[Null POV] Year 0, Day 2

  "Well," Null said, her voice carrying a hint of dark amusement. "Time to finish this mess." She paused, looking at Void standing there in his transformed Legend-class attire. Properly dressed now, but still unarmed.

  "Before we start," Null said, "you need a weapon. What are you trained with?"

  Void straightened, considering the question. "I received comprehensive combat training as a noble child, Great One. All children of noble houses are trained in warfare, regardless of their position in succession. It's considered essential education."

  "What specifically?"

  "Swords—both one-handed and two-handed styles. Knives and daggers for close combat. Archery, which is an elven specialty—we have natural advantages in precision and range. Spears, though less extensively. Some polearm training. Basic hand-to-hand combat. The fundamentals of battlefield tactics and formation fighting."

  "However," Void added with a note of regret, "I haven't practiced any of these skills in two centuries. As a slave, I was forbidden weapons. The only thing I was permitted to use was minor magic in my role as a tutor—simple spells for teaching demonstrations, nothing combat-oriented. My skills are rusty at best, Great One. I apologize for my inadequacy."

  "Two hundred years is a long time," Null acknowledged. "But if the training was thorough, muscle memory should return. Let me see what I have."

  She opened her item box, mentally scanning through the weapons section. An impressive arsenal stared back at her—swords, bows, staves, daggers, everything she'd accumulated over years of gameplay.

  Her attention settled on a particular staff. She remembered using it during a mage build phase. Quite effective, good stats, versatile. EX-tier quality, which meant...

  "This one," she said, pulling the staff from her inventory.

  It materialized in her hands—an elegant weapon about as tall as she was, made of dark wood with silver inlays running along its length. The head was crowned with a crystal that pulsed with contained power.

  She'd felt this before—with her clothes, with the rapiers at her belt. That sense of connection. Of ownership. The equipment recognizing her, responding to her presence.

  But now, holding this weapon in her hand with the intention of giving it away, the sensation was much stronger. The staff's bond to her felt almost tangible, like a thread connecting them. It knew her. Belonged to her. The thought of transferring it to someone else made the connection pulse, as if the weapon itself was aware of her intent.

  This must be the bonding Void mentioned. The claiming.

  If all her EX-tier equipment worked like this, bound to her specifically, then simply handing it to Void wouldn't work. He wouldn't be able to use it. The weapon would reject him.

  She needed to... what? Transfer ownership? Grant permission?

  Null focused on the staff, feeling that connection, and tried willing a change. I allow my servant Void to use this weapon. He has my permission to wield it. Transfer usage rights to Void.

  Nothing happened.

  She tried again, adjusting her mental approach. This weapon may be wielded by Void, who serves me. Grant him access.

  Still nothing.

  Authorize Void as secondary user. Enable shared ownership. Permit my servant to—

  "Host," Spy interjected. "Maybe try thinking of it less like software permissions and more like... giving a gift? You're the owner. You're allowing him to use your possession. Just... mean it?"

  Null looked at the staff, then at Void.

  "This is yours to use," she said aloud, pushing the intent through their mental connection as well. "As my servant, you have my permission to wield my weapons. Take it."

  She held the staff out toward Void.

  Void reached for it carefully, his fingers closing around the wood—

  The world went silent.

  Then a voice spoke. Not in their heads. Not through any connection. Just... spoke. Reality itself carrying words.

  The voice faded. Silence returned.

  Null stood frozen, the staff now in Void's hands.

  "Host," Spy's voice was tight with panic. "That was—"

  "The divine system," Null finished, her voice sharp and breathless. "That was the automated Heaven system. The same one we crashed. The same one we stole from."

  "It just announced our presence. It registered the transaction. It KNOWS we're here. They know—"

  "We need to run. Now. Before—"

  "Where?! Where do we even—"

  "The obelisk, we can hide at the—no, they'll track the equipment signatures—"

  "Ditch the gear? But then we're defenseless—"

  "Better defenseless than DEAD—"

  "Great One?" Void's voice cut through their panic, confused and concerned. "Why are you frightened? What's wrong?"

  Null spun to face him. "That voice! The system announcement! They know where we are now! Heaven knows—"

  "I... Great One, I don't understand. Why would that frighten you?"

  "Because we STOLE from that system! We broke it! We're fugitives and it just broadcast our location!"

  Void's expression shifted from confusion to something like... calm understanding. "Great One... the Divine System announces many things. It's normal. Everyone hears messages related to themselves. This is how the world works."

  Null stared at him. "What?"

