10D: 12H: 09M: 32S

[DING]

The notification materialized in King’s vision, glowing faintly against the afternoon light filtering through the mansion’s tall windows.

[Message Request]

[The Almighty. Fan Value 10,000]

[Accept Request Y/N]

King froze mid-step.

He’d been pacing the study, running through mental checklists for the days ahead. Consumable routes, hidden quest triggers, creating a mental roadmap from his hundred playthrough knowledge.

But this?

A message request from one of the All-Gods, his only fan, was something he’d never experienced.

He stared at the prompt, a part of him wanted to decline immediately. Nothing good ever came from divine attention, not from his previous experiences. Gods were fickle. Manipulative, they operated on logic mortals couldn’t comprehend and motivations that shifted like sand.

But another part of him, the part that had spent years dissecting every mechanic and exploiting every loophole, was curious.

What could she possibly want?

King exhaled slowly, then tapped YES.

The interface shifted, expanding into a private chat window. A single message appeared almost instantly.

[The Almighty]: Well hello there, my King {heart heart}

King’s eye twitched.

He read it again, just to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

My King?

With a love emoji.

"What the hell...?"

Another message dropped before he could process the first.

[The Almighty]: I’ve been watching you, you know. Your every move, decision, and that little stunt with the Gauntlet of Ruin? Chef’s kiss, absolutely delicious.

A mix feeling surged through King, she was straight up flirting with him.

He typed back quickly, trying to stir the conversation back to a neutral one.

[King]: Thanks. So, what do you want?

[The Almighty]: Ho?, straight to business, I like that. But relax, darling. I’m not here to make demands. Just wanted to check in on my favorite player.

[King]: Favorite player?.

[The Almighty]: Yes. Infact, you’re my only player, Player.

King rubbed his temple, feeling a headache forming. This was absurd. He was being flirted with by a deity who’d probably existed for eons and had the power to obliterate him with a thought.

[The Almighty]: You seem tense. Am I making you uncomfortable?

[King]: Yes you are.

[The Almighty]: Good. Tension keeps you sharp. But seriously, loosen up. I’m not going to bite... unless you want me to.

King groaned audibly.

Eli, who’d been sitting across the room reviewing his equipment loadout, glanced over with a raised eyebrow.

"Everything alright, Master Abel?"

King waved him off without looking up. "Yeah. Just... dealing with something."

[The Almighty]: Listen, I know this whole setup is strange. A Goddess messaging a mortal, The patron-player dynamic. But let’s clear the air. I’m not here to manipulate you or corner you into some divine contract. I genuinely want you to succeed.

[King]: Why?

[The Almighty]: Why do I want you to win? Because you’re interesting. Because you earned it. And because watching you is the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in centuries.

There was a pause before another message appeared.

[The Almighty]: Also, I made a bet on you. So there’s that.

King couldn’t help it, he snorted.

Of course she had.

[The Almighty]: But let’s talk business for a second. I have a question.

[King]: Go ahead.

[The Almighty]:What’s your goal here? Long-term. Not just surviving the First Woe. I mean the real endgame.

King’s fingers stopped moving.

That was a loaded question. And one he wasn’t about to answer honestly.

His real goal? Beat the game. Reach the Council of the All-Father. Trigger whatever ending existed beyond the locked final door.

Eventually, end the gamemaster. And if the Gods stood in his way, he would not hesitate to walk over them.

But he wasn’t stupid enough to tell a Goddess any of that.

[King]: Survive, get stronger. Figure the rest out as I go.

[The Almighty]: Liar.

King’s tension rose.

[The Almighty]: But that’s fine, I get it, you don’t trust me yet. Keep your cards close, I respect that.

[King]: Then why ask?

[The Almighty]: Because I wanted to see how you’d deflect. And you did it well. You’re careful, calculated, that’s why I’m rooting for you.

King exhaled, some of the tension left his shoulders.

[The Almighty]: But here’s the thing, darling. I can tell you’re planning something ambitious. The way you move, the choices you make, you’re not just playing to survive. You’re playing to win. And I love that about you.

[King]: okay.

[The Almighty]: So at least tell m this. Your build, you’re going for an all-rounder, right?*l

King’s eyes narrowed.

How the hell did she know that?.well, she had been watching him even before the game became reality.

King didn’t respond immediately. And she took his silence for acceptance.

[The Almighty]: Which brings me to my point.

[King]: Which is?

[The Almighty]: You can’t truly achieve all-rounder perfection as just a mage.

King frowned.

[King]: what do you mean?.

[The Almighty]: It’s simple. You chose Mage as your class, which is smart for versatility, But here’s the thing...

She paused, as if letting him catch up.

