildly left and right as he searched for the owner of that mysterious voice.
"Who's there. Show yourself!" he shouted, his voice cracking beneath the thunder of distant explosions.
"I possess no physical form, Master."
Edward froze.
That voice…
He knew that voice—had heard it for nearly ten years—but never in this world.
"Fay!?" His voice trembled.
"Yes, Master."
"Holy shit. Fay!"
"Yes, Master."
Edward scrambled to his feet, chest rising and falling rapidly. "How the hell are you here!?"
"In truth… I've been here since the moment you returned."
"What!? Then—"
His sentence was cut short as the monster's roar tore through the air. The entire building seemed to vibrate, dust drifting down from the rooftop lights like fine ash.
"Fay, this is not the time to chat!" Edward snapped, eyes locked on the towering beast drawing ever closer. "I need to run—but there's no way I'll make it!"
"Why doesn't Master fight?"
Edward half-shouted, half-laughed in disbelief. "Fight!? With what!? Do you not see the state your 'master' is in!?"
"Master can wield the Trident of Poseidon."
Edward went silent.
Slowly, he turned his head, as if he couldn't trust his own ears.
"I… I can use it, Fay?"
"Yes, Master. All you need to do is summon it."
The monster roared again—closer, louder. The sheer force of its steps sent gusts of wind that nearly knocked Edward off his feet.
"Ah—screw it!" Edward clenched his fist and raised it skyward. "No time to doubt anything!"
He drew in a breath and screamed at the top of his lungs—
"TRIDENT!!!"
The clouds that had been calm moments ago began to twist violently, as though some colossal hand were shaking the sky itself. White turned to gray—then to a suffocating black. Thunder cracked from within the vortex, its roar shaking the chests of everyone below.
The rampaging monster froze mid-step.
Its massive head lifted, confused by the sudden, impossible shift in the weather.
On the streets, Awakened fighters and soldiers halted as well.
On the rooftops, snipers, jet pilots, and anti-air operators all looked up.
Something was descending from the heavens.
Moments later—above the skyline of Newark—a muscular figure materialized, suspended in the air by swirling torrents of water erupting beneath his feet. A blue aura radiated around his body, and in his hand…
A Trident.
"You goddamn beast!" the man roared, his voice thunderous. "Of all the places—you just HAD to show up here!?"
The surviving residents of Newark fell silent.
That voice…
The monster responded with a deafening bellow that rattled the windows of nearby towers.
But its scream was immediately drowned out.
The man pulled his arm back, then thrust the Trident forward—
BWOOOOM!
A compressed cannon of water erupted like a colossal projectile from the ocean itself. The blazing blue stream shot straight into the monster's open maw, shattering its jaw, tearing through its throat, and bursting out the back of its neck.
The creature staggered…
Then collapsed, dead before it hit the ground.
But before the corpse could crash into the city, a massive vortex of water surged from the nearby river and sea, coiling around the monster's body. With a single sweeping motion—
BOOOOM!
The man hurled the beast far out into the ocean, as if it were nothing more than a sack of cloth.
Then he stood tall in the sky, hair whipping in the wind, eyes blazing blue.
Biological energy surged across his body like raging tides.
"I am Poseidon!" his voice boomed, freezing everyone who heard him.
"WHOEVER dares disturb this territory… shall be punished by the TRIDENT!"
A helicopter pilot slumped back in disbelief.
A reporter gaped, microphone slipping from her hand.
A jet pilot lost focus long enough that the auto-stabilizer had to kick in.
The Awakened on the ground could only stare, stunned.
**
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of Edward's apartment, the mighty figure of Poseidon touched down with a soft thud.
"Impressive… you managed to defeat the monster, Master," Fay praised.
"Hahaha!" Edward laughed, twirling the spear in his hand. "I am Poseidon. King of all the seas."
"Alright, that's enough," Edward said, calming himself. "Return, Trident."
Instantly, the spear vanished in a burst of blue light—and Edward's body reverted back to that of an ordinary human.
"Fay!"
"Yes, Master."
Edward grinned widely—if Fay had a physical body, he would have hugged her as hard as he could.
"I'm really glad to hear your voice again, Fay."
"Thank you, Master."
Edward turned. From the rooftop, the enormous silhouette of the colossal tower loomed, piercing through the drifting dust.
"That's the tower I meant," he said, pointing at it.
"That tower is truly remarkable, Master."
"Yeah. And that monster earlier… one of the creatures that came through the portal. No idea where they come from."
"When will you search for your younger sister, Master?"
"Maybe tomorrow." Edward glanced up—the dark clouds were swirling, ready to burst at any moment. He quickly sprinted toward the rooftop door.
"I'm the only one living in this entire building. Everyone else already moved out," he said while descending the stairs.
"Your world… it's very different from Valdora."
"It really is, Fay. In this world, evil tends to grow faster than good."
"There are many wicked people?"
"That's not what I mean." Edward exhaled softly. "Every human has desires… and from those desires, the intent to commit evil is born."
