Final Round Before Chaos
* * *
I woke with a start, a sharp pain throbbing in my head. As the room came into focus, I realized I was back in class 2-1, the headquarters. The dim light of the room cast long shadows, making the space feel both familiar and strange.
Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice calling out to me. "Erebus!!" Yunji's voice was full of relief and concern. She rushed toward me and enveloped me in a tight hug. Her touch was warm and comforting, a stark contrast to the cold, numbing pain in my head.
I hugged her back, my strength waning. "What happened?" I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Before Yunji could answer, someone else spoke from the doorway. "You're up."
I turned to see Jake standing there. A blood-soaked cloth covered his left eye, and his expression was a mix of exhaustion and grim satisfaction.
I reluctantly pulled away from Yunji and pushed myself into a sitting position. "King system," I said, hoping for some clarity.
The King System window appeared before me, its familiar interface glowing softly:
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[King System]
Name: Erebus
Number of Subjects: 402
Current Territory: Floor 1, 2 of Server 05-a3
---
Jake nodded, his face showing both relief and weariness. "We won."
I stared at him in disbelief. "We won the fight?" I repeated, trying to wrap my head around it. "But how? There's no way our combat team could have defeated all of them."
Jake nodded again, more gravely this time. "Yes, we almost all died. And we would have if it wasn't for him."
"Him?" I asked, confusion evident in my voice. "Who?"
Jake simply said, "Follow me. I'll show you."
Yunji took my hand gently and led me out of the room, her grip firm yet reassuring.
Jake led me through the winding corridors of the headquarters, his steps measured and purposeful. Yunji's hand in mine provided a small comfort as we moved through the dimly lit halls. We eventually arrived at another classroom, class 2-2. The door swung open, and we stepped inside.
There, sitting at a desk, was a man with striking red hair. His presence was imposing, and his eyes, though tired, held a sharp, calculating gaze. I recognized him—it was Aiden, the king of the right corridor of the first floor.
Jake wasted no time. "We were pushed all the way back to class 2-2," he began, his voice carrying the weight of their ordeal. "We were sure we were dead. But that was when he did it."
Aiden looked up, his expression weary and scared. "I killed him... I killed Jacob."
The gravity of his words hung in the air. I stared at Aiden, trying to process what he was saying. "Jacob? The other king? The one with glasses?" I repeated, incredulous.
Aiden nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to the floor. "Jacob was planning to kill you and take total control. But I saw your power—the barrier, the guns—and he realized it would be better to be under your protection rather than trying to seize control myself."
Jake took over the explanation, his voice steady. "After Aiden saw what you could do, he decided it was in his best interest to ally with us. So, he killed Jacob and took control of the first floor."
Aiden looked up, meeting my eyes with a mixture of relief and apprehension. "And I surrendered. I thought it was better this way."
I took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. Good choice."
Aiden's relief was palpable, and Jake's tense shoulders seemed to relax just a bit.
Without another word, I turned and made my way back to class 2-1, the headquarters. Yunji walked beside me, her presence a silent reassurance in the midst of the tumult.
As we entered class 2-1, the familiar surroundings of the headquarters greeted us. The chaos of the battle seemed like a distant memory, overshadowed by the looming sense of anticipation and dread.
I approached a desk, pulled up the system window, and glanced at the timer. The display was stark and unyielding.
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[System Notification]
Round 4 Will Begin in 3 Hours
---
The next round was nearly upon us.
'The 4th round... ' I thought, feeling the weight of the moment settle on my shoulders.
The 4th round was always the one that set the stage for what was to come, the calm before the storm.
It was the round before the 5th round, chaos, where everything would shift and the world would be plunged into true disorder.
In the novel, the 5th round was the one where chaos truly erupted. It was the round when the world was thrown into complete disarray, and all semblance of order was shattered.
Every previous round led to that round, where the full force of the world's turmoil came crashing down. The real test of survival, the ultimate battle for control, was just around the corner.
* * *
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[System Window]
4th Round Beginning
---
With a calm, measured pace, I led the sixty members of the combat team, with new recruits from the 1st floor, up the stairs to the 3rd floor, which had just opened.
Jake, and a lot of the combat team members now had new gear that they bought with the karma they got from the previous battle. Jake himself had a huge shield on his arm.
The 3rd round. The first floor against the second, and the third floor against the fourth. The third and fourth floor must have gotten under the control of 1 king.
Suddenly, a flash of movement caught my eye. Thanks to my enhanced agility, I saw it immediately: an arrow streaking toward us with incredible speed.
I didn't move or even flinch.
Jake acted swiftly, raising his shield to intercept the projectile. The arrow clattered harmlessly off the shield with a sharp clang.
"Shit! Arrows?" Jake exclaimed, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Step back," I said calmly, stepping forward.
I raised my hand and declared, "Barrier."
A vibrant red barrier materialized in front of us, its edges glowing with a fierce light. Arrows bounced off the barrier, their force absorbed by the protective shield.
I summoned my gun into my hand, feeling its reassuring weight. My recent karma expenditure had bolstered my vitality and magic, giving me more endurance and mana for the fight ahead. I advanced with purpose.
As I got on the 3rd floor, I saw the immediate chaos. Classrooms lined the hallways, and enemies were taking advantage of the cover to shoot arrows at us. My barrier kept the projectiles at bay, but I knew I had to act quickly.
I summoned my gun into my hand with a practiced flick. The familiar weight of the weapon was a comfort.
With a smooth motion, I raised the gun and began to take aim.
The hallway was full of targets. Archers peeked out from behind cover, trying to hit us. With each squeeze of the trigger, I sent a bullet speeding through the air.
The shots were dead-on, each bullet penetrating the enemy's skull with unerring accuracy. The archers fell one by one, their bodies dropping with a satisfying thud.
Suddenly, from behind one of the classrooms a figure in metal armor, ones from the medieval times, charged toward me, wielding a sword with a desperate swing.
I barely glanced at him before firing. The bullet struck him squarely in the chest, and he crumpled to the floor. The sword fell from his grasp, clattering uselessly beside him.
I moved forward with an effortless grace with the barrier remaining as a shield against any further attacks, while I picked off targets with ease.
My senses, sharpened by agility, picked up every movement, every rustle around me.
The defenders were in disarray. Some tried to regroup, but the combination of my impenetrable barrier and relentless gunfire left them scrambling. They were no match for the force I brought to bear.
"Where is your king?" I asked, my voice cutting through the chaos with an almost eerie calm.
The question echoed through the corridor, met with silence. The remaining enemies looked to each other with growing fear, their resolve crumbling under the weight of my dominance.