All the players moved forward in a long queue, stepping through the gate one after another. The moment the last person entered, the massive doors slammed shut behind them—then vanished into thin air.
Alan watched as one player reached back to touch where the gate had once stood, only to find nothing there. His hand passed through empty space.
They were no longer in the same world.
The ground beneath them was rough and cracked, like dried volcanic rock. Towering trees with deep red leaves surrounded them, forming a dense, eerie forest. Above, the sun burned a dark crimson, casting an unsettling glow across the entire area.
"What the hell is this place…?" one player muttered, tightening his grip on his spear.
"Just another nightmare, I guess… but I'm not dying here," another player said, stabbing his long scimitar into the ground.
Alan scanned the area carefully, his eyes moving with sharp focus—until something caught his attention.
A woman.
She stood not too far away, her long, coiled white hair falling over her shoulders. In her hands was a scythe—one that immediately drew Alan's interest. It shared the same color pattern as his blade: a deep crimson body with a pitch-black edge.
But the design was unusual.
One side of the scythe had a shorter, standard curved blade, while the opposite side extended into a much longer curve, reaching down along the length of the handle.
Alan's gaze narrowed slightly.
That's…
The weapon was mesmerizing to look at—both elegant and deadly.
Its wielder wore a short black gown, with a hood pulled over her head, partially hiding her face. There was something about her presence that felt… dangerous.
Alan couldn't take his eyes off her.
Was she the one who saved me from those A-rank players yesterday? he wondered quietly.
Just then, a hand landed on his back.
"Long time no see, kid."
Alan turned slightly as Ray stepped beside him.
"I see you've already found yourself a love interest," the old man added with a smirk. "But don't forget—this is a death game, not some romance arena."
He let out a soft scoff, clearly amused.
"That's a red flag if you keep staring at her like that, you know," Tuna added, shooting Alan a slightly jealous look.
"That's not it—you've got me all wrong," Alan replied quickly, trying to defend himself. "It's just… I feel like I've seen her somewhere before."
"Oh, she's hard to miss," Ray said casually. "She's been making a name for herself since the second phase. Fights for herself—and still finds time to save others."
He smirked slightly.
"They call her the Death Queen. And from what I've heard, she joined the Lion Heart Guild… which pretty much makes them the strongest guild around right now."
The Death Queen… Alan repeated in his mind. Lion Heart Guild…
His thoughts quickly connected.
That man from yesterday—the one who asked me to join his guild… he had a shield and sword… and a hidden weapon.
Alan's expression grew slightly sharper.
Is he… gathering players with hidden weapons?
His thoughts deepened, but he didn't get long to dwell on them.
Soon, players began splitting off with their guilds, heading in different directions to explore the area, hunt monsters, and complete their daily quests.
The Scarlet Guild—Tuna and Ray's group—also started to disperse.
"Kid," Ray called out, glancing at Alan.
"What's your name?"
"My name is Alan, sir," he replied, deliberately leaving out his full name to avoid exposing his stats.
"Why not join our guild?" Ray suggested. "Together, getting the 20 crystals and 4 gemstones would be easy. Going solo will only make things harder, don't you think?"
"I'm aware, sir," Alan said politely. "Thank you for the concern, but I'll be working alone for now."
Tuna frowned at his response. She didn't like the idea of him facing an unknown battlefield by himself. Worry crept into her expression—but she knew there was nothing she could do to change his mind.
"Bye, Alan," she said softly. "Please… stay safe."
Her eyes were filled with worry—more than she could put into words. Alan noticed, and gave a faint smile, though his expression remained unreadable.
"I'll be fine," he said. "You take care of yourself too."
With that, he turned and walked away, heading into the forest—alone.
As he ventured deeper into the eerie forest, Alan summoned his blades, gripping them tightly as he moved with heightened caution.
Roars echoed from different directions—monsters lurking unseen. Mixed within them were the faint, haunting screams of players meeting their end. It almost felt as if he was beginning to grow used to the sound people made before dying.
As a guild, a group can gather 20 crystals and 4 gemstones together… he thought. But as a solo player, I'm expected to collect the same amount alone?
He tightened his grip on his blades.
That's unfair… but if my plan works, it won't matter.
He continued deeper into the forest when two gigantic spiders suddenly descended from the trees—one landing in front of him, the other behind.
Their bodies were pitch black, covered in coarse hair. Eight glowing red eyes stared at him, while four sharp pincers twitched hungrily at their mouths.
Alan's eyes narrowed as their stats appeared before him.
[ Devil Spider ]
[ Level: 39 ]
[ Rank: D ]
[ Mode: Skilled ]
[ Total EXP: 70 ]
Devil Spider… he thought. With a name like that, it's probably venomous.
He immediately shifted into a combat stance, steady and ready to counter.
The spider in front fired a web straight at him—
—but Alan sliced through it instantly.