Fay fell silent for a moment, as if processing his words.
"What about the Vault of Echoes? Can I open it again?"
"Yes, Master. You can."
Edward froze mid-step. His eyes widened slightly. "The relics…?"
"They're still stored inside."
Edward's expression shifted—shock, joy, and disbelief all at once.
"YES!" He bolted down the stairs. "YES! YES! YES!"
**
Edward walked down the corridor toward his apartment, one hand constantly tugging at the jeans that kept sliding down—but his smile hadn't faded even once.
"This is my place, Fay," he said as he reached the door, which he had left open.
"I know, Master."
"Oh… right, I forgot," Edward chuckled awkwardly as he stepped inside. "But… how exactly are you here, Fay?"
"I'm not sure either, Master. After you left Valdora… I simply followed you. And suddenly, I was already in this world."
"Why were you quiet? Why didn't you say anything to me?"
"Fay saw Master crying. Fay did not want to disturb you."
Edward paused. Outside, rain began to fall—soft, steady taps against the lonely apartment window. He sank onto the sofa, leaning back with a slow, heavy breath.
"Even though Valdora is gone… it's not easy for me to let it go, Fay. I lived there for years. Traveled with you. Fought with you."
"Master… are you sad because of me?"
"Yes, Fay. I'm sad… because I left you alone."
"But I'm only a system, Master. Not a living being."
Edward gave a faint smile. "Fay."
"Yes, Master?"
"You know about the relic—the Clay of Prometheus, right?"
There was no answer.
"Fay?"
"Yes, I know it, Master. The Clay of Prometheus—Greek myth. An artifact said to give form to anything created. Clay associated with the power to shape a body."
Edward drew a long breath, his gaze drifting to the rain-streaked window.
"What if… I use that clay to create a body for you, Fay?"
This time, Fay didn't reply at all.
Only silence filled the living room.
And the rain grew heavier, as if waiting for a difficult answer to surface.
"The time is not right, Master."
Edward frowned. "Why not?"
"If Fay has a body… Fay may not always be with Master. Not like a system—no matter where Master goes, Fay can always be by your side. Fay wants to take care of Master."
Edward let out a small laugh and shook his head. "I can take care of myself, Fay. I just… want to see you have a body like mine. Sometimes I feel weird talking to you. Like I'm talking to a ghost."
"Fay is not a ghost."
"Yeah, I know." Edward smiled softly.
"For now," Fay's voice sounded gentle, "Fay wants to remain like this. Fay wishes to accompany Master in finding your younger sister. After you find her… if Master still wants to give Fay a body, Fay will accept it."
Edward inhaled deeply and nodded. "Alright."
He slapped both thighs lightly and stood up. "Let's go check the relics."
"Very well, Master."
Edward stepped toward one of the walls in his living room. He placed his palm on the cold surface.
"Open… Vault of Echoes."
The wall trembled gently. Golden light spread from beneath his hand, forming glowing ancient engravings. Within seconds, the wall split apart, revealing a door that shouldn't exist in the human world — a radiant doorway filled with ancient symbols.
Edward stood with his hands on his hips, a satisfied smile forming on his face. His heart pounded — a mix of pride and excitement.
"This… is truly a miracle," he whispered.
Years of fighting in Valdora. Years of gathering relics.
And now, all of them had followed him into the real world.
He pushed the door open slowly. As the gap widened, golden light spilled out, illuminating the 99 relics arranged neatly inside, still gleaming like the day he first obtained them.
"My precious treasures…" Edward spread his arms, grinning.
With sparkling eyes, he walked slowly, admiring each relic he'd fought so hard to collect. Each one had once been guarded by powerful dragons of Valdora — and he was the only player who had ever gathered them all.
"Within this chamber lie one hundred relics, Master," Fay said.
Edward turned, confused. "A hundred? Where did the extra one come from?"
"A ring. The relic once guarded by King Arzamiir, the 100th Dragon. He entrusted it to you."
Edward blinked. "What's so special about the ring?"
Fay didn't answer immediately.
"I am not certain, Master. But Arzamiir did leave a message, asking you to take care of it."
"If it's nothing special, just leave it here."
Edward shrugged and ran his fingers along Wukong's magical staff.
"Master," Fay called out.
"Yes, Fay?"
"Your body… why does it look like that?"
Edward looked back.
"Lack of iron, protein, and nutritious food," he replied casually.
"You cannot enter the tower in such a condition."
"I just want to find my little sister, Fay. Not look for trouble."
"There will be danger inside, Master."
"Relax. I have the Spear of Poseidon."
"The Spear of Poseidon was forged for grand-scale battles. For ordinary combat, it is… less suitable."
"You were the one who told me to pick it," Edward grumbled with a small laugh.
"I recommend adding one or two more relics to yourself, Master."
Edward turned away, placing The Talons of Anubis back on the shelf.
"Is that allowed?"
"Yes, Master. Although your body can carry two or three relic powers, during battle you may only use one at a time."
Edward's eyes widened, glowing with excitement.
"Wow… that's amazing."