Many of the players who had died or suffered heavy losses during the event found themselves being sent back to their respective newbie zones. Some were lucky enough to receive a few items or bits of experience points… but others, unfortunately, got nothing at all.

Not even a single reward.

Ding!

[You have received a reward for liberating Anarnia]

Axton blinked as the notification appeared before his eyes. He stopped moving and stared at it, reading the message carefully.

Then, before him, a bright white ticket appeared, floating gently in the air.

[You have received an Anarnian Ticket]

[Anarnian Ticket:- This item grants you one-time access to any part of the City of Anarnia.]

Axton tilted his head slightly and gave a faint smirk.

"One-time access, huh?"

It wasn't a bad reward, but it wasn't great either.

The City of Anarnia was massive — far larger than most regions he had explored so far in New Eden.

Even after nearly three full days of battling during the World Event, he hadn't covered half of the city. A single-use ticket felt like a tease more than a prize.

He sighed softly and tucked the glowing ticket into his inventory.

Still, it was something.

Looking around, Axton noticed the wide range of reactions among the other players.

Some were laughing and shouting in joy, waving their new loot around like trophies. Others stood silently or cursed under their breath, clearly disappointed.

From their grumbling, Axton realized that not everyone had been rewarded.

He frowned.

That didn't make much sense. This had been a massive World Event. Surely everyone should've gotten at least something — even if it was a junk item.

But the system had its own logic, one he couldn't influence.

He shrugged. "Guess that's just how it goes."

It wasn't like he could change anything. At the end of the day, he was just another player. The only difference was his strange, almost divine luck.

And, as if on cue…

Ding!

[10,000 Critical Hit…]

[Your reward has been upgraded.]

[Anarnian Ticket has now been upgraded to Golden Anarnian Ticket.]

Axton blinked in surprise, then broke into a proud grin. He nodded to himself, satisfied.

'Now that's more like it.'

He quickly opened the new item's details.

[Golden Anarnian Ticket:- This item grants you lifetime access to any part of the City of Anarnia. You are recognized as a high-class citizen of the old city.]

Now this… this was a real prize.

Between the ordinary and the golden ticket, there was no comparison. Lifetime access? Anyone with half a brain would choose the Golden Ticket.

But just as he admired the description, a new line appeared underneath it.

And it made him stop cold.

[Use of ticket is currently unavailable.]

[Condition for use:- The City of Anarnia is still under the Great Curse cast by the Undead Race. The Golden Ticket cannot be used until this curse is completely lifted.]

Axton stared at the message, dumbfounded.

"…What?"

He read it again, frowning deeper.

"But the World Event is already over," he muttered. "How am I supposed to lift a curse now?"

The system immediately responded.

Ding!

[Do you wish to proceed?]

[Yes / No]

Axton narrowed his eyes. "Proceed… with what?"

Then his lips curled slightly.

'A side quest?'

He chuckled. "Alright, let's see what you've got."

[Yes]

The moment he selected the option, a burst of light exploded from his body. The world around him twisted and blurred as everything dissolved into white.

He shut his eyes instinctively.

When he opened them again, he found himself floating in the sky, high above the City of Anarnia.

Below him stretched a breathtaking view. A ruined city wrapped in cloud and light, vast and quiet, as though time itself had stopped. It should've felt peaceful, but something about that stillness carried a deep sadness.

Then came a voice.

"Our beloved Anarnia was once a place of light and beauty — the envy of all races."

Axton turned sharply, scanning his surroundings, but saw no one.

The voice was everywhere and nowhere at once, calm and echoing faintly.

"But that was before the dead began to walk," the voice continued, gentle yet heavy. "Before those anomalies from the afterlife defiled what we had built."

Axton's gaze darted through the empty skies, his pulse quickening.

"Who's there?" he called out, but his words barely carried through the strange, hushed air.

The voice persisted, soft and melodic, like it was speaking directly into his heart.

"We resisted with everything we had, but their curse lingered. It sank deep into the city's roots… and now, Anarnia sleeps under the weight of death."

Axton frowned. Despite the haunting words, there was something soothing in the tone — something that drew him in. It was the kind of voice that disarmed suspicion and replaced it with quiet trust.

Then, the clouds above parted.

A radiant light descended from the heavens, so bright that Axton had to raise his arm to shield his eyes. A strong gust swept through the air, scattering faint white feathers that drifted gently around him.

Slowly, a figure emerged from that descending light — graceful, radiant, and serene.

Axton's breath caught in his throat.

That same overwhelming aura pressed against him again — the same godlike pressure he had once felt when facing the Goddess of Fate.

His chest tightened.

His heartbeat quickened painfully.

He swallowed hard.

"Who… are… you?" he asked, his voice low and cautious.

The angelic figure floated closer, long golden hair spreading out like they were wings, glowing softly in the pale yellow light that surrounded them both.

Axton's mind whirled with questions, but he couldn't voice any of them. He could only stare, wide-eyed, as the figure's calm gaze met him. Those eyes were ancient and kind, filled with sorrow too deep to measure.

And in that moment, Axton realized something.

He wasn't ready.

Not for another encounter like this.

Not with another divine being.

But ready or not, it had already begun.

Axton swallowed.

Even for someone as strong as him, unpreparedness to a situation that has overwhelmed one in the past was something to stir up worry.

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