  "The Divine System, Great One. It manages the fundamental operations of this world. Important events are announced—naming ceremonies, equipment bindings, class evolutions, significant achievements. Anyone involved hears the relevant messages. Those with divine classes or certain special skills like enhanced appraisal can hear messages even when they're nearby, not directly involved."

  "Wait," Spy said slowly. "You're saying... this is normal? This happens regularly?"

  "Yes, Honored Spy. There have already been several announcements tonight. The first was when Great One named me—I heard the Divine System confirm my new designation as 'Void.' Then again when I claimed the Legend-class garment. And now with the staff. These are standard system notifications."

  "I suspect the reason the two groups stopped their arguing so suddenly is because they—or at least some of them with the right skills—heard the messages. They heard a Legend-class item being claimed nearby. Then another being authorized for use. They know someone with immense power is here. That's why their fear spiked. They understand they're facing something far more dangerous than they initially thought."

  Null felt her panic slowly draining away, replaced by confusion. "So... Heaven isn't tracking us? This isn't an alarm?"

  "Tracking you? Great One, the Divine System doesn't track people. It simply maintains the world's fundamental functions. It announces significant events so that reality remains... consistent. So that power structures are acknowledged. So that important changes are recorded in the world's fabric itself."

  "Think of it as... the world itself taking note. When something truly significant happens—a Legend-class item claimed, a divine title bestowed, a covenant formed—the system ensures everyone relevant knows about it. It's not surveillance. It's just... how this world functions."

  "But..." Spy sounded uncertain. "In our world—the place we came from—that same system was trying to process and destroy us. We broke it. We fled from it. You're saying it's just... operating normally here? Not hunting us?"

  "I don't know what happened in your origin realm, Honored Spy. But here, in this world, the Divine System is simply part of existence. Like gravity. Like time. It announces, it records, it maintains balance. It doesn't hunt. It doesn't judge. It just... is."

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "But can it be traced?" Null asked, her analytical mind already working through the implications. "Can someone query the system? Ask it questions about these announcements?"

  "Ah," Void said, understanding the concern. "That is the power of Oracles, Great One. Those rare individuals blessed by the gods with the ability to commune with the Divine System and extract information from it."

  "And?"

  "At the moment, you should be quite safe. Oracle abilities require immense divine power to activate, and the querent must know what and where to ask about with significant precision. The wider the search parameters, the more time that has passed since the event, the harder it becomes to receive accurate answers. The Divine System doesn't volunteer information—it must be specifically requested, and requesting requires divine energy proportional to the query's scope."

  "Legendary items add even more complexity to tracking. They resist casual observation, even divine observation. To query about Legend-class equipment being used in the Desert of Nothing specifically, within the next week or two, an Oracle would need to physically come to this location and make the query here. And even then, they'd need to know to ask about legendary items specifically. The temporal window matters—the more time passes, the more divine power required to pierce through to the event."

  "There's also significant risk to the Oracle themselves. Queries that are too broad, too complex, or reach too far back in time can kill the Oracle attempting them. Many have died trying to extract information beyond their capacity. The Divine System doesn't refuse impossible queries—it simply drains the questioner until they have nothing left to give. It's why Oracles are used so sparingly and carefully."

  "Given how rare and precious Oracles are—there might be only a handful in any kingdom, carefully guarded and used sparingly by the highest authorities—the chances of one coming to the middle of the Desert of Nothing to make random queries on the off-chance something happened here is... essentially zero. Oracles are reserved for matters of national importance, not for investigating mysterious incidents in uninhabited wastelands. And risking an Oracle's life on such a vague search? No ruler would authorize it."

  "So we're safe. For now."

  "Very likely, Great One. Unless you plan to announce your presence in a major city or directly challenge a church, the probability of an Oracle being tasked to investigate these events is minimal."

  "Wait," Spy interjected. "Void, you said you can hear nearby announcements. You heard the ones tonight—the naming, the equipment claims."

  "Yes, Honored Spy. My appraisal skill grants me that sensitivity."

  "Then we need you to tell us immediately whenever you hear any Divine System announcements," Null said firmly. "Every single one. Even if it seems minor or unrelated. We need to know what's being broadcast."

  "Of course, Great One. I shall inform you immediately."

  "And more than that," Null continued, thinking through the implications. "If we're about to do something that might trigger an announcement—something significant like claiming equipment, forming contracts, whatever else might register—warn us first. Give us a chance to decide if we want that broadcast or not. We need to be careful about what we advertise to the world."

