Vi. Eli. Pantheon.

All three had texted him within seconds of the global announcement.

King opened Vi’s message first.

[Vi: KING!!! Did you just create a territory for us?!]

[Vi: This is insane! We can actually have a base now?]

[Vi: Are you coming here now? Please tell me you’re here already.]

King typed his response quickly.

[King: Yes. I’m coming. Have you received the prompt yet?]

[Vi: Yes! It just appeared. Waiting for you before I select anything.]

[King: Good. Wait for me.]

King closed Vi’s chat and opened Eli’s message next.

[Eli: Master King. I have received the territory prompt. Shall I proceed with entry?]

[King: No. Wait till I’m there.]

[Eli: Understood, sir.]

King closed Eli’s chat and moved to the final message. Pantheon.

[Pantheon: Impressive move, King. You just rule just tilted the dynamic of the Second Woe.]

[Pantheon: I assume you’re entering the territory?]

King stared at the message for a long moment before typing his response.

[King: Yes. You?]

[Pantheon: Already decided. I’ll see you there.]

King closed the message interface and looked over at Maya. The child sat patiently on the stone box, swinging her legs gently as she waited.

As if on cue, a new prompt materialized directly in front of King’s vision.

[NULL ALIGNMENT TERRITORY ACCESS GRANTED]

[TRAVEL TO NULL ALIGNMENT TERRITORY?]

[WARNING: THIS DECISION IS PERMANENT AND CANNOT BE REVERSED] 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

[YES / NO]

King glanced at Maya. The same prompt hovered in front of the child’s face, the glowing text reflected in her wide eyes.

King walked over to Maya and extended his hand. The child took it immediately, her small fingers wrapping around his palm.

King looked down at her and nodded once.

Together, they both tapped [YES].

The world around them shifted instantly.

The familiar white light engulfed the ruined structure, washing over the cracked stone walls and collapsed roof.

The light intensified, drowning out every shadow, every color, every detail. King felt the familiar sensation of teleportation, weightlessness, disorientation, the brief moment where reality ceased to exist.

Maya’s hand remained locked in his.

The light grew brighter still, consuming everything.

And then they vanished.

The ruined structure stood empty, silent except for the faint whistle of wind through the broken walls.

The white light faded gradually, peeling away in layers until the world snapped back into focus. King blinked, adjusting to the sudden shift in environment. Maya stood beside him, still gripping his hand tightly as she surveyed their new surroundings with quiet curiosity.

King opened his map interface immediately, checking their position.

The display materialized before him, showing a detailed topographical layout of Zone 1. A glowing marker indicated their current location, Eastward, positioned directly between two massive territorial zones.

The map didn’t label the territories by name, but King recognized the distinctive geographical features from his playthroughs.

To the north, the terrain rose sharply into jagged mountain peaks shrouded in perpetual mist. Ancient fortifications carved into the rock faces suggested military strongholds, watchtowers overlooking valleys filled with dense forests.

The architecture was monumental, built for kings and conquerors. This was the domain of the Seven Great Kings, powerful NPCs who ruled with absolute authority, their territories defended by armies of elite soldiers and legendary knights.

To the south, the landscape shifted dramatically. Scorched wastelands stretched endlessly, the earth cracked and greyed as if something had burned away all life.

Twisted spires jutted from the ground like broken teeth, and the air shimmered with heat despite the absence of any visible flame.

This was the Anti-Gods territory, home to entities that had rejected divinity itself. Hostile, chaotic, and utterly unforgiving.

And between these two opposing forces, nestled in the narrow boundary zone where their territories converged, sat the Null Alignment Territory.

As expected, the system always had the last laugh.

The landscape far smaller , but neutral, balanced precariously between order and chaos. Rolling grasslands stretched toward the northern mountains, gradually transitioning into rocky terrain as they approached the southern wastelands.

A river cut through the center, its waters clear and untouched by either faction.

Scattered ruins dotted the landscape, remnants of civilizations that had existed before the game’s current factions claimed dominance.

