Blood trickled from the corner of Alan's lips as he lay trembling on the crystal floor. The pain was unbearable, forcing broken groans from his throat as his vision blurred. Why do I always win… only when I'm about to die? he thought weakly, his blood spreading across the ground beneath him.
The Knight staggered backward, pulling Alan's blades from its core before letting them crash onto the floor with a heavy clang. Its body began to crack, fractures spreading rapidly across its crystal form. Then, in an instant, it shattered—bursting into countless fragments that shot upward, piercing through the cave and vanishing into the sky.
Iris let her scythe fall and walked slowly toward Alan before kneeling beside him, her eyes carefully studying his fading state. "You look like a mess… Saint," she said softly, a hint of excitement flickering across her face. "But your plan worked… in the end." She let out a quiet chuckle. "Still… this isn't how you intended it to end, is it?"
Alan met her gaze, struggling to stay conscious as his body gave in to the creeping darkness. His hands trembled violently while he watched her pull up her system interface—blurred, unfamiliar, nothing like his or Tuna's. Is this… what an awakened system looks like? he wondered faintly, his thoughts slipping apart as his vision finally collapsed into black.
[ LP: 0 ]
Moments later, Alan's eyes snapped open as he jolted upright, gasping for air. He quickly realized something was different—his torn clothes were restored, his body no longer bleeding. Lifting his black shirt beneath the orange jacket, he checked his wound… nothing. Not even a trace. He was completely healed.
A screen flickered to life before him.
DING!
[ You are the Verdict ]
[ You have successfully defeated the Heaven's Knight ]
[ 500 EXP Equally Shared To Survivors ]
[ Leveled Up ]
[ Leveled Up ]
<< MENU >>
[ Player Name: Alan Smith ]
[ Age: 18 ]
[ Weapon: Dual-Blades ]
[ EXP: 690 ]
[ Rank: A ]
[ Level: 160 ]
[ LP: 100 ]
[ Mode: Veteran ]
[ Note: Life Points and Body Parts have been fully restored ]
[ Scars, however, cannot be fixed ]
"This is getting old," Alan muttered, though the jump to A-Rank brought a quiet sense of satisfaction. A hundred levels gained in one battle—it was unreal.
He shifted his gaze and saw Iris, calmly using her scythe to harvest crystals. She turned slightly, eyeing him. "You're fine? That's… interesting. That Time Loop ability of yours is something else."
Alan didn't respond. His focus was fixed on the profile displayed before him.
<< Profile Exchange >>
[ Player Name: Iris Sinclair ]
[ Age: 18 ]
[ Weapon: Two-head Scythe ]
[ EXP: 1250 ]
[ Rank: C ]
[ Level: 201 ]
[ LP: 100 ]
[ Mode: Apex ]
She's on a whole different level… so this is the Raven I've been hearing about fromEarth, Alan thought as he rose fully from the crystal floor. He tied his orange jacket around his waist and moved to join Iris in harvesting the crystals.
Still, unease lingered. His movements were cautious, eyes alert—this was a death game, after all, and PvP was always a threat. He couldn't fully trust her.
Iris noticed instantly.
"Relax," she said, glancing at him calmly. "I'm not your enemy. Just focus on what you came here to do, alright? We've already wasted enough time." She paused briefly before adding, "By now, the other survivors have probably moved on to the second stage."
Alan said nothing, maintaining his usual poker face as he continued mining in silence. Hours passed before they finally finished, each storing their crystals into their system interface. A notification rang out immediately, confirming the transaction.
DING!
[ You have Successfully Earned 100 Crystals ]
The cave had held a total of two hundred crystals, split evenly between them.
At last, they stepped out into the eerie forest beneath the crimson sun. Iris stretched her arms slightly, letting out a quiet breath. "Feels good to be out… for a moment, I thought I was done for," she said calmly.
Alan scanned the area carefully, eyes sweeping through the forest for any sign of movement or lurking beasts, but found nothing. Iris watched him for a moment before letting out a soft laugh.
"What's so funny?" Alan asked, his gaze locking onto hers, sharp and direct.
"Well… I've only known the real you for a few hours, but your behavior says a lot about who you are," she replied, casually dismissing her scythe.
Alan raised a brow slightly. "Oh? And how exactly do you think I behave?"
She let out a soft chuckle, walking ahead into the forest with her hands loosely clasped behind her back. "You're smart… but overly cautious about everything around you," she said calmly. "I don't know how long you've been like this, but you don't always have to be on guard." She placed a hand lightly on her chest and added, "I'm here for you."
A gentle wind swept past them, carrying the rustle of leaves as the trees swayed in rhythm. Alan's eyes widened slightly as something within him shifted—the dull emptiness fading. For the first time since the penalty phase, his expression changed… a genuine smile forming on his face. For just a moment, his guarded mind felt something unfamiliar—warmth.
Iris continued walking ahead, her hands still clasped behind her back, while Alan remained where he stood, that rare smile lingering on his face. Suddenly, a sharp scream echoed from deeper within the forest. Iris's expression shifted instantly—she glanced at Alan, gave a quick nod, and dashed forward. Without hesitation, Alan followed.
