Imperial Capital Plaza.
For days, the square had been alive with music, dance, and colorful performances. The cherished daughters of noble families paraded their beauty, desperately vying for the favor of players and citizens alike.
It had become a grand carnival for Infinite Dimensions players, with a packed plaza and all kinds of eccentric NPC idol fan groups cheering on their favorites.
"He's back! Did you hear? Our boss is coming back!"
"Damn it, finally! I've been swallowing my pride for so long. Triple Crown winner, rest in peace! The time has come for Dragon's Kiss Guild to rise again!"
"Keep your voice down! You don't wanna get overheard by some Godslayer simp. Their master's got the Celestial Fortress—way out of our league."
A few excited players kept chattering. Hearing this, Orson's eyes gleamed with interest and a sly grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
"So Usher's coming back, huh?"
Most of the Godslayer guild was currently busy with the Half-Orc Empire questline.
The US's Triple Crown winner had been MIA for ages, and Godslayer members were rarely seen—sparking ambitions among US-based powers and guilds.
To them, the age of Godslayer dominance was over.
The US region was heading into chaos again.
And it wasn't just Usher's loyalists within the Light Dragon faction making moves.
Small guilds were swapping leadership daily, with new names rising by the hour.
Aside from top-tier guilds like Slaughter Guild, Moonlight Guild, The King Family, and Supreme Guild, everyone else was locked in brutal turf wars out in the wilds—where cash flow and combat power reigned supreme.
Orson had also noticed that ever since the game started feeding back into reality, the radical faction within the US's Ten Overlords had taken things to the extreme.
They used their influence, capital, and media reach to flood the world with Infinite Dimensions propaganda.
From massive billboards on skyscrapers to graffiti on public toilets in the countryside—you could see Infinite Dimensions ads everywhere.
It had become a daily part of life for ordinary people to log in and live a second life.
Orson understood what it all meant.
The government saw the future coming and was doing what it could—without causing panic—to get as many new players inside the game as possible. That was the best they could do under the circumstances.
Naturally, this sparked backlash. Experts and media pundits ranted about how gaming would ruin the nation and called for Infinite Dimensions to be shut down.
But to their shock, their old tricks didn't work anymore.
Millions of players roasted them online.
Soon, they were invited to "talks" with certain departments, and both their online and offline influence was wiped out.
Still, as a conservative himself, Orson thought even the radicals weren't going far enough.
Anyone entering Infinite Dimensions just to "play a game" would never be ready for the endgame.
When the gods needed warriors—not meat for Heaven Demons—only the battle-hardened would survive.
That said, Orson didn't plan to meddle.
Let professionals handle professional problems. As long as his loved ones had a head start in surviving and thriving, that was all that mattered.
And when the time came, he'd drop a bombshell during the US recruitment drive for Infinite Dimensions—a single move that would multiply the campaign's impact.
An army of players across the country might not be a dream at all.
"Been waiting for you," said Cassandra, seated gracefully on her throne. Her violet eyes sparkled as she looked at Orson.
"Did you bring what I need?"
You submitted quest item: [Crown of Sin].
Cassandra's eyes lit up with joy.
"You've truly exceeded my expectations, adventurer! Your name will be carved into the Empire's history. Bards will sing of your glory for generations!"
Because you submitted the Crown of Sin, your rewards have doubled!
You received: +8000 free attribute points, +10000 skill points, +20 talent points, 400,000 gold coins.
The system chime rang out. Orson smiled and said, "Just doing my duty, Queen Cassandra."
At the word "queen," Cassandra's vanity swelled to bursting. Her smile was coy, and her tone flirtatious.
"You do know how to flatter a woman."
She sauntered down from her throne, graceful and radiant.
"Why don't you stay a few days? Bear witness to my coronation."
"No need. I have more pressing matters. I wouldn't want to disturb your rest, Your Majesty."
Orson chuckled to himself—this woman probably had "venomous and scheming" tattooed on her soul.
