Chương 555: The Dark Lord and His Girlfriend (End of Volume 3)

Luke had taken a step he never imagined taking with Charlie. The past few days felt lighter, as if a weight he'd carried for years had finally slipped off his shoulders. For the first time, he could feel something opening inside him instead of closing. Artemis, in all her chaotic wisdom, had been right. Letting go of the pain tied to his mother wasn't the same as forgetting her. It simply meant ending a cycle he'd been trapped in for far too long. But with that clarity came a new worry, one far more immediate.

Charlie. Even before anything had happened between them, he'd felt it, the moment he learned there were enemies capable of destroying her permanently. The moment she fell to an angel's power. That was when he decided, deep inside, that maybe his path needed to be a solitary one. He knew that someday he might have to walk a road neither Charlie nor Angie could follow. Not because they wouldn't want to, but because there were heights he might have to climb alone.

For now, though, he allowed himself to feel what was in front of him. Luke glanced at the timer floating in his interface. [Estimated Time Until Event 51: 2 months: 28 days: 13 hours: 02 minutes: 57 seconds] The last few months had been spent settling more deeply into Camlann, attending auctions with Charlie and Angie in search of anything that might strengthen them. Angie, especially, was growing rapidly stronger. She had also evolved her second class when she reached level 50.

"Do you think it's another one of your friends?" Clara asked, peeking toward the door. It was Halloween, a holiday for many, but for Luke it was his birthday.

"It's them," Jack answered before Luke could. He had arrived the night before from Pennsylvania and was still half-asleep on his feet.

"I'll get it, Mom," Luke said. He opened the door to find Evangeline and Eleanor standing on the porch.

"Trick or treat," Eleanor announced.

"I cannot believe this," Evangeline added, giving him a once-over.

"Cinderella here actually kept the eyepatch. You look like a pirate."

"Hello to you too," Luke muttered, accepting a wrapped box before Evangeline strolled inside like she owned the place.

"Hi, Luke," Eleanor said warmly, handing over another gift. Beyond them, Clara was already ushering Evangeline inside with her usual hospitality.

"Mrs. Baumann," Eleanor said, offering her a neatly wrapped package.

"This one is for you."

"A present? For me?" Clara blinked in surprise. Soon the living room was full.

"Martin, Noah, this is Evangeline, and this is Eleanor."

"And where is the little princess?" Evangeline asked.

"I brought something for her." Lillian chose that exact moment to come thundering down the stairs.

"Luke! Your friends are here!"

"I noticed," he said, scooping her up.

"Hey, human!" another voice snapped. A tiny snake slid across the hallway floor, a bright pink bow absurdly perched on her head.

"T ell that little human rat not to put this on me again while I'm sleeping! I've learned this is not intimidating. A crown is intimidating. This is… humiliating!" The hatchling had spent the entire time with his family and apparently adapted well enough to complain about fashion.

"Well, everyone," Clara said, clapping her hands together, "we should probably start lunch before it gets cold."

Evangeline spun Luke's desk chair around, eyes drifting over the room.

"So this is Cinderella's bedroom."

"Yeah, this is my room," he replied. Eleanor stood near the bookshelf, scanning the spines.

"Do you have adult books in here?"

"No. Why would I?" Luke asked.

"I know, I'm messing with you."

"Keane, Hopes and Fears?" she said, holding up the album.

"It's from the last century. They've got a good sound," Luke said as he stood. She flipped the album over, amused.

"Somewhere Only We Know," she read with a laugh.

"Huh. Didn't expect this side of you."

"That's one of the best songs ever made." A moment later, Eleanor pulled something else off the shelf.

"The Best of 007, remastered classics," she said, picking up the DVD.

"Let's check Luke's search history," Evangeline announced as she tapped the mouse. But when the browser opened, it displayed a large crown made of eight smaller crowns.

"You've got this on your computer too?" she asked. It was the symbol of the World Government.

"It's been popping up on some TV channels too," Luke said.

"Eleanor probably knows what that's about."

"Yeah, she's what conspiracy theorists would call a member of the 'Deep State,'" Evangeline replied casually.

"Oh, and I finished my studies."

"The basic ones," Eleanor added.

"You didn't need to tell him that, I wanted to brag."

"And college?" Luke asked.

"College? Luke, we're rich. Rich people don't go to college."

"Rich people do go to college," Eleanor countered.

"Then they don't know how to be rich," Evangeline said.

"But let's drop that boring subject. Look what I have here." She pulled a folded paper from her pocket.

"Know what this is, Cinderella?" She flashed it, and Luke shrugged.

"It's something special. Behold: 'Luke Moon's 4th Grade Questionnaire.'""Where did you even get that?" he asked.

"Your mom and I were going through some of your old stuff. Don't worry, she has plenty of copies." Luke immediately noted he would need to talk to Clara later. Letting Evangeline near his childhood documents was catastrophic security failure.

