Chapter 43 - 42: The World Gets a Bounty

Chapter 43: Chapter 42: The World Gets a Bounty

For one second, the world was silent.

Not actually silent.

The ruined cathedral still groaned around Arin.

Stone dust fell from the ceiling.

Victor’s aircraft still circled overhead.

Elena was breathing against his shoulder.

But none of that mattered.

Because across the black interface stretching over the sky, one line remained visible.

«KILL ARIN ELYSIUM.

REWARD:

FULL SYSTEM ASCENSION.»

Arin stared at it.

Then sighed.

Elena looked up at him.

"That’s your reaction?"

"What should it be?"

"I don’t know."

She glanced toward the impossible sky.

"Fear?"

"No."

"Anger?"

"Later."

"You have a universal death quest."

"I noticed."

Elena stared.

Then laughed once.

Weakly.

"You really are irritating."

Arin helped her stand.

She immediately nearly collapsed.

He caught her arm.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes."

"You almost fell."

"Temporary disagreement with gravity."

"Sit."

"No."

Arin looked at her.

She looked back.

For three seconds, neither moved.

Then Elena sat on a broken stone block.

"Happy?"

"Moderately."

The black sky flickered.

Another message appeared.

«TARGET CLASSIFICATION:

PLAYER TWO.

ELYSIUM FOUNDER.

NETWORK CORRUPTOR.

SANCTUARY HOLDER.»

Arin’s eyes narrowed at the wording.

Corruptor.

Interesting.

The Network considered protection corruption.

That alone told him more about whoever designed it than any explanation could.

Victor’s voice came through the communication module.

"Arin!"

"I’m here."

"Do you see the quest?"

"Yes."

"Everyone sees it."

"I assumed."

"No."

Victor’s tone hardened.

"I mean everyone."

Arin frowned.

"Clarify."

"My System pushed the quest through public Player channels."

"Only Players?"

"I don’t know yet."

Elena answered quietly.

"Not only."

Arin looked toward her.

She was staring at the black mark still fading from her wrist.

"Hollow Crown had System relays."

Victor went silent.

Arin’s expression hardened.

"How many?"

Elena looked at him.

"At least twenty."

"Players?"

"No."

"Worse?"

"People who can receive Player-linked directives."

Arin understood.

Not full Systems.

Agents.

Guild officials.

Nobles.

Hunters.

People already embedded inside existing power structures.

The kill quest had potentially become a global bounty.

Good.

Not because it was harmless.

Because unknown hostility had just made itself visible.

"Victor."

"Yeah?"

"Land."

A pause.

"Here?"

"Yes."

"The cathedral roof is mostly gone."

"Then you have more space."

Victor muttered something in English Arin chose not to comment on.

The aircraft descended.

Arin looked toward Elena.

"How many Hollow Crown members can receive Player directives?"

"I told you."

"No. You told me minimum."

She smiled faintly.

"You’re learning."

"Answer."

"Maybe fifty."

Arin’s expression did not change.

"High-ranking?"

"Mostly."

"Vaelor?"

"Yes."

"Lucan?"

"No."

That mattered.

"Why not?"

"His Founder fragment interfered."

Useful.

"Seraphine?"

Elena’s face changed.

"I don’t know."

"Guess."

"She doesn’t need them."

Arin agreed.

Seraphine was older than the Player Network mystery.

Which meant there were now at least two systems trying to control people.

Wonderful.

The fighter landed badly in the cathedral courtyard.

Victor climbed out.

He saw Elena sitting without the necromantic aura that had surrounded her for years.

He stopped.

"You’re alive."

She looked at him.

"Disappointed?"

"Confused."

"Better."

Victor’s eyes moved toward Arin.

"You removed her System."

"Yes."

"You can do that?"

"Apparently."

Victor looked at his own hands.

Arin saw it.

Not fear of Elena.

Not fear of the bounty.

Fear of his own System.

Good.

Fear used properly became caution.

"Don’t start asking me to remove yours."

Victor’s head snapped up.

"I wasn’t."

"You were thinking it."

Victor stared.

Elena smiled.

"He does that."

"Unfortunately."

Arin looked toward the black sky.

"How long until every active Player reacts?"

Victor checked his interface.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"Greed."

"Estimate."

Victor hesitated.

"Minutes."

Good.

Arin activated EVE’s connection.

Static.

Then:

"Founder."

"Status."

EVE’s voice was faster than usual.

"Multiple hostile signals have appeared."

"Number."

"Seventeen confirmed. Additional uncertain."

"Direction?"

"Worldwide."

"Any near Elysium?"

"Two."

Arin’s expression hardened.