At the same time, the one behind lunged forward, its jaws slamming into the ground where he had just stood, cracking the surface with force.
Alan leapt high into the air, hovering above the spiders, and a sudden realization struck him—his body felt lighter, faster, and far more flexible, almost superhuman. Is this because of my rank increase? he wondered. This… this is fun.
Both spiders fired their webs at him simultaneously, but Alan effortlessly sliced through them. Studying their anatomy, he analyzed, Judging by their structure, their core should be either at the abdomen… or the head. I need to aim for it.
Alan swung his first blade, executing the precise three-two-five strike combo he had mastered against the Shadow Beast during the penalty phase. His blade ignited in a fiery red glow as he launched it toward the first spider's abdomen. It struck with blinding speed and embedded itself, but the core eluded him. Without hesitation, he flicked his other blade toward the spider's head, sending it flying in a deadly arc—but the core wasn't there either.
"What is this? Torment?" Alan muttered to himself as he landed back on the ground. He quickly dispatched his blades, freeing them from the spider's body, and bolted. The spiders gave chase, their eight red eyes fixed on him.
He ran and thought furiously, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
"They… they don't have a core?" he whispered, glancing back. His eyes widened as the numbers appeared:
[ LP: 100 ] < First opponent >
[ LP: 77 ] < Second opponent >
Unlike normal monsters, these spiders had visible Life Points instead of a core.
What? They have life points? That's… a huge problem, Alan thought, panic creeping into his mind.
"I don't have much of a choice," Alan muttered, bringing his blades back with a tap of the dispatch button. "I'll just have to keep up the attack."
He sprinted and leapt onto one of the spiders, forcing it to thrash violently.
It's a rank lower than me… I can cut through, he thought, pressing his attack. His blades tore through the spider's thick, black exoskeleton until it collapsed, motionless on the ground.
[ LP: 0 ] < Second opponent >
Purple ichor sprayed into the air, some droplets landing on Alan's skin as the creature fell.
DING!
[ You have Contacted Devil Spider Poison ]
"What… what?" Alan muttered, as a sudden wave of weakness washed over him. His body felt sluggish, his eyelids heavy, movements slowing with every passing second. Not now… just one spider left… I can—
Before he could finish the thought, the remaining spider slammed its hairy leg into him, sending him crashing against a tree. Pain radiated through his body, leaving him barely able to move. The poison would have paralyzed anyone of rank D or lower, but Alan's Rank C status only left him weakened, not completely incapacitated.
Alan tried to summon every ounce of energy to run, but it was useless—the spider moved faster than he could keep up. What do I do? Think! Think, damn it! His hands trembled, his mind racing, until a sudden spark of realization hit him. That's it.
He remembered the system earlier showing him his signature move. Now was the moment to use it. But his body refused to respond properly; the poison was spreading through every vein, slowing him, clouding his thoughts, even reaching his face.
Resigned, he planted his feet, groaning in weakness, and waited as the spider lunged, tearing down trees in its path. Summoning what strength he could, he executed the three-two-five combo with both blades, launching the first blade straight at the spider's head.
[ LP: 78 ] < First opponent >
Alan held his other blade at the ready, its edge glowing as the spider lunged toward him. Timing it perfectly, he unleashed his combo, slicing cleanly through the creature's side.
[ LP: 0 ] < First opponent >
[ You are the Verdict ]
[ You have successfully defeated the Devil Spiders ]
[ 70 EXP Equally Shared To Survivors ]
[ 70 EXP Equally Shared To Survivors ]
[ Leveled Up ]
[ Leveled Up ]
[ You've just Earned an Anti-Poison ]
Alan tried to reach for the Anti-Poison on his screen, but his weakened body wouldn't respond. His life points continued to drop under the lingering effects of the spider's venom.
[ LP: 70 ]
Damn… damn… I'm not going to make it, Alan thought, his head spinning as the poison coursed through his body. The wind whipped around him, and lying here like this felt far from safe.
As his eyelids grew heavy, a shadowy figure slowly approached him. Uncertain of who—or what—it was, Alan succumbed to the poison's grip and slipped into unconsciousness.
------------------
'Bye, Alan… please, stay safe,' Tuna's voice echoed in his mind as he slowly opened his eyes, gasping for breath. He lifted his head and realized he wasn't in the forest anymore. Instead, he was in the place he had longed for— his Ace. A cavern sparkling with endless crystals, their glow reflecting off the walls.
"You're awake," a soft female voice resonated through the cave. "You're fine now. The poison is gone. And… this is where you wanted to be, isn't it?"
Alan's gaze immediately followed the voice. His eyes widened as he saw her: the woman with long, coiled white hair, seated gracefully atop a cluster of crystals, her red-and-black scythe resting beside her.
"We meet again… Saint," she said, her voice gentle yet edged with mystery.