"First question," Evangeline said dramatically.

"'What do you want to be when you grow up?' Answer from Luke Moon: Secret agent." Luke froze. He knew exactly which paper that was.

"Give me that, Evangeline." She darted across the room as he lunged toward her.

"Question two!

'Who inspired you to choose this profession?' Answer: Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig." Luke snatched the paper from her hands and shoved it straight into his storage item. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

"Question three," Artemis read.

"'What place would you most like to visit?' Answer: Monte Carlo Casino."

"Hey, give me that!" Luke yanked the paper back out of the pocket dimension before Artemis could continue. He stuffed the questionnaire into his pocket.

"It's fine, Luke," Evangeline said sweetly, lifting an entire stack of papers.

"Your mom printed more copies for me."

"You definitely tricked her," he said.

In the living room, Martin was flipping through channels nonstop.

"Everything's stopped. Every program," he muttered.

"There's nothing on anymore." Every station showed the same image now: a sigil of eight crowns interlocking into one. Earlier, only the news channels had switched to it. Now it was everywhere.

"This isn't from our government. It's from the World Government," Eleanor said.

"It's been like this for half an hour," Noah added.

"Even the official channels."

"A major announcement is coming," she said quietly.

"What kind of announcement?" Jack asked.

"No idea what these people are capable of saying. I'll make a few calls," Eleanor replied, already pulling out her phone. The doorbell rang. Luke headed to answer it. One person was still missing.

"Hello, dear. Who are you?" Clara asked as she opened the door.

"C-Charlie." Luke stepped into the entryway and saw her, a beautiful blonde woman in a simple dress, expression shy, clutching a small bag.

"This is the person I told you was still coming, Mom." He was planning to introduce Charlie as his girlfriend. Sadly, Angie hadn't come. They'd agreed it was better for Charlie to be introduced first, especially given Angie's identical face to Angélica, who was close friends with Evangeline.

"H-here. Happy birthday, Master Luk— I mean, Luke," Charlie said, handing him a wrapped present.

"You missed lunch, unfortunately," Clara told her gently. Charlie stepped inside, tense but smiling awkwardly. Luke stayed close as they walked toward the living room.

"How was the trip from your hotel?" he asked. The moment they entered the room, everyone turned to stare.

"Who… is this?" Evangeline asked.

"This is Charlie. The knight who accompanied me in the tutorial."

"I thought she was a zombie, not a gorgeous woman," Evangeline said bluntly.

"Zombie?" Martin echoed. Luke still had to come up with a smoother explanation for his friends. He'd told them Charlie was a familiar, a skeleton who later evolved into a zombie. Before he could say anything, every screen in the room shifted.

"Thank you all for waiting. We are known by many as… the World Government." The logo vanished, replaced by eight figures seated on thrones, each wearing a mask that concealed their identity.

"It's them," Eleanor whispered. The most powerful people on the planet. And among them was the Dragon Queen.

"We've all had to make an important decision," one of the masked figures began. The camera pulled back, revealing the setting: a massive hall filled with representatives wearing the symbols and colors of their respective kingdoms. As the camera panned across the assembly, Luke caught sight of a familiar face. Allison…

"If they have a camera feed, then they're here. In the Old World," Eleanor muttered as she tried calling her father.

"Weird. My phone just shut off by itself."

"My laptop too," Noah said.

"This decision was going to affect everyone eventually. We only postponed the inevitable," the speaker continued. Luke's interface chimed sharply. [Estimated Time Until Event 51: 0 months: 0 days: 0 hours: 0 minutes: 59 seconds] The breath caught in his throat.

"The system offered us choices, and we accepted them. Event 51 has been moved up to the exact moment it passed 51% of its original schedule," another voice said, one Luke recognized instantly as the Dragon Queen. Everyone looked at each other, but those with the system felt the truth hit like a hammer. Fifty-nine seconds?!

"When the population of a newly integrated universe reaches 51 percent system awakening, a major event occurs."

"What are they talking about?" Clara asked, confused.

"That warning, Luke?" Noah whispered.

"That countdown?" The lights in the house flickered. The air felt heavy, electric.

"The full integration of our universe has now begun. From this moment on, everyone will awaken the system," one of the kings announced. The camera returned to all eight rulers.

"We have decided that our world's Fifty-One will include everyone. It will be a grand game in which ALL will participate, without exception."

"Master Luke—" Charlie tried to say. The room plunged toward darkness. Luke saw his little sister grab hold of Clara just before everything went black.

"This is goodbye to technology, to the old way of living. To everything. From this moment on, our planet will evolve, and only those who survive will remain to witness the change. Farewell to some, and good luck to the rest." The power in the house cut out. Luke glanced toward the meter. Time was moving. Voices rose all at once, panic bursting open.