"Distance?"

"One approximately ninety kilometers southwest."

"Other?"

"Inside House Valerius."

Silence.

Victor looked at him.

"What?"

Arin ignored him.

"Identity."

"Unknown."

"Player signature?"

"Yes."

That narrowed it.

Selene was already at House Valerius.

But EVE would likely recognize her signature through previous contact.

Unless—

"EVE. Is it Selene?"

"Negative."

Good.

Or bad.

"Marcus?"

"Still contained."

"Edwin?"

"Medical."

"Lucan?"

"With me remotely connected through Family Link."

Then the unknown Player inside House Valerius was someone new.

Or someone Arin thought dead.

"Aisha."

Victor looked at him.

"What?"

Arin switched to English.

"Could Aisha be alive?"

Victor’s expression changed.

"Possible."

Elena looked toward him.

"Why her?"

"Survival System."

Arin nodded.

"If anyone survives a destroyed city without leaving a body, it would be her."

Victor considered.

"Maybe."

Arin looked toward Elena.

"Did Hollow Crown ever confirm Aisha Rahman’s death?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"No."

There.

Another Player possibly active outside the Network’s count.

The Game Master was hiding more than one thing.

Arin looked toward Victor’s aircraft.

"We leave."

Victor stared.

"Where?"

"House Valerius."

Elena stood.

Arin looked at her.

"No."

She continued standing.

"I know Hollow Crown procedures."

"You also lost every ability you had."

Her jaw tightened.

Arin did not soften the statement.

"You are physically exhausted."

Silence.

"You have no armor."

Another.

"No System."

Another.

"And you were being extracted ten minutes ago."

Elena’s eyes became colder.

"Don’t treat me like I’m helpless."

"I’m not."

Arin stepped closer.

"I’m treating you like someone who just survived something."

That stopped her.

"You want to prove you’re still dangerous?"

Her jaw tightened.

"Yes."

"Do it tomorrow."

Silence.

Victor looked away.

Arin continued.

"Today, stay alive."

Elena stared for several seconds.

Then sat back down.

"I hate you."

"Good."

Victor looked toward him.

"I assume I’m flying."

"Yes."

"Finally, a sensible decision."

Arin looked at him.

"Don’t become comfortable."

---

They were airborne two minutes later.

The black quest remained across the sky for nearly thirty seconds after takeoff.

Then vanished.

Not because it ended.

Because every Player had received it.

Arin’s System still displayed the mark.

«GLOBAL HOSTILITY CONDITION:

ACTIVE.»

Victor checked his own interface repeatedly.

Arin noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"That’s rarely true."

Victor sighed.

"My System keeps offering route suggestions."

"To kill me?"

"Yes."

"Efficient?"

"Very."

Arin almost smiled.

"Good."

Victor stared.

"Good?"

"Means we know what it thinks is possible."

Victor paused.

Then smiled slowly.

"You want me to show you."

"Yes."

He hesitated.

The System interface expanded between them.

Routes.

Sniper positions.

Airstrike angles.

Ambush opportunities.

Predicted travel paths.

Structural weaknesses in Elysium’s outer defenses based on incomplete scans.

Arin studied every one.

Victor watched.

"You realize this is literally a murder guide."

"Yes."

"And you’re memorizing it."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because if your System has these options, others may receive similar ones."

Victor’s expression changed.

"Right."

Arin pointed toward one route.

"That approach through the western mountain."

"Bad information."

Victor looked.

"Why?"

"Collapsed naturally."

Another.

"That valley?"

"Dead end."

Another.

"Main city gate?"

Arin smiled faintly.

"Doesn’t exist."

Victor laughed.

"So the Network doesn’t actually know Elysium."

"Exactly."

That was useful.

It had information.

Not omniscience.

Important difference.

Arin looked at the final suggested route.

«INFILTRATE THROUGH REGISTERED FAMILY MEMBER.»

His smile disappeared.

Victor saw it.

"Which family member?"

The interface displayed no name.

Just probability.

«HIGHEST SUCCESS:

MINOR FAMILY AUTHORITY HOLDER.»

Lyra.

Arin’s expression became completely cold.

Victor immediately closed the interface.

"That wasn’t me."

"I know."

"Arin—"

"I know."

His Authority Band activated.

"EVE."

"Listening."

"Lyra moves to deep residential sector."

A pause.

"Founder?"

"No public route. No visible escort. Family Link only."

"Understood."

Victor watched carefully.

"You don’t panic."

"No."

"You get colder."

Arin looked toward him.

"Would panic protect her?"

"No."

"Then useless."

Victor nodded slowly.

The aircraft continued toward House Valerius.

