Quest: [The Emperor's Grand Invitation]
Difficulty: Normal
Objective: Enter the teleportation array and attend the banquet at the Light Dragon Imperial Palace.
Upon accepting the imperial title [King of Fear], you will receive: 1200 free attribute points, 2000 skill points, 20 talent points, and 1,000,000 gold coins.
Madman: "Are you kidding me? The more NPCs he kills, the bigger the rewards?"
Ruby: "Hehe… 'King of Fear' sounds terrifying. This game just keeps getting wilder! I love it!"
Once again, everyone was stunned. After practically annihilating the two major NPC guilds in Pondenorlin City, not only had the quest difficulty dropped, but the rewards had skyrocketed!
Putting aside the attribute points, just the one million gold alone was an absolute fortune for most players!
Bradley glanced at Orson, unsure of what he was thinking. "So? Light Dragon Emperor is sending his royal transport to pick you up. Are you just going to accept the quest, get the rewards, and bounce?"
Orson muttered, his voice chilling:
"To kill one is to be branded a criminal.
To kill a hundred is to be hailed as a hero.
To kill ten thousand is to make emperors tremble in fear…"
A cold shiver ran down the spines of everyone present.
This was why the Light Dragon Emperor's attitude toward Orson was so ambiguous.
He was scared.
The more powerful NPCs Orson slaughtered, the more the so-called "ruler" trembled in fear. He was now trying to win Orson over by any means necessary!
Unlike other MMOs, the intelligent NPCs in Infinite Dimensions understood one crucial fact—players could respawn.
Even if they executed Orson ten, a hundred, or a thousand times, he would just keep coming back, growing stronger each time. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before he shook the very foundations of imperial rule!
God-Emperor Gaedashiram had been sealed for a thousand years by two Dragon Kings. But could they imprison Orson for a thousand years as well?
Obviously not.
Orson's voice dropped into an even lower, more foreboding whisper:
"To kill a billion… then we all become kings."
Madman stared at him, wide-eyed. "Dude… am I the real Madman here, or are you?! Are you seriously trying to speed-run world domination?"
Orson smirked, his gaze shifting toward Madman.
"We don't have much time, brother."
Madman and Bradley exchanged glances, stunned.
There was something in Orson's expression—something they had never seen before.
Was he… crying?
Why?
Who was he mourning?
They couldn't comprehend it, but an inexplicable dread seeped into their hearts.
Then they remembered—Orson had used magic in the real world.
This bastard knew something.
And whatever it was, it was big.
Because for as long as they had known him, Orson had never uttered words like "We don't have much time."
Even when Celestial Fortress had nearly fallen into the hands of Cain, SSR, and the other top guilds, he had never shown the slightest hesitation.
Then—
"The imperial teleportation array has been activated."
Their thoughts were interrupted by a system prompt.
A sanctified light descended in front of Orson, and from within the portal, a familiar figure emerged, riding a golden raptor.
Grevor.
Expressionless, he cast a glance at Orson before grumbling, "The Light Dragon Emperor invites you."
Orson chuckled mockingly. "Oh? The God's Envoy himself."
Grevor ignored him, maintaining a rigid, official stance.
Then, an immense pressure descended upon Pondenorlin City's ruins.
From within the portal, twelve colossal pillars materialized, each inscribed with intricate carvings of the four great noble dragon houses. The detailed reliefs made the dragons look almost alive, as if they would burst from the stone and take flight at any moment.
This was the majesty of the Light Dragon Empire.
Super MT from The King Family whistled. "Damn… the Light God's Envoy personally came to invite him? That's some next-level prestige."
"Global Rank #1 really is something else," someone muttered. "Less than level 50, and he's already got imperial messengers bowing to him."
But Orson knew better.
This Grevor was likely a fraud. His illusion magic was inherited from that old fox, Flame Fosset.
Still, it was impressive that he had managed to deceive the imperial family.
He had thought Grevor was just some Golden City con artist, but now…
Orson's voice remained indifferent. "A banquet? Sorry, not interested."
With that, he rejected the quest. Again.
World chat exploded.
"Even as Global Rank #1, where does he get the balls to refuse the Light Dragon Emperor?"
"Take notes, guys. This is what real power looks like. If it were me, I'd already be licking boots for those free stats and gold."
ShatteredCrown: "Watch and learn! What's an emperor to a god?"
Empress of the Moon: "That's not even the point. He must know this quest is a trap. His thought process is just on another level…"
Orson had reasons to refuse.
Not only did he own Celestial Fortress, making him immune to imperial influence, but his raw strength was beyond anything an NPC could threaten.
He didn't need an emperor's favor.
Grevor scowled. "Foolish boy. I swear, you will regret this! You cannot even fathom the rewards the emperor is offering!"
Orson's smile was razor-sharp. "Oh? Is that so?"
His fingers twitched. A spear of roaring wind magic erupted in his palm.
Awakened Skill—Hurricane Spear.
Orson hurled it at Grevor without hesitation.
Feathers exploded into the air.
The golden raptor beneath him screeched in agony as it took the full brunt of the attack.
Grevor's expression darkened. "You idiot! You have no idea what you're ruining! Fosset's century-long scheme—"
Before he could finish, he dove into the teleportation array and vanished.
Orson frowned but didn't pursue. His God-Emperor Earrings had been destroyed, and he wasn't about to charge into another potential ambush.
"So this whole 'fake God's Envoy' charade… was part of that old bastard Fosset's plan?"
He lowered his Heavenly Fire Staff, deep in thought.
"Commander! Twenty imperial warships approaching from the south—confirmed as the so-called 'reinforcements' from the NPC guilds!"
It was Raven, monitoring from the observation tower. With the Celestial Vision buff, he could track movements from miles away.
Orson's response was cold and immediate.
"Then we'll kill them all."
Madman barked orders to the mages, ensuring Gaedashiram's Wrath was charged and ready.
"Assassins, clear the battlefield. Everyone else—fire on sight. No warnings."
With that, Orson leaped into the air, summoning Crimson Lizard King.
He gazed down at the smoldering ruins of Pondenorlin City, then turned toward the former lord's mansion.
Cain had been God-Emperor Gaedashiram's direct descendant, as well as an experimental subject for the proto-dragon king, Rebellion.
That meant he had left behind plenty of valuable loot.
His sword, forged from Divine Relic: Archaic Star Iron, was one of the last remaining materials capable of crafting Forbidden Magic-tier weapons.
And now, it was his.
Then—
"Global Announcement: Player Orgod has refused the Light Dragon Emperor's invitation, enraging the emperor!"
"The emperor has revoked Orgod's claim to Pondenorlin City and temporarily granted it to Count Bibienne of the Golden House!"