Free Web NovelChapter 1: The night is eternal
The bells would not stop ringing.
Deep.
Violent.
One after another.
As if the entire capital were celebrating a long-awaited execution. A joyous occasion.
"Death to the monster!"
"Burn the vampire!"
"Heretic!"
The square overflowed with people. Nobles, merchants, soldiers, peasants... even children sitting on their parents’ shoulders watched the wooden platform raised before the holy cathedral.
Thousands of eyes filled with hatred. Countless voices roaring in unison.
And at the center of it all... a single man.
Black chains hung from the wrists and neck of Amazias Von Tepes, digging into his pale skin. Even kneeling, covered in dried blood and ash, he still radiated a presence impossible to ignore.
His silver hair fell to his shoulders, disheveled and battered. His crimson eyes slowly scanned the crowd.
There was no fear.
No despair.
Only disappointment.
On the upper balconies, separated from the roaring masses lost in ecstasy, the kings watched in silence.
Men who had once laughed at his table. Men who raised their crowns atop mountains of corpses while Amazias moved the pieces from the shadows.
Now they avoided his gaze.
Cowards.
The Archbishop raised a golden scroll.
"Amazias Von Tepes."
His voice echoed throughout the square.
"For the sins of corruption, manipulation of the crown, and the spread of the curse of vampirism... the Holy Church decrees your execution for eternal punishment, among filth and profaners."
The crowd erupted in celebration.
Amazias let out a low chuckle.
Even the nearest knights shifted uncomfortably.
The Archbishop frowned.
"Do you mock divine will?"
The Count slowly lifted his eyes toward him.
And for a brief instant... the old man felt fear. A deep terror that brushed against his spine like a fleeting chill.
"Divine..." Amazias murmured with a weary voice.
"What a convenient word for men starving for power, devoid of spirit or virtue."
The soldiers tightened their grip on their spears.
The Archbishop slammed his staff against the ground.
"Silence!"
The square trembled once more.
Monster!
Demon!
Blood drinker!
Amazias observed the faces twisted by hatred.
The ease of his downfall was almost amusing. All it had taken was a rumor, a drained corpse, and a forbidden symbol.
A few coins placed into the right hands, leaving the rest to the enraged and ignorant masses.
The nobles needed him gone. The Church needed an enemy. The people needed someone to blame.
He had simply become... too powerful.
A torch fell at his feet.
Flames began climbing the wood.
Heat engulfed the platform.
Yet Amazias never looked away from the royal balconies.
"When the true monsters devour this world..." he said softly.
"You will realize far too late why you needed me."
The king looked away.
Coward.
The flames spread with hellish ease. Citizens cheered, some cried tears of joy, while others prayed.
But the clamor suddenly died.
The flames changed color, growing at an alarming speed.
A dark red. A deep crimson like fresh blood.
A contemplative look appeared in Amazias’ eyes.
And the sky... darkened. Clouds began swirling above the cathedral as priests stumbled back in terror.
Unknown symbols appeared beneath the platform, spreading like bloody veins across the square.
"W-what is that...?"
"Demonic magic!"
"Stop him!"
Too late.
Amazias slowly raised his head.
For a single moment, his eyes shone like two red moons.
"The night... The night is eternal."
The world trembled.
And everything went black.
---
Year 2350
Acid rain poured over the lower alleyways of Lower Neo-Atlas.
Giant screens illuminated the city with endless advertisements.
THE HEAVEN BEYOND ALL. THE MOST REALISTIC WORLD EVER CREATED. BUILD YOUR LEGEND.
The face of an elven warrior appeared across a massive commercial tower.
Beneath the building, starving people huddled together in dark corners.
Gabriel walked silently through the crowd.
Raindrops struck his worn jacket while he tightly held the small credit chip inside his pocket.
It was everything he had. Absolutely everything.
His apartment barely included the minimum electricity allowed by his personal social card.
His delivery job could only provide enough to survive on terrible-tasting synthetic food.
And yet... he would spend every last credit to enter the game. It was his gamble to escape a life buried beneath toxic clouds.
Because in the year 2350, there were only two kinds of people.
