Final Life Online

"These are all things I gathered on my long journey," Klaus said, sweeping a hand toward the collection. "Relics of paths I walked. Weapons I tested. Powers I once held and left behind."

He turned to me again, his voice gentler now.

"This is your first test. Simple, but important."

He pointed toward the artifacts.

"You may pick one. But I won't tell you what any of them do. No hints. No descriptions. No Appraisal. You must choose based on instinct, or affinity, or faith—whatever guides you."

A soft grin tugged at his lips.

"In a way, you could call it a limited gacha. Except this one… only works once. And only for you."

He stepped back, giving me space.

"So—will you pick a sword? A magic artifact? A beast companion's egg? The choice is yours."

I stared ahead at the glowing items, letting my eyes slowly move from one artifact to another.

Most of them pulsed faintly with power—swords that shimmered with light, grimoires radiating arcane aura, beast eggs cradled in magical stasis—but then my gaze landed on something different.

A cube.

It wasn't flashy or grand. In fact, it looked deceptively simple. Small, metallic, and hovering quietly among the relics. But the moment I laid eyes on it, something tugged at my instincts. A deep, almost unsettling feeling of potential.

'Wait… isn't that…?' I thought, eyes narrowing. This Cube was one of the cheat codes of the protagonist, he got much later, like five years later after the game was launched and its really an cheat code.

'Why is this here?'

The lore was clear: this cube wasn't supposed to appear until much, much later. At least, not in a beginner area. But rather in a different area of the game, where one had to clear an Trial and then get it, It was another one of my goal but now I found it here.

"By the way," I asked Klaus casually, though my eyes stayed fixed on the cube, "I know I'm only allowed to pick one, but… is there any way to come back here later? Maybe after proving myself again? I mean, just look at all these…"

Klaus laughed softly behind me. "Greedy, aren't you?"

I turned to look at him, but he just smiled kindly and shook his head.

"No," he said. "These artifacts can only be chosen once. Each one is tied to a special trial left behind by me, and this situation is one time only, once somone has taken a relic, the others will just return to the legacy ground I have left them in."

I sighed and nodded. Disappointed, sure—but I understood.

'So even those secret trials… were all left by him,' I realized. 'Klaus really is a legendary figure in this world's lore. A quiet architect of its hidden depths.'

I turned back to the cube.

The Akashic Cube of Infinity.

According to what I remembered, this wasn't just an item—it was a miracle. A relic said to contain the raw algorithm of the world itself. A divine construct that could unlock any skill in existence—regardless of race, class, or even the player's level. You simply had to bind with it and use it once.

Of course, the skill was random.

A gamble.

But one that could yield something game-breaking, especially in the hands of someone who knew how to build around it.

"I think I'll take this," I said, doing my best to keep my voice even.

Klaus raised an eyebrow, then nodded. He stepped forward and gently lifted the cube before handing it to me. It settled in my hand like a living thing—its surface shifting, rotating on its own like a Rubik's Cube solving itself endlessly.

"This… is your final choice?" he asked one last time.

I hesitated for only a breath. "Can you tell me what it really is?"

Klaus gave a rare nod. "That cube is called the Akashic Cube of Infinity. It's named after Akash, the god of knowledge and information. Some call it a divine relic—it's certainly old enough. Every week, it grants you a single new skill. The type of skill can come from any race, monster, class, or faction. You might gain a dragon's breath, a lich's curse, or a knight's blessing."

He smiled faintly. "It doesn't matter what your current build is. The cube will adapt to you—and you to it."

I stared at it in awe.

'It's basically an evolving skill engine…'

"I see," I whispered.

"Then it's yours," Klaus said gently.

His voice carried weight, like the closing of a door behind me—but not in finality. No, this was a beginning. A fork in the road now walked by one.

Then he added with a faint smile, "And if you truly want more of my relics, then explore the vast world. Find the places where I've hidden my trials. Just like this one, they exist—though none are as generous as this."

He gestured toward the now-fading chamber, the gleaming artifacts slowly disappearing into shimmering mist.

"Out there, each trial ground contains only one relic. One chance. One reward. You won't be choosing from a collection like you did here. But if you find them… you'll know they're mine."

And with that, Klaus raised his hand.

A white light surged forth, bathing everything in radiant brilliance. I felt the ground beneath me fade, the air grow still, the presence of that strange hidden place slip away—

And then I was standing once more inside the Village Chief's house.

The air smelled of parchment and woodsmoke again.

"You're back," a familiar voice said.

I turned. The Village Chief, Elder Eldan, had entered the room. His wise eyes fell on me—and more specifically, on the cube now hovering softly above my palm, spinning and pulsing with its own quiet light.

"It seems," Eldan murmured with something between awe and reverence, "you've received a part of Sir Klaus's legacy."

I said nothing. The cube answered for me—its presence impossible to ignore, even for those without the Sight stat.

It shimmered once, then slowly floated down until it rested against my chest—before vanishing into my inventory with a soft chime.

[Item Stored: Akashic Cube of Infinity – Bound Relic]

The moment the soft chime faded, Elder Eldan turned toward me again. His tone shifted—still kind, but with a weight of finality.

"Okay, young hero," he said, "would you now like to leave the Beginner Village… and step into the vast world beyond?"

I nodded without hesitation.

Finally.

After all the hidden quests, rare loot, boss sniping, and ancient relics… I was leaving the starting zone.