They raced through the forest, their footsteps pounding against the hardened, volcanic ground. The air grew tense as they closed in on the source of the noise. Soon, they came upon four players struggling desperately against Devil Spiders, while another lay motionless on the ground.
Without wasting a second, Iris summoned her scythe and struck—killing one of the spiders in a single, swift motion.
The three players collapsed to their feet, panting heavily, their bodies trembling from exhaustion and injuries. The fourth player, clutching a one-handed sword, rushed to the one lying motionless on the ground—his life fading fast.
"Please… brother, stay with me," she pleaded, her hands shaking as she held onto him. But before she could say anything more, his body dissolved into glowing fragments, drifting into the sky. Silence fell, heavy and painful, as grief hit them all at once.
They slowly lifted their heads toward their savior. "The Death Queen…?" one whispered, covering her mouth in shock. "It's really you…"
But their awe shattered instantly, replaced by sorrow, as the reality of their loss sank in again.
Alan stepped closer, his eyes fixed on the one-handed sword wielder, who was now pounding the ground in despair. "He didn't deserve this… he was a great man," she cried, her voice breaking with bitter grief.
"No one deserves this," Alan said, his tone cold and sharp, laced with unflinching judgment. "Not even you… not even me. This is the world we're forced to survive in. The weak will fall, and the strong… will live."
Her eyes widened in shock, tears spilling freely. "You psycho! What did you just say? Who gave you the right to speak? You're just the Death Queen's subordinate!"
Iris remained silent, closing her eyes and folding her hands beneath the shade of a tree. The three other players—two girls and a boy—seethed with anger, shouting, "That's cruel! You good-for-nothing! Death Queen, get your subordinate away from here—he's starting to irritate me!"
Iris stepped forward from the shade of the tree, placing herself in front of the players. "What he's trying to say," she explained calmly, "is that your brother may be gone, but you need to survive… and live to tell his story. In other words… get stronger."
The group fell silent, the weight of her words settling in. After a pause, one of the players muttered, still glancing at Alan with a mix of irritation and grudging respect, "I guess… you're right. Thanks."
"All right, let's keep moving," Alan said, leading the way.
"What's his deal… jerk," muttered the one-handed player, wiping her tears and forcing herself to stand, trying to push through the pain of her loss.
As they walked, a bullet shot through the air like it bent time itself, aiming straight for the male player. Alan's instincts flared—he tried summoning his blade to intercept it, but he was just a fraction too slow. The bullet struck the player's forehead.
"No!" Alan screamed, finally bringing his blade forth, but it was too late. The player exploded into shards of light, sending the rest of the group into a panic.
One of them cried out, "No! Don't go… stay with me!" Her voice cracked with desperation. Meanwhile, Alan and Iris scanned the area, eyes darting in every direction, searching for the source of the attack. But it was too late—the bullet had already struck another player, leaving only the one-handed sword wielder standing with them. She trembled, tears streaming down her face. "This… this can't be," she whispered, grief and shock written all over her features.
Alan's mind raced. A sniper wielder… but why target an entire team? He paused, piecing it together. Could it be… her brother was also taken down by the same hand? His eyes narrowed, scanning the forest for any clue of who—or what—was behind this deadly strike.
"They're two of them," Iris said, her voice sharp. "Take cover—I'll go after one." Without waiting, she sprinted into another path of the forest, her scythe slicing the air, leaving Alan and the already traumatized one-handed sword wielder behind. If she's chasing the one on the right side, where could the other be hiding? Alan's eyes darted across the forest, searching for any clue, any telltale movement. Suddenly, a branch ahead shivered violently. Got you, he muttered, his eyes glowing red, the residual power of his recent awakening flaring to life.
Alan grabbed the trembling hand of the one-handed sword wielder. "Come with me," he said, sprinting straight into the forest in the same direction. Bullets tore through the air, but Alan's awakened eyes predicted every shot. He raised one blade, deflecting the deadly projectiles, and barreled through the trees—only to be met with a dead end.
"What…?" he muttered, disbelief stiff in his voice. The girl's body shook violently, fear overtaking her. "Why… why are they trying to kill us? Why did the Death Queen leave me with this weakling? I don't want to die," she whimpered.
Alan remained silent, scanning the area with sharp, calculating eyes. That's when a monstrous figure emerged, an assassin with an intricately carved sword aimed directly at them.
[ Beast Assassin ]
[ Level: 250 ]
[ Rank: S ]
[ Mode: Apex ]
[ Total EXP: 500 ]
The one-handed sword wielder staggered on her feet, trembling violently as if one more step would make her collapse. "We're all gonna—!" she screamed, panic choking her voice.
Alan, however, stayed focused, his mind racing. He analyzed the assassin's stats, but his attention was drawn more urgently to the flashing message on his interface:
[ 20 minutes left to Ascend to the Second Stage ]
...….
[ Failure To Be Punctual: Fatal Death ]