Those who lived and participated in The Heaven Beyond All: Era of Myths and Legends.
And those who watched from the outside.
The black market was hidden beneath an abandoned subway station.
Covered in red lights, ever-present smoke, exposed wiring, and stolen technology.
Gabriel descended the metal stairs until he reached a small shop filled with used neural helmets.
The old man behind the counter did not even bother looking up.
"Budget?"
"Low."
The old man let out a dry laugh, licking his lips.
"Then you’re screwed."
Gabriel placed the chip on the counter.
The man inspected it carefully using a handheld scanner to examine the data.
Silence.
Then he disappeared behind a rusted curtain. He returned holding a black helmet... an old model, slightly cracked and unnaturally cold to the touch.
"Model H-2V... discontinued," the vendor said.
Gabriel frowned.
"Why?"
The man hesitated for a few seconds.
"Synchronization errors."
"What does that mean?"
"You know... the usual. Previous user said he started seeing strange things."
Gabriel slowly exhaled.
Perfect.
Exactly the kind of junk he could afford.
He grabbed the helmet confidently, and for a brief moment... he could have sworn he heard a whisper coming from inside the metal.
But it vanished instantly. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"No refunds," the old man warned.
Gabriel was already leaving.
---
His apartment was little more than a concrete box.
He activated the helmet the moment he settled into his cramped living space.
The internal lights flickered violently.
CONNECTING...
SYNCHRONIZATION ERROR.
RETRYING...
"Fantastic."
He smacked the side of the device. The interface finally appeared before his eyes.
Welcome to:
THE HEAVEN BEYOND ALL: ERA OF MYTHS AND LEGENDS.
The modeling process began with a facial scan, body structure analysis, and neural adaptation.
Then... the screen distorted.
ERROR.
INCOMPATIBLE DATA.
RECONSTRUCTING PROFILE.
The avatar before him began changing on its own. Its skin became unnaturally pale, the hair turned ash-silver, and its limbs grew refined and elegant, almost aristocratic.
A slight unease stirred inside him at the unexpected effects.
"Damn defective helmet..."
He tried restarting the process, but the interface would not respond.
No matter what he did, nothing worked.
Until the screen suddenly changed.
CONFIGURATION COMPLETE.
WELCOME, PLAYER.
Total darkness covered his vision.
And then... light.
Gabriel opened his eyes.
An enormous village stretched before him, with green fields and wooden houses. Hundreds of beginner players ran around excitedly, experimenting with different actions.
NPCs shouted quests in every direction.
But to his astonishment, it all felt absurdly real. Like the stories from ancient fairy tales brought to life.
The wind brushing against his face, the scent of grass, the warmth of the sun upon his pale skin.
Then a soft, inhuman voice echoed inside his mind.
"Welcome to The Heaven Beyond All."
Before him appeared a figure cloaked in white robes filled with endless mystery.
It had no face, no clear gender. Only golden eyes floating within darkness.
"I am Knowledge."
The divine intelligence that guides all players...
Gabriel swallowed hard. Its presence felt oppressive, almost mythical, even knowing it was merely an AI.
Proceeding with initial protocol.
Thousands of symbols appeared around them.
But the voice suddenly faltered, cutting off abruptly.
Silence spread.
The golden eyes fixed themselves upon him.
One second. Two seconds...
As though something impossible were happening.
Anomalous registry detected.
Gabriel’s head suddenly twisted with unbearable pain. Images exploded through his mind like a violent epiphany bursting into existence.
Fire. Chains. Deceptive crowns.
Bells ringing. And a woman crying.
As the world burned, coldly observed by a pair of crimson eyes.
Gabriel collapsed to his knees.
"W-what..."
The voice spoke again.
But this time it no longer sounded empty. There was the faintest trace of confusion within it.
Incompatible identity.
Neural connection indistinguishable.
Fragmented memories assaulted Gabriel’s mind without restraint.
A castle and an elegant glass of wine. People pledging themselves to him.
A whisper.
Deep, elegant, sadistic, and dangerous.
"Amazias... Von Tepes."
Then Knowledge’s golden eyes widened slightly.
For the first time since its creation... the universal AI hesitated.
Impossible...
