Midnight approached. The Forgotten Docks in the West District of Astralis Prime were swallowed by a thick, oppressive fog. Once a bustling interstellar freight hub, it was now a graveyard of rusted conduits and fractured mag-rails sprawling over the dark waters like the skeletal remains of ancient leviathans. The waves crashed with a low, rhythmic thrum, sounding like the heavy sighs of a dying AI.
Liam arrived alone, his black cloak pulled tight, his longbow slung across his back. The faint, vengeful shimmer of the Hand of Divine Retribution flickered at his fingertips.
He hadn't brought anyone—not because he didn't trust the Vault, but because he knew the danger of this meeting. If this was a trap set by the Oath, more people meant more sacrifices.
"Come out," he called, his voice cutting through the mist. "You invited me here. There's no need to hide in the shadows."
After a moment of silence, a battered skiff drifted slowly out of the fog. On the deck stood a lean man, his face obscured by a hood. His left arm was a cybernetic prosthetic, pulsing with a faint, eerie blue light.
"Snow Emperor. You live up to the name," the man said, his voice raspy. "Coming here alone... you're either a hero or a fool."
"The result defines the difference," Liam replied coldly. "Who are you?"
The man slowly lowered his hood, revealing a face etched with data-veins—the telltale scars of a deep neural interface modification by the Galactic Overmind.
"I was once a Weaver of Truth for the Celestial Oath, codename Silas," he said with a bitter smile. "Until I discovered that the 'Order' the Oath preaches is nothing more than a tool. Kaelen the Pure is using the Codex of Fate to manipulate the futures of players like puppets."
Liam's eyes narrowed. "You've had contact with the Codex?"
"More than just contact." Silas raised his mechanical arm, and his palm projected a flickering holographic image. It showed Kaelen in a private sanctum, using encrypted code to overwrite a player's destiny, leading to their "accidental death" in the real world.
"He uses the Oath's administrative clearance to purge any genius who might threaten his reign," Silas hissed. "And you, Snow Emperor, are the first one who has truly made him feel fear."
Liam remained silent for a moment. "So, you betrayed the Oath?"
"No," Silas shook his head. "I was never truly loyal. I'm just... a prisoner looking for his free will."
He took a step forward and sank to one knee.
"I wish to join The Mortal Vault. I offer my knowledge and my clearance to help you dismantle the Oath. But I have one condition—when the time comes for my atonement, let me be the one to end Kaelen."
Liam studied the man. Silas had the motive, the capability, and the intelligence required to shake the Oath to its foundations. But trust was never free.
"Prove it," Liam demanded.
Silas was prepared. He pulled a data-chip from his vest and slotted it into the dock's control console. A holographic map bloomed into the air, detailing the internal structure of the Celestial Oath.
"These are the Lifeline Nodes of the Oath in Astralis Prime," he said, pointing to seven red markers. "Destroy any three of them, and the Oath's AI surveillance grid in this sector will be paralyzed for 48 hours—long enough for you to raid their core database."
Liam's eyes gleamed. This intel was priceless.
"Why me?" he asked.
"Because only a Genesis-tier talent can withstand the data-backlash when a Lifeline Node self-destructs," Silas said, looking Liam in the eye. "Anyone else who gets close would have their consciousness instantly formatted."
It made sense. The Oath's defenses were a natural chasm that ordinary players couldn't cross.
"Fine," Liam finally nodded. "You will join the Vault as a Tactical Consultant. If I find a single trace of betrayal—"
"You won't have to say it," Silas interrupted. "I'll walk into a Data Incinerator myself."
Suddenly, the roar of engines echoed from the distance! Several Oath patrol skiffs burst through the fog, the "Closed Eye" sigil glowing on their prows.
"They tracked my signal!" Silas's face went pale.
Liam remained unnervingly calm. "Good. Let's show them where the Vault's first real counter-offensive begins."
He quickly pinged Ben. "Chubby, trigger Plan B. Drop every Void Dampener Scroll we bought at the eastern power tower immediately!"
"On it!" Ben replied instantly.
Ten seconds later, an explosion rocked the eastern district, fire lighting up the sky. The Oath skiffs immediately split their forces to investigate.
"Move!" Liam grabbed Silas and leaped onto the skiff. "Back to base. We need to finalize the raid plan before dawn."
As the skiff accelerated away, cannon fire illuminated the water behind them. Back at the stronghold, Liam called an emergency war council.
"Target: Three Lifeline Nodes," he said, marking the positions on the holographic sand table. "Ben handles logistics and interference. Silas provides the path-decryption. I take the core nodes."
"What about us?" one of the new members asked, stepping forward.
"Your task is even more vital," Liam said, looking at the group. "Once the raid begins, you will livestream the evidence of the Oath's destiny manipulation to the entire server. Let the world know—their 'gods' are just tyrants wearing the mask of Order."
The room erupted in a chorus of fierce agreement.
Late that night, Liam stood alone on the roof and pulled out the Codex of Fate Fragment.
"Predict," he whispered. "The success of tomorrow's raid."
The vision flickered to life. He saw himself standing before the burning Oath database, the second page of the Codex in his hand. But in the background, a dark shadow was quietly raising a dagger...
The image cut to black.
Liam's brow furrowed. A mole? Or an Oath ambush?
He looked up at the night sky and whispered, "No matter what lies ahead, The Mortal Vault only moves forward."