King studied the map carefully, noting any strategic advantages and vulnerabilities.

The territory was defensible, but only if they controlled the chokepoints. The river provided fresh water. The ruins offered shelter. But they were sandwiched between two powerful factions, either of which could invade if provoked.

King closed the map and opened his message interface, navigating to Vi’s chat.

[King: We’ve arrived. Check through my shared location, how far out are you?]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Vi: Okay]

Her next reply was a while.

[Vi: We’re about twenty minutes out. Eli and I spawned near the western parts of Zone 1, so we have to cover some ground.]

[King: Understood. We’ll wait here.]

King closed the interface and looked down at Maya. The child released his hand and walked a few paces forward, staring at the river in the distance. She seemed unbothered by the wait, content to observe her surroundings in silence.

King leaned against a nearby boulder, folding his arms across his chest. The Second Woe timer still ticked away in the corner of his vision, reminding him that the pruning games were far from over. But for the moment, they had breathing room.

Time passed slowly. King kept his eyes on the horizon, watching for movement. Maya explored the immediate area, crouching near patches of wildflowers and studying them with quiet fascination.

After roughly twenty minutes, two figures appeared in the distance, moving quickly across the grassland.

King stretched immediately, recognizing them even from a distance. Vi’s distinct silhouette. Eli’s firm steps, and the calamity Long-Shoulder sticking out like a pole.

They closed the distance rapidly, jogging the final stretch. Vi spotted King first, her pace quickening as she broke into a full sprint.

King stepped forward to meet her.

Vi reached him and threw her arms around his neck without hesitation, pulling him into a tight embrace. King wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close.

The tension that had been coiled in his chest since he arrived finally began to ease.

After a long moment, Vi pulled back slightly, her hands moving to frame King’s face. She searched his expression, her eyes scanning for injuries or signs of distress.

"You’re okay," Vi said, her voice carrying both relief and lingering worry.

"I’m okay," King confirmed.

Vi leaned in and kissed him. The kiss lasted a few seconds, warm, intense, and conveying everything words couldn’t.

When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against his.

"That bounty scared me," Vi admitted quietly. "Fifty thousand runes. Every player in the game could be hunting you."

"Nothing I can’t handle," King said simply, trying to keep a tough front, but in truth he had concerns.

"I know you can," Vi replied. "But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t worried."

Behind them, Maya had abandoned her flower inspection and rushed toward Eli. The older man crouched down immediately, opening his arms to catch the child as she collided with him.

He lifted her effortlessly, settling her against his hip as he rose back up.

Maya wrapped her arms around Eli’s left shoulder, pressing her cheek against the right. The child’s expression was peaceful, content in a way only a child could be.

Eli carried Maya over to where King and Vi stood. The butler met King’s gaze and inclined his head respectfully.

King reached out and placed a hand on Eli’s shoulder, giving a firm pat. Eli nodded once in return, the gesture conveying mutual understanding and acknowledgment of everything they’d endured separately.

"Good to see you both safe," King said.

"Likewise, Master King," Eli replied.

Vi stepped back from King, finally allowing some space between them. She glanced at Maya, then at Eli, then back at King.

"So," Vi said, "we’re actually here. The Null Alignment Territory. I had no idea this is what you meant."

"It was necessary, given the situatiin" King said. "I just had to play with the cards we were given"

"Smart move," Vi agreed. "But also a huge target. Every faction-aligned player now knows we are here."

"Yeah, I couldn’t see a more ideal situation" King said flatly. "We’ll have to be ready."

Eli shifted Maya’s weight slightly, adjusting his grip as the child settled more comfortably against him. "Master King, have you scouted the territory yet? Do we know what resources are available?"

"Not fully," King admitted. "But from the map, there are ruins scattered throughout the area. Likely shelter, possibly supplies. We need to establish a base camp first, then expand outward, other plays might arrive as well."

Vi nodded in agreement. "We passed a few structures on our way here. Nothing major, but some looked defensible."

"Show me," King said.