  "Understood, Great One. I will alert you before any action that seems likely to trigger Divine System notification. Though I should note—some events may trigger announcements even without intention. Major achievements, threshold crossings, certain types of magic... the system notices what it considers significant."

  "Then we'll be cautious. But at least with your warning, we won't be caught off guard like just now."

  "As you command, Great One."

  "Well," Spy said, his tone returning to something like normal. "At least we didn't accidentally summon Heaven's wrath. That's a plus."

  "Small mercies." Null pushed the lingering anxiety aside. Nothing she could do about the announcements now. They were just part of how this world worked. "Alright. Void, keep the staff. Use it if you need to."

  "Yes, Great One." Void looked down at the weapon in his hands, then his eyes widened. "I can feel it. The power. The connection. This is... this is incredible. I've never held anything like this."

  "Good. You'll need it."

  Null pushed the divine system entirely out of her mind. Time to focus on what mattered.

  "Now then," she said, turning toward the camp. "Let's deal with our audience."

  "Great One, if I may make a suggestion?"

  "Go ahead, Void."

  "With this new power you've granted me, and this staff..." Void held up the weapon, the crystal at its head pulsing with contained energy. "I believe I can create a barrier. Containment. Something that will prevent anyone from escaping while we work. A perimeter perhaps a kilometer in diameter, covering everyone still present."

  Null considered this. A barrier would solve the problem of runners. The three lizardmen had already escaped too far to easily chase down, but everyone else...

  "Do it."

  "At once, Great One."

  Void planted the staff firmly in the sand and began channeling power through it. The crystal flared with dark light, and Null felt the surge of magical energy radiating outward.

  A shimmer appeared in the air—subtle at first, then more distinct. A dome of translucent energy spreading out from their position, expanding rapidly across the desert. It swept over the camp, over the two terrified groups still standing in shocked silence.

  The barrier reached its full extent—roughly a kilometer in diameter—and solidified. The shimmer became a faint wall, barely visible but undeniably present.

  "Done," Void said quietly, something like wonder in his voice. "Nothing living can pass through it until I release the spell. They're contained, Great One."

  "Good work."

  Null reached to her belt and drew her two rapiers. EX-tier weapons. Legend-class in this world. The blades sang as they left their sheaths, dark metal gleaming in the dawn light.

  She remained in her humanoid form. Better for this. More control. More precision. And honestly, fighting like this felt... right. Natural. Like she was supposed to use weapons and technique, not just overwhelming horror.

  Null surged forward, moving at impossible speed.

  What followed wasn't a fight.

  It was a slaughter.

  Null's first strike hit the dwarf formation like a battering ram. Her blade—moving faster than any of them could track—cut through a shield as if it were paper. The dwarf behind it didn't even have time to scream before the second blade took him apart.

  The force of the impact created an air wave that sent three nearby dwarves flying backward, tumbling across the sand like broken dolls.

  She moved through them like a storm. Every strike cut through armor, through weapons, through bone. Her blades were impossibly sharp, impossibly fast, wielded with strength that made their defensive formation meaningless.

  A dwarf thrust a spear at her. She sidestepped effortlessly, her counter-strike removing his head before he could recover.

  Another tried to run. Made it perhaps five meters before her blade found his back.

  The priests began casting. She felt it—the gathering of divine energy, the channeling of holy power. Four voices chanting in unison.

  Light erupted from their position. Brilliant, searing, divine light that washed over Null like a wave.

  It hurt.

  Not much. Not dangerously. But it hurt. A wrongness that made her instinctively recoil. Like touching something hot. Like tasting something foul. Her body rejected the divine energy, and the divine energy rejected her right back.

  She felt herself weaken slightly. Not enough to matter. Not enough to slow her down. But enough to confirm what Void had said.

  Divine magic could hurt her.

  These priests were too weak to do real damage. But if they'd been stronger...

  Null filed that information away and kept moving.

  The mixed group broke. Their fragile unity shattered the moment Null reached them. They scattered, running in every direction, screaming, desperate.

  They hit the barrier and bounced back. Trapped. Nowhere to go.

  Null hunted them down methodically. One by one. Her blades flashing. The rapiers danced through the air, each movement ending a life.

  A guard swung an axe at her. She ducked under it, her blade finding his throat before he could swing again.

  A former slave tried to hide behind a wagon. Null's Life Sense found him instantly. There was no hiding from her.

  The priests tried again. Another burst of holy light. Stronger this time, more desperate.

  It stung. Made her movements falter for just a fraction of a second.

  But she didn't stop.

  She reached them moments later. The four dwarf priests, standing together, still chanting, still trying to summon enough divine power to hurt her.