"Wait. I owe you a proper thank-you. It wouldn't do for people to think the Purple-Gold family is stingy."
Cassandra's smile faded slightly. Two violet-armored guards blocked the exit.
"Please, this way. A banquet has been prepared."
"Wow. You NPCs really know how to lay the traps," Orson yawned, half-laughing.
So, a "reward banquet" and "a few days of rest"—this was just a stalling tactic.
Using a divine item to manipulate a ruler's thoughts was heresy in the Light Dragon Empire.
If the Inquisition caught wind of it, even a noble from the Purple-Gold family would be punished.
And since players resurrect when killed, Cassandra couldn't simply silence him.
But imprisoning him for a few days? That she could manage.
Once she was crowned Empress and shielded by the young Emperor, the Inquisition would have no leverage—even if they suspected her.
Alert: Danger detected in Cassandra's estate. Attempt to escape the area immediately!
Orson glanced at her calmly. She wore the Crown of Sin proudly, chin high with imperial arrogance.
"Stay here, and we can remain close allies, Orgod."
Cassandra's voice was sharp now, the blood crown amplifying her authority.
"Oh? Close how? You gonna marry me?" Orson smirked.
Cassandra laughed.
"Sorry, but the Emperor favors my untouched purity. Still, if you're in need of comfort… I can arrange some half-dragon beauties for you."
Half-dragon girls… for bedtime duty?
Orson almost keeled over. What kind of twisted taste did you need to go for that?
But hey, at least he was a proper gentleman.
Had this been that lunatic Madman, who knows what he would've done to Ursula—and that could've tanked the Empress race entirely.
After all, Orson had never heard of a Forbidden-tier healing spell that could fix… certain injuries.
His eyes narrowed as the floor beneath him shimmered with purple crystals.
[Violet-Gold Dragon Curse Barrier – Activating]
Effect: Time-Space Lockdown (Duration: 3 days)
Outside damage greatly reduced. Inside: No movement, no teleport, no attacks, no logout.
Barrier HP: 1 billion
He switched to the [Messenger of the Light Elf King] title and tried breaking through—but it didn't work.
The barrier wasn't hostile. It didn't do damage. So his title abilities didn't trigger.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you," Cassandra purred.
"As long as you cooperate, the Purple-Gold family will shower you with riches."
She snapped her fingers.
Four statuesque dragon-blooded women entered, wearing nothing but translucent black veils. Their tall figures and exotic beauty radiated primal energy.
Damn it.
He'd just escaped one trap and landed in another.
Truth be told, these violet-scaled dragon girls had a certain allure.
Even with their scaly skin, their features were sharp and their presence wild and exotic.
If it were Madman trapped here… he'd probably die happy.
But Cassandra wasn't trying to kill Orson—she just wanted to squeeze him dry.
"Cassandra… do you know how I got the Crown of Sin?"
Orson's tone was calm. A black-glowing feather appeared in his hand—it was the holy relic dropped by the long-legged Ghost King.
"You… You killed the Ghost King!?"
Cassandra's face went pale. The man before her had just casually claimed the life of a near-god. A Fallen Angel in physical form.
"Think I can kill you too?" Orson smiled faintly.
But her fear vanished quickly. She smirked and raised a blood-red crystal.
It pulsed with an eerie glow—composed of tens of thousands of Fragments of the Blood Demon Essence.
The Crown of Sin began to react, pulsing with ancient blood runes.
"I recognize you, Cassandra."
A cold, mocking laugh echoed from within the crown.
The crystal in her hand melted away, and the crown's color deepened.
"Crown of Sin—Pardon of the Innocent!"
She smiled as her body entered an invulnerable, untrackable state.
"Enjoy the reward I've given you."
With that, she strode past Orson, flanked by guards—her expression one of smug victory.
"Damn you! You sneaky little snake!"
Orson shouted in mock rage.
But once she was gone, a grin spread across his face.
"The Crown of Sin is activated. Time to trail Cassandra—and wait for the Purple-Gold Dragon King to take the bait."