[The Almighty]: Weapons and skills tied to other classes won’t maximize under your build. That gauntlet you’re carrying? It’s a melee armament. Legendary-grade, sure, but it’s not designed for a mage. You’ll get basic functionality out of it. The spell attached works because it’s spell-based, but the physical stats tied to melee combat and other advanced functions are wasted.

King’s expression intensified.

She was absolutely right, and it allade perfect sense.

[The Almighty]: Same goes for any ranger gear, rogue daggers, or tank shields you pick up. Your class locks you out of full optimization. You can use them, but you’ll never truly master them.

[King]: So what’s the solution?

[The Almighty]: You need an All-Class Perk.

King blinked.

[King]: A what?.

Even if he knew what the word meant, the concept never existed in ALLGoDs, causing him to react like a complete noob.

[The Almighty]: Exactly what it sounds like. A perk that overrides class restrictions and lets you equip and optimize gear from any archetype. It’s never been gotten. But if you get your hands on it? You’ll be able to run a true hybrid build.

King leaned back in his chair, processing all she said, his interest had spiked on hearing about an All class possibility.

[King]: Where do I find one?

[The Almighty]: That’s the fun part. You don’t. Not yet, anyway.

"Tch" King’s eye twitched.

[King]: Then why bring it up?

[The Almighty]: Because I have an idea. But you’ll need to survive long enough for it to matter.

[King]: That’s no problem, how long?

[The Almighty]: Past the First Penance, but you’ll have to do exactly what I say, when the time comes.

[King]: Hmm.

[The Almighty]: Welcome to working with the Almighty, darling. You’ll just have to trust my might.

King exhaled sharply, then typed.

[King]: Okay.

[The Almighty]: That’s it? Just "okay"?

[King]: What do you want me to say? You haven’t really given me much to expect.

King was trying to get her to reveal everything.

[The Almighty]: I want you to trust me. For now, just stay alive. Keep doing what you’re doing. And when the time comes, I’ll make sure you get what you need.

King didn’t respond.

[The Almighty]: Oh, and one more thing.

[King]: What?

[The Almighty]: You’re cute when you’re suspicious. Talk soon, my King

The chat window closed before he could reply.

King sat there for a long moment, staring at nothing in particular.

"Master King?"

He looked up. Eli was watching him with quiet concern.

"Yeah?"

"You look troubled."

King rubbed his face. "Oh it’s nothing."

Eli nodded slowly, then returned to his activities.

King leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

An All-Class Perk.

If it was real, it would change everything.

But trusting a god to deliver on a promise? That was a gamble he wasn’t sure he wanted to take.

He filed the information away. The potentially was game-changing, but it was still unverified.

King swiped open the interface again, this time navigating to World Chat.

The moment it loaded, his vision flooded with messages.

NINE DAYS LEFT GUYS WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE

anyone know where to farm runes safely?

Yo is that King guy even real or is it a bot?

JOIN JONG.Corp GUILD! BENEFITS FOR ALL MEMBERS! MESSAGE ME FOR DETAILS!

Looking for party to clear goblins in eastern forest, need healer, Verland residents only.

first woe is gonna wipe half the planet i’m calling it now

King scrolled through the chaos, skimming past the panic and spam. None particularly caught his attention as their names were not noteworthy.

Then he saw a cluster of messages from verified accounts. Players with names he recognized.

[Ber-Sir-ker]: Yo top 10 hmu if you wanna coordinate for First Penance

[The_Table_Turner]: OFFICIAL GUILD ANNOUNCEMENT POST-PENANCE. APPLICATIONS OPENING SOON.

And then, a message that made him pause.

[Pantheon]: King, I have a proposal for you.

The chat erupted.

Thousands of reactions flooded in within seconds.

YOOOOOO PANTHEON JUST CALLED OUT KING

BRO IF THEY TEAM UP IT’S OVER FOR EVERYONE

PLEASE ACCEPT MY MESSAGE PANTHEON PLEASE

can i be your sidekick i’ll carry your bags i don’t even need loot?

TOP 2 POWER RANKS TEAMING UP ?, THE WORLD ISN’T READY.

king please bro let me join you guys i’m level 6 i swear i’m useful

King stared at the message.

Pantheon, the rank 2 in Power with 1,100 points, and yet no presence on the Popular Ranking.

The ghost was now, publicly calling him out.

King’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, contemplating if to respond or just ignore.

Then another message appeared.

[Cain]: LOL

King’s eyes narrowed to the text.

Then the chat exploded again.

CAIN JUST ENTERED THE CHAT*l

OH SHIT SOMETHING HUGE IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN

top 3 all in the same thread this is history

King closed the World Chat without responding.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

Pantheon wanted to talk, cain had intentionally let them know he was watching.

And somewhere out there, the rest of the top ten were positioning themselves for whatever came next.