In the depths of a silent void—where even thoughts felt distant—the memory of his mother's voice resurfaced.
Her words about game creation echoed faintly in the darkness.
"Before a game can be altered from its original design by the creator, it needs a bug—something like a virus—to rewrite the data. And then… a patch to make everything appear exactly as it was before."
The idea drifted through his subconscious, lingering in the emptiness.
As those words echoed through Alan's subconscious, drifting in the endless dark, another sound began to pierce the void.
A voice.
Faint at first… then desperate.
"Alan… wake up. Alan!"
The voice quivered with panic, tugging at him, pulling his fading consciousness back to the surface.
Alan's eyes slowly fluttered open. Above him, kneeling on the blood-stained ground, was the rapier wielder.
She seized his collar with a trembling hand, pulling him slightly off the ground.
"What the hell just happened to you?" she demanded, her voice unsteady despite her fierce expression. "It's a miracle you're even alive after a gamble like that. You practically threw your life away."
She slowly released his collar, and Alan pushed himself upright, sitting on the blood-soaked grass.
I just died… didn't I? he wondered. So… how am I still alive?
As if answering him, a translucent screen materialized before his eyes.
[ Error: LP = 0 ]
[ Fatal Condition Confirmed ]
...
[ Overwrite Initiated ]
[ New Blade Skill Acquired: Time Loop ]
[ An ability of the Dual-Blade to rewind time ]
[ Note: This ability activates only when the wielder is close to death. It does not affect environmental time—only the wielder's body. As the player advances, the Time Loop duration may extend. ]
[ Total Time Looped: 3 seconds ]
His breath caught in his throat.
So that's it…
He straightened slightly, his expression shifting into that of someone deep in calculation.
I went back in time—but not the world around me. Not the dogs. Just… my body.
His fingers tightened around his weapons.
That's the true skill of my Dual-Blade.
The rapier wielder snapped him out of his thoughts, her confusion still written plainly across her face. She couldn't understand how the so-called three-two-five tactic had worked—or how Alan was even standing after his Life Points had clearly hit zero.
"Hey… how did you come up with something that insane in such a short time?" she asked, brushing blood from her cheek.
Her tone tried to sound casual, almost indifferent—but the curiosity in her eyes betrayed her.
"The three-two-five swing is a combat trigger," Alan explained calmly. "In most VRMMORPGs, weapon users should recognize it as a hidden activation pattern."
He adjusted his grip on his Dual-Blades.
"You swing forward three times, follow with two diagonal cuts, then finish with five unpredictable strikes. When executed correctly, the blade responds—a light manifests. Think of it as a special attack designed to wipe out a large number of enemies at once."
His gaze shifted to her rapier.
"That's why your blade glowed purple. And that's why it sliced through those dogs instantly."
For a moment, the rapier wielder simply stared at him, observing him more carefully than before.
He's… actually brilliant, she admitted silently. More brilliant than I gave him credit for.
A faint tension crept into her thoughts.
If I keep him around for too long… he might eventually discover what I'm really planning.
She carefully wrapped his severed pinky finger with a small piece torn from her gown, then helped him to his feet, supporting his weight because of his injuries.
"So what's the next plan… genius?" she asked, rising slowly from the blood-soaked grass beneath her knees. Her eyes drifted toward the distance where the others were running. "At this rate, the others will reach the crosses before we even think about moving."
"Not going to happen," Alan said calmly. "I already figured out a cross long before the second phase even began."
He glanced toward the mountain, recalling the moment clearly.
"Back when I was with Mr. White, I studied the distance and estimated how many hours it would normally take to get there. But there's a shortcut—a shorter path someone created. If we use it, we can reach the cross in just ten minutes."
"Follow me."
Alan immediately headed toward a narrow path hidden between tall, dense trees, using his blades to support his injured body as he moved.
Behind him, she followed quickly, still trying to process how someone could think so far ahead in the middle of chaos.
"You really are a genius," she said, picking up her pace to catch up with him.
After a brief pause, she added, "My name is Tuna. What about you… genius?"
"My name is Alan," he replied without turning back to look at her. Suddenly, a translucent screen flickered open in front of both of them.
DING!
[ You Have Earned +20 EXP From Dog Hunt ]
[ You Have Successfully Exchanged Profiles ]
<< Profile Exchange >>
[ Player Name: Alan Smith ]
[ Age: 18 ]
[ Weapon: Dual-Blade ]
[ EXP: 30 ]
[ Rank: F ]
[ Level: 5 ]
[ LP: 1 ]
[ Mode: Beginner ]
Her eyes scanned the translucent screen as Alan's profile appeared before her.
His life point is just one? she thought, disbelief flashing across her face. The game only just started, and he's already this close to death?
Her expression remained calm, but inside, her thoughts were far less kind.
At this rate… I might have to ditch him earlier than expected.
Meanwhile, Alan stared at her profile on his own screen, his eyes widening slightly. Most of her stats were already far higher than his.
