At the ti, he had brushed it off, thinking it wasn't important—just another aningless system detail.
But now, it was clear.
That number wasn't random. It was what separated them.
It was what divided the different tutorial zones.
His fingers curled slightly as the weight of the truth settled in.
Freya was right. They weren't in the sa zone, after all.
That ant…
This was where they parted ways.
A soft chi echoed in the air.
Freya's breath hitched as a new notification appeared before her.
[You will be transported out of Nightmare now.]
[Brace Yourself]
Her hands trembled slightly.
She exhaled, slow and shaky, trying to steady herself.
Freya had grown close to Alex.
Fought beside him.
Survived with him.
She would have liked to continue this journey together.
But this was where it ended.
She looked at him, hesitation flickering in her eyes.
"Will we et again?" she asked, her voice quieter than before.
Alex's lips curled into a slight grin.
"If you don't die. Maybe we will."
Freya's brow furrowed instantly.
"I told you not to say things like that."
Alex chuckled, his grin widening.
They stood there for a mont, locked in silence. No more words. Just an unspoken understanding.
Then Freya vanished.
Just like that.
Gone.
Alex's gaze lingered on the empty space where she had stood, his smirk fading ever so slightly.
Alex exhaled through his nose, shaking his head.
"Seriously, you should've spoken up faster," he muttered under his breath.
Would he miss her?
Yeah, probably.
But there was nothing he could do about it. This was how the tutorial worked.
With that thought, he turned his attention back to Onigi.
The old man was still standing there, his expression dark, his voice firm.
"Can you kill Dorion?"
Alex's eyes narrowed slightly.
Was this guy serious?
First off, he wasn't a hitman. He didn't take requests.
He only killed when soone gave him a reason.
So, without hesitation, he answered.
"I can't fulfill your request, old man."
"Besides, you'd only be satisfied if you did it yourself, wouldn't you?"
Alex's voice was casual, but his gaze was sharp.
Onigi exhaled heavily, his shoulders slumping slightly.
"That's understandable."
His eyes drifted to the side as if lost in thought.
Then, a notification flickered into his vision.
Ding!
Alex watched as Onigi's brows twitched.
Looked like the old man was about to be sent back, too.
Alex smirked. "I hope we et again."
Onigi scoffed, shaking his head. "I'd rather we not."
Then, to Alex's surprise, Onigi extended his hand for a handshake.
Alex raised a brow.
"Oh? You're not afraid I'd set a nuke on your hands?" he teased.
But Onigi didn't flinch.
He just held his hand out, waiting with a serious expression on his face.
Alex narrowed his eyes, glancing at Onigi's outstretched hand.
The old man had avoided touching him the first ti they t, as he was aware of his ability.
So what was this now?
Onigi then responded:
"Maybe you would. Maybe you wouldn't. I don't care," Onigi said, his tone firm. "You've earned my respect. That is why I am doing this."
Alex let out a small chuckle and then grinned.
"Hah. Alright then."
He reached forward, hand stretching to et Onigi's.
But just before their palms could touch, Onigi vanished.
Alex's grin faded.
His fingers curled around nothing but empty air.
Clicking his teeth, he exhaled sharply.
"Seriously."
He honestly doubted that wasn't calculated.
With a sigh, Alex lifted his head, scanning the empty battlefield.
He was the last one left.
Why was he still here?
He should have been the first to leave.
He was the one who ended this.
Yet, he was still here.
Alex's gaze swept across the battlefield—then, he noticed it.
The world of the Nightmare was unraveling.
The jagged rocks crumbled into dust. The towering mountains collapsed into ash. The dense forests below dissolved, their remains drifting skyward like glowing embers caught in the wind.
It was... strangely beautiful.
Then, a notification appeared before him.
[You will be transported out of Nightmare now.]
[Brace Yourself.]
Alex's lips curled into a grin. "About ti."
And in the blink of an eye, he vanished.
The next thing he knew, he was back in the Beast Lord Forest.
Alex's eyes fluttered open.
Darkness.
A thick, sticky substance clung to his skin. He was trapped, wrapped in so kind of cocoon.
His mind raced. The Vines. They must have ensnared him before he was transported.
He clenched his fists—then ripped through the cocoon.
The material shredded like paper, tearing apart with a sickening squelch. Alex stumbled forward, inhaling deeply.
The air here was different.
Crisper. Colder. More real than the nightmare.
He exhaled, steadying himself, then pushed to his feet.
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he scanned his surroundings—
And froze.
Scattered across the area were more cocoons.
But unlike his, they weren't torn open. They were flattened.
Sothing had crushed them, pressing them down so hard that they outlined what lay inside.
Alex's brows knitted together. He stepped closer, his stomach twisting with unease.
Inside the nearest cocoon—
A skeleton.
Or rather, what was left of a player.
Alex's expression darkened.
So that's what happens when you don't make it out.
Alex's gaze locked onto a single cocoon.
It lay motionless a few feet away.
His mind imdiately went to Dorion.
He was caught in the sa place. It had to be him.
Without hesitation, Alex started walking.
As he moved, he noticed sothing unsettling—
The forest was dying.
The once lush, green canopy had withered to brown. Leaves crumbled like dust under his steps. The air slled of decay, as if the Nightmare had bled into reality.
Then—
Ding!
A notification popped up.
Alex instinctively glanced at it—
And his disgust vanished, replaced by excitent.
He grinned, then dropped into a cross-legged position on the ground.
This was it.
The mont he had been waiting for.
His rewards.
Ding!
[You have defeated the Grim Lord]
[You have received...]
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