Oracle wasn't done yet.
If he wanted this to work, he needed to hit them where it hurt the most—
Their egos.
He smirked, fingers gliding over the interface as he sent out another notification.
A public ranking list.
A challenge. A provocation.
[Major Announcent]
[The list of players with the highest tutorial points is now available to view.]
1. Alex Knight - 445,000
2. Dorion Newman - 209,000
3. Derral Cain - 80,500
4. Ethan Hunt - 79,500
…
The difference between first and second place was massive—a 226,000-point gap.
But that was nothing compared to the gap between Alex and the third-place player.
More than five tis their points.
The numbers weren't just shocking.
They were insulting.
To players who prided themselves on being the strongest, seeing their nas buried under Alex's would feel like a slap to the face.
And Oracle knew exactly how Derral and Ethan would react.
They weren't the type to sit back and accept humiliation.
They would co for Alex.
Oracle smirked, feeling a montary relief from the play he had just made.
Everything was set.
Ethan and Darrel—especially Ethan, given his history with Alex—would stop at nothing to take him down.
But just as Oracle exhaled, letting himself relax—
It happened.
A presence.
Overwhelming. Crushing. Inescapable.
It descended upon him like a massive hand closing around his very existence.
Before he could react, the world around him vanished—
And in the next instant, he was sowhere else.
Oracle crashed onto the cold, unseen ground with a heavy thud.
A sharp groan escaped his lips as he struggled to move, every nerve in his body screaming in protest.
He forced himself up, hands pressing against the unseen floor.
Then, as he lifted his head—
He froze.
From the endless void ahead, two glowing eyes stared back at him.
No form. No shape.
Just the eyes.
Watching. Unblinking.
A suffocating force wrapped around Oracle's soul, pressing down on him like the weight of a collapsing world.
His body betrayed him.
His limbs gave out.
And in the face of that unfathomable power—
Oracle was pinned flat to the ground.
A Reigner.
One of the higher powers—a being that stood above all, enforcing the very laws of the system.
Oracle's breath hitched.
He'd been caught.
A deep, resonating voice bood through the void, shaking Oracle to his core.
"I've been watching you, damn rabbit."
Oracle's chest heaved as he gasped for air.
He knew this presence was powerful—but facing it directly was like being crushed beneath an entire world.
He'd been careless.
He'd been caught red-handed.
The voice rumbled again, filled with an unshakable authority.
"What do you think you're doing—playing with the rules?"
Oracle's throat went dry.
He gulped.
Tried to form words.
Tried to explain.
"I was just trying to—"
"THAT IS NOT YOUR ROLE!"
The mont the words slamd into reality, the weight on Oracle doubled.
His entire body collapsed into the unseen ground.
His soul scread, on the verge of being ripped apart.
The pressure was unbearable—
And if this continued… he would be crushed to death.
Oracle's body trembled, his very existence being ground into dust under the weight of the Reigner's power.
He wasn't important enough to be spared. His role was replaceable—another could take his place in an instant.
He had one chance.
Forcing the words through gritted teeth, he gasped out—
"I-I'm doing it… gahh… I'm doing it to further his growth!"
The void stilled.
The crushing force lessened—just slightly, just enough for Oracle to take in a desperate breath.
"Oh? Is that so…"
The Reigner's voice held amusent, but also a sharp, piercing edge.
Oracle seized the mont, forcing himself to speak before the Reigner changed its mind.
"He's an anomaly," Oracle coughed. "He synced with the system in record ti—the fastest I've ever seen."
The pressure eased a little more.
Encouraged, Oracle pressed on, his voice growing steadier.
"This… this is a way to test his potential. To foster his growth. If he passes, he'll beco an asset to us."
He lifted his head just slightly, though his body still trembled under the lingering weight of the Reigner's power.
"And we will need soone like that."
Silence.
The Reigner did not respond imdiately.
The void seed to pulse with unseen energy.
Then—
"Hmm."
Oracle held his breath.
The Reigner was thinking.
But the pressure didn't ease.
Oracle's entire being scread under the weight crushing down on him.
Every second felt endless, like his soul was monts away from being torn apart.
Then—after what felt like an eternity—the Reigner finally spoke.
"Return. But any further rule-breaking… and you will be replaced imdiately."
Oracle gulped.
That wasn't just a warning.
That was a death sentence.
Being "replaced" ant more than just losing his position. Overseers were never replaced unless they deliberately disobeyed the set rules. And when they were?
They were erased.
Completely.
Forever.
"I'll be watching."
The words echoed, carrying an undeniable finality.
And then—
Oracle was ripped from the void and thrown back into his white room.
THUD!
He collapsed onto the floor, landing on all fours. His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his face.
His body still rembered the crushing weight of the Reigner's power. His mind still shook from the near-death experience.
For several long seconds, he just breathed.
That was too close.
Oracle remained on the ground, his body trembling.
His chest throbbed, each breath sending a dull ache through his core.
The aftershock of the Reigner's pressure still lingered, like invisible chains pressing down on him.
It felt like his entire existence was being crushed.
He clutched his chest tighter, his fingers digging into his robe.
The feeling of helplessness still fresh.
He had to lie to survive.
But deep down, he wouldn't be surprised if the Reigner knew and simply let it happen.
That was even worse.
Because now, Alex had caught the eye of a Reigner.
Getting rid of him?
Not happening.
Not easily, at least.
Oracle shuddered.
Alex was no longer just another player.
He was a potential asset.
And assets… didn't just disappear.
Oracle exhaled shakily. His mind raced back to one thought—one possibility he had ignored until now.
Could it be?
Could Alex actually have an ability that tilted fate in his favor?
That stacked the odds, ti and ti again?
That gave him insane luck?
Oracle's breath ca in ragged gasps. His mind raced, piecing together the undeniable truth.
Everything he had done to slow Alex down had only made him stronger.
Every obstacle. Every setback. Every twisted plan.
Instead of crippling Alex, it had fueled his growth.
It was terrifying.
Oracle clenched his fists.
If this continued…
If Alex kept evolving at this rate…
He would have no choice.
His eyes darted to the glowing artifact floating just above his palm. A deep crimson light pulsed within it, like a heartbeat.
A forbidden item. A last resort.
[Eclipse Core]: A forbidden artifact of imasurable power, the Eclipse Core grants an overseer temporary player status for exactly one minute. During this ti, the user gains all the privileges and abilities of a player, allowing direct intervention in the system. However, once the minute expires, the user is completely erased from existence—mind, body, and soul.
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