So she's already this strong… he thought, unable to hide his surprise.
The translucent screen shifted as her profile appeared before him.
<< Profile Exchange >>
[ Player Name: Tuna Lane ]
[ Age: 21 ]
[ Weapon: Rapier ]
[ EXP: 45 ]
[ Rank: E ]
[ Level: 24 ]
[ LP: 88 ]
[ Mode: Amateur ]
Alan's eyes lingered on the numbers for a moment.
Damn… she's already far stronger than I am, he thought quietly.
A cautious look crossed his face.
At this point, I shouldn't trust her too much. Someone like her could easily ditch me the moment I become a burden.
But then his mind drifted to the skill he had just unlocked.
Thanks to the skill I unlocked — Time Loop — I've been granted a three-second resurrection at the moment of death.
His gaze hardened slightly.
She must not find out about this… not until the moment she decides to betray me.
He lowered his gaze to the blades in his hands as he moved forward at a steady pace, the steel catching faint glimmers of light beneath the trees.
Just like my mum said…
A thought slowly formed in his mind.
Does this mean… my blade is the bug? The virus meant to alter the fate of this game?
His grip tightened around the hilts.
"Dual-Blade, huh…" he murmured quietly.
A faint, determined smile appeared on his face.
"You're my ace."
------------------
Back in the real world, Michael Lee returned to the dark control room with a cup of coffee in his hand. He settled into his chair, the glow of the massive screens reflecting faintly on his glasses.
"How are the players coping, Shalom?" he asked casually, taking a slow sip.
The woman standing beside the console bowed her head slightly.
"Out of eight hundred and nine thousand one hundred and ten players… fifty thousand thirty have already died, sir," Shalom reported calmly.
"Good… very good," Michael said with clear amusement on his face.
"Our hero?" he asked casually, leaning back in his chair.
Shalom understood immediately. "Oh… you mean Alan Smith." She glanced at the data on the screen before continuing. "He's still alive… but barely. He's clinging to a single life point."
She paused for a moment before adding her conclusion.
"I doubt he'll make it to the third phase, sir."
"What did I tell you about underestimating people? Don't judge them by their faces… judge them by their movements." Michael's gaze shifted back to the screens, sharp and calculating.
"I'm more concerned about him than any other player in this Death Game. Just watch closely… see how things unfold. By now, he should have unlocked the Time Loop skill."
"Yes, sir," Shalom replied, nodding.
"Let's see how it all plays out."
------------------
Back in the game, Alan and Tuna finally reached one of the crosses. It towered above them, pure white and massive—at least twice the height of a fully grown tree. A crowd of players had already gathered around it.
"We made it!" Tuna exclaimed, her voice bright with relief. "And it looks like it's not completely occupied yet."
Alan gave a faint smile, though he knew this was where the real test would begin. "Let's be quick with our movements," he said.
They dashed toward the cross, but it wasn't easy—other players surged forward, pushing and shoving with all their strength to claim their spot.
They barely stepped onto the arena of the cross when more and more players kept rushing in, swelling the crowd.
Combined across all ten crosses, there were now over two hundred players packed tightly together.
This is bad, Alan thought, his pulse quickening. At this rate…
Without warning, a translucent screen flickered before them.
DING!
[ Only 100 players are allowed to stay on a Cross ]
[ Failure to comply will result in immediate DEATH for all players on that Cross ]
[ Limited Time: 10 seconds remaining ]
This is bad… very bad, Alan thought, his heart pounding.
Players were shoving others off the cross, their shouts and cries echoing across the mountain from every direction. Some even resorted to cutting down fellow players just to secure their spot.
For a brief moment, Tuna's eyes softened, and her lips quivered.
I shouldn't… but I can't help it…
A whisper escaped her throat, barely audible over the chaos. "Stay alive… somehow."
Her hand froze mid-step, fingers brushing his shoulder.
Amid the chaos, Alan paused, calculating his next move. "Hey, Tuna…" he called out. Every instinct screamed to pull back—but she pushed anyway.
His eyes to widen in shock as he saw her pushing him toward the edge of the cross.
Alan's eyes widened. Tuna…?
The word never left his lips as the ground rushed to meet him.
"I'm sorry, Alan," she said, her voice calm but resolute. "I think it's time our paths never cross again. Goodbye."
Her resolve was cold, but inside, a storm of regret raged.
As Alan tumbled from the cross, a scream tore from his throat. His mind went blank, his lips quivering—he had let his guard down, and it had just cost him his life.
Time slowed. Pain lanced through every nerve, but in that instant, a tiny spark of thought flickered in the back of his mind—a fleeting possibility, a memory of his mother's words… of the game's hidden mechanics.
Alan's fingers clenched instinctively around his Dual-Blades, but the screen of his fate hovered just out of reach. He couldn't see, couldn't think, only falling.
The wind howled in his ears, screams and chaos fading into a single heartbeat of silence.
And then… nothing.