  Not enough.

  Her blades ended their prayer.

  The last few survivors huddled together near the center of camp. Maybe a dozen. Maybe fewer. All staring at her with eyes that had gone beyond terror into something like blank acceptance.

  They knew they were going to die.

  Null looked at them. Felt nothing.

  Just targets. Just loose ends.

  She finished the work.

  When the last body fell, Null stood among the carnage, her rapiers still gleaming with blood. Not even breathing hard. The fight—if it could be called that—had taken maybe three minutes.

  "Fighting in this form feels better," she said aloud, examining her blades. "More control. Can actually use swords and technique. Otherwise I'm just some boss monster rolling over everything."

  "More satisfying?" Spy asked.

  "More... efficient. Precise. The horror form is powerful, but this feels more like actual combat. Like I'm doing something, not just existing at people until they die."

  "You were magnificent, Great One," Void said quietly. He'd remained at the barrier's origin point, maintaining the spell. "I've never seen anything move like that. The gap in power was... absolute."

  "They never had a chance," Null agreed, sheathing her weapons. "Now let's clean up the evidence."

  The next few hours were spent cleaning up the mess.

  It was mostly Void who did the work. Null discovered that her servant had spatial magic—the ability to manipulate space and storage. He moved through the carnage methodically, sorting through belongings, separating anything useful from the rest.

  Everything else was burned. Hellfire, Void called it. Dark flames that consumed everything they touched, reducing wood, cloth, and flesh to fine ash that scattered in the desert wind.

  As he worked, Void paused once—staring at his hands, at the magic flowing through them freely. "I'd forgotten what this felt like. Real magic. Unrestricted." His voice carried quiet amazement through their connection. "Two centuries of suppression... I didn't realize how much I'd lost until now."

  Then he returned to the work. Professional. Efficient. But the wonder remained underneath.

  Null mostly just... watched. Tested her body. Moved around. Stretched. Examined how this humanoid form felt and functioned.

  Like any useful boss, she let her subordinate handle the actual work.

  The human form looked awesome, though. Felt good. Natural, despite being a transformation.

  And she noticed something interesting about her energy consumption. While she needed Life Essence to maintain this form and use her abilities, she was currently full to the brim from all the feeding. But the drain was... surprisingly low.

  Just existing in human form, doing normal activities? She could probably maintain this for years without needing to feed again. Even superhuman movement and enhanced physical actions only trickled the energy away slowly.

  The fight she'd just had—moving at impossible speeds, cutting through armor like paper, tanking divine magic—that had used more. But still manageable.

  Not bad fuel efficiency at all.

  "Host, you seem pleased."

  "Just doing the math. This form is way more sustainable than I expected. I was worried I'd need to feed constantly, but it looks like I can go a long time between meals if I'm careful."

  "That's good news. Means we won't need to leave trails of corpses everywhere we go."

  "Exactly. We can be selective. Strategic."

  After what felt like several hours, Void approached her, carrying several bags. He set them down at her feet and bowed.

  "The cleanup is complete, Great One. The bodies, the wagons, the equipment—all reduced to ash and scattered. The beetles as well. In a few days, a sandstorm will cover even the traces of ash. This will look like nothing more than empty desert."

  "Good work. What's in the bags?"

  "The spoils, Great One. I sorted through everything before burning it. Most was worthless or too risky to keep, but these items seemed safe and valuable."

  Void opened the bags, revealing their contents. Gold coins—lots of them. Gemstones, mostly diamonds. More coins in different currencies. A small fortune in portable wealth.

  "Enough to purchase whatever we might need once we reach civilization," Void explained. "I avoided taking anything distinctive or traceable. No noble seals, no merchant house marks, no items that could be linked back to this specific caravan. Just anonymous currency and gems."

  "Smart thinking."

  "I also found this." Void pulled out a rolled parchment. "A map. It might be useful for navigation."

  "Good. We'll look at it when we decide where to go." Null stored the bags of wealth in her item box, then took the map and stored that as well. "Barrier down, Void. We're done here."

  "At once, Great One."

  Void retrieved his staff and channeled power through it. The barrier shimmered and dissolved, the magical dome fading into nothing.

  They were alone in the desert now. Just empty sand stretching in all directions, with the hidden oasis somewhere behind them and the rest of the world waiting ahead.

  Null took one last look at the empty desert where a caravan of five hundred had stood just hours ago.

  No evidence. No witnesses. No story.

  Just another tragedy lost to the Desert of Nothing.

  "Let's move," she said. "We have a world to explore."