Halfway there, Arin received another message.

Not from EVE.

From Marcus.

«YOU NEED TO SEE THIS.

NOW.»

Arin opened the secure channel.

Marcus appeared through a video feed.

He looked worse.

Pale.

Sweating.

No phone.

"Talk."

Marcus held up his bare wrist.

Black text floated above it without any device.

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

"What happened to the phone interface?"

"That’s what I’m trying to tell you."

Marcus swallowed.

"It doesn’t need the phone anymore."

Arin’s expression hardened.

"The Network moved inside."

"I think it was always inside."

Silence.

Marcus continued.

"And it gave me something else."

"What?"

Marcus turned his arm.

A countdown.

«ELIMINATION REWARD MULTIPLIER:

25% → 50%.»

Arin stared.

Marcus laughed weakly.

"Apparently nobody attacked you fast enough."

Victor’s expression darkened.

Marcus continued.

"If no one accepts within an hour, it increases again."

"Maximum?"

"No idea."

Arin looked at Victor.

He checked his own System.

His face changed.

"Same."

Arin understood.

The Game Master was increasing temptation.

Twenty-five percent.

Fifty.

Eventually one hundred?

What would someone do for Arin’s entire System?

Or what they believed was his System?

Marcus leaned toward the feed.

"There’s more."

"Of course."

"The Network just showed me active bounty viewers."

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

"How many?"

Marcus’s face went grim.

"Not Players."

"Number."

"Seven hundred and nineteen."

Silence.

Victor swore.

Arin felt something inside him settle.

There it was.

The scale.

Guild members.

Hollow Crown.

System-linked agents.

Maybe nobles.

Maybe mercenaries.

Seven hundred and nineteen people currently being offered something for his death.

Marcus continued.

"And it’s spreading."

Arin closed his eyes for half a second.

Then opened them.

"Good."

Marcus stared.

"You have got to stop saying that."

Victor laughed despite himself.

Arin continued.

"Can you see locations?"

"Some."

"Send them to EVE."

"I already did."

"Useful."

Marcus looked almost proud.

"Thanks."

"Don’t get used to it."

He closed the channel.

Victor stared at him.

"Seven hundred."

"Yes."

"You’re seriously not worried."

"I am."

"You don’t look worried."

"I don’t need to."

Arin looked through the canopy.

House Valerius had appeared in the distance.

Then his Authority Band flashed.

EVE.

"Founder."

"Go."

"Unknown Player inside House Valerius has moved."

"Direction?"

"Toward Duke Aldric."

Arin’s expression hardened.

"Distance?"

"Less than fifty meters."

"Roland?"

"Attempting interception."

"Selene?"

"Not responding."

That was bad.

Very bad.

"Open local Valerius connection."

Static.

Then Roland’s voice.

"Arin!"

Shouting behind him.

Metal striking metal.

"Status."

"Unknown woman breached the western hall!"

"Appearance?"

"Dark skin. Red jacket. Short hair."

Victor froze.

Arin looked at him.

"You know her."

Victor’s face had gone pale.

"Aisha."

Alive.

Of course.

"System?"

Victor answered immediately.

"Survival."

Roland shouted through the connection.

"She isn’t attacking guards!"

Arin frowned.

"What?"

"She keeps disabling them!"

Not killing.

Important.

"Father?"

"Inside the Duke’s study!"

"Get him out."

"We’re trying!"

Then another voice entered the connection.

Female.

English.

Calm.

"Arin?"

Everyone froze.

Aisha.

She had taken the communication crystal.

"Player Two."

Arin’s voice became cold.

"Step away from Aldric."

Aisha laughed once.

"I’m not here to kill your father."

"Then why are you there?"

"Because you don’t understand the quest."

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

"I understand enough."

"No."

Her voice sharpened.

"The bounty isn’t on you."

Silence.

Victor stared.

Arin’s expression didn’t move.

Aisha continued.

"It’s on the thing inside you."

That changed everything.

"Explain."

"I can’t over this channel."

"Try."

"The Network labels you Player Two."

"I know."

"You’re not."

Victor’s head turned sharply toward Arin.

Aisha continued.

"You never were."

Arin’s Authority Band suddenly flickered.

Not white.

Black.

For one heartbeat, a symbol appeared beneath the Elysium interface.

A number.

«14. »

Then another.

«2. »

Then both overlapped.

Aisha whispered:

"Someone put Player Two inside Founder Fourteen."

Arin went completely still.

And the bounty quest updated.

«TARGET CLARIFICATION:

EXTRACT PLAYER TWO.

HOST SURVIVAL:

OPTIONAL.»