"I need to call my parents," Jack said, desperately tapping at his dead phone. Noah yanked the curtains open, letting in what little light was left. Outside, people were running in every direction. The sky was darkening, swallowed by rolling black clouds. A mandatory event? Early? That wasn't what he expected. He'd been preparing for an optional event for system-users, not… whatever this was turning into.

"We stay together. We'll get through this," Martin said, though his voice faltered halfway through. Eleanor's hands were shaking.

"M-my mom was on a plane…" If every piece of technology on Earth had just died…

"What's this on my screen?" Martin asked.

"It says 'Choose your class.' Mine says the same," Noah answered.

"You have the system?!" Luke demanded.

"I do too," Lillian said. [Planetary Event Successfully Activated!] [Your planet has reached 51% system integration. With this, the final requirement for full integration has been fulfilled. A global-scale event has been triggered to complete the integration of all living beings. The remaining 49% of non-integrated individuals will be automatically integrated during the Planetary Event. The predominant race of this world (humans) will be transported to another realm, integrated or non-integrated, where they will undergo the Planetary Event.]"Guys…" Luke began, but before he could finish, his parents vanished. His sister too.

"What just happened?!" Evangeline shouted. [The theme of your Planetary Event is… Sunken Realms!]"No. No." Luke rushed to the spot where they'd been standing seconds ago, but there was nothing left. His family was gone.

"Human… something is happening… to me," Franky said, and then he blinked out of existence as well.

"Charlie," Luke said sharply, turning, she was still there. A massive notification unfurled before his eyes. Planetary Event: Sunken Realms A distant echo stirs from the deep… and the forgotten planet rises once more from beneath the waves. Millennia ago, this world was home to glorious empires and colossal cities. Now only the ocean reigns, guarding beneath its crushing tides the ruins of lost civilizations and the abyssal creatures that thrived within them.

Once every age, when the waters finally recede, the sunken kingdoms return, forbidden treasures, ancient horrors, and trials worthy only of the boldest. The time has come again. The planet calls for new conquerors. Location 1 – The Forgotten Continent: A ravaged landmass left behind after the last great tide. Here, the 49% who were not yet integrated must survive against monsters that slumbered for thousands of years in the shadows of newly risen ruins.

Location 2 – The Archipelago of the Sunken Realms: A labyrinth of remote islands surrounded by unstable seas and the skeletal remains of drowned empires. This is the arena of the System-integrated, where submerged cities rise and sink with the tide, revealing treasures and nightmares of the deep. Location 3 – The Frozen Waters of the North: The planet's frigid extreme, where the ocean becomes crystal and ice.

Only Rank C humans will be sent here to challenge the frozen abyss and the ancient creatures sleeping beneath the eternal ice. Event Objective: Survive. Push forward. Complete every Stage of the Event and escape this drowned world before the tides rise again to swallow everything whole. Time Limit: The call has already been made. Teleportation begins now, and every step, every dive, every battle will decide who is remembered as a conqueror… and who becomes just another whisper in the SUNKEN REALMS.

"Are you all seeing this?!" Jack shouted.

"I'm—" Eleanor began, but vanished mid-sentence.

"Oh," Evangeline murmured.

"I get it. Goodbye, Cinderella. Maybe… we won't see each other again." She disappeared. Then Jack vanished.

"Charlie," Luke said.

"Master Lu—" and she was gone too. He was the only one left. Luke bolted out of the house, trying to make sense of the chaos. In the sky above, enormous planets, dozens of them, were drifting closer to Earth.

"Shit!" [Estimated Time Until Event 51: 0 months: 0 days: 0 hours: 0 minutes: 5 seconds] A pull tugged at him from all sides. He was about to be taken.

"They're all gone."

"The letter, Luke! The letter!" Artemis yelled. He scrambled into his pocket dimension. [Estimated Time Until Event 51: 0 months: 0 days: 0 hours: 0 minutes: 3 seconds] The letter. The truth about what happened to his mother. He tore the seal open with shaking fingers. [Estimated Time Until Event 51: 0 months: 0 days: 0 hours: 0 minutes: 2 seconds] His hand trembled. [Estimated Time Until Event 51: 0 months: 0 days: 0 hours: 0 minutes: 1 second] He read.

"Luke, this is Samael, and I'll be brief… your mother is…" [Estimated Time Until Event 51: 0 months: 0 days: 0 hours: 0 minutes: 0 seconds]"Alive."

"Alive?" Darkness swallowed him whole. Stars flickered past. He saw his own body suspended in the sky, then pulled through a corridor of light until an enormous blue planet filled his vision. Thousands upon thousands of people drifted beside him, some crying, some screaming, before all of them were launched downward like meteors. [Selecting which island you will be assigned to…] The world blurred as he fell. [Selecting participants for your island's challenge!] The system froze for an instant, then shifted.

[The theme of your island's challenge is… Battle Royale!] [End of Book 3: Omens of the End]