"Get down!" Min-ho screamed at the top of his lungs as a ball of fire shot across the sky toward them.
BOOM!
"AHHHH!"
The ball of fire exploded in a cacophony of screams and cries.
Looking around, Min-ho watched in terror as things went from bad to worse.
Fingers, hands, entrails all littered the ground in a pool of blood.
He just lay dazed, his ears ringing as he wondered how things could have gone so bad.
***Two Hours Earlier***
Everyone sat cross-legged as most of them yawned and cleaned out their eyes.
"Why are you waking us? Didn't sleep a wink thanks to that damned door opening every second," Blue-hair said, his demeanor laced with annoyance.
"I woke us up this early because we have a decision to make," Min-ho said with a commanding and urgent tone that snapped everyone out of their drowsiness.
"In a couple of hours the sun will be up, by that time every Z-Streamer on this side of the Tower will flock to every Event possible, and we need to beat them to the punch."
"Did you spot the Treasure Hunt Event?" the twin with white hair spoke up, while the other with black hair still remained silent, seemingly hiding behind his brother.
"I did, but it's around six kilometers away—"
"Six kilometers?" the black-haired twin said, coming out of his shell.
But once all eyes turned to him, he shrank back, yet he did not hold his tongue.
"Six kilometers is too much, we have to reach the Heart in twenty-nine days," he said.
"I'm well aware of that, but we need the rewards the Event will give," Min-ho said.
"What about the Spectors? Won't there be much of them this early?" Savior's friend asked, her words dampening the already gloomy mood.
"I'm sure there will be, but if we're careful, I'm sure we can avoid them."
"And if we can't," the shy twin said, "then we'll have to face a Spector of unknown Tier with no weapons, armor or relics, it'd be a slaughter."
"Not exactly. On our way here, I managed to find a Gem or two hiding in some of the buildings we pas—"
"How many Coins did you gather?" Blue-hair asked, cutting Min-ho off.
Hesitating, Min-ho counted his words before speaking.
"At least five thousand."
"Five thousand?" echoed White-hair and Blue-hair.
Savior's friend, along with the shy twin, said nothing but were flustered.
Blue-hair broke out into laughter.
"And you expect us to do what with that amount of Coins?" Blue-hair asked. "I've checked our shop, the cheapest weapon there will cost that much, which means just one weapon for one of us."
"Two weapons actually. The other Gem I found gave me a Dagger," Min-ho said.
"I also managed to acquire a Gem or two," Savior, who had been quiet the whole time, said.
Her gaze was low to the ground.
Min-ho raised an eyebrow, wondering what she was on about.
He never saw her acquire any Gems.
'Was it before or after she rescued me?' Min-ho pondered.
Then it hit him.
'Maybe it's from the people she…' he didn't finish the sentence in his head.
"I was given a sword. But I'm not really good at it, so I was hoping someone who would take it, put it to better use."
"Well, we're still three fighters short."
"Two. I'm not really good at fighting," the shy twin said.
At once, all eyes were drawn to him in disbelief.
'Who would enter the Z-Tower and not know how to fight?' Min-ho questioned.
"I also can't fight," Savior's friend said, an embarrassed look on her face.
"I can't believe this. How the hell did I join a team of clowns?" Blue-hair said with anger.
He got onto his feet and began to pace with both hands on his waist.
'What made you join us then?' Min-ho wondered.
"If we're two fighters short, then that's all the more reason we should avoid fighting as much as possible," Min-ho said.
"But that's not a guarantee now, is it?" Blue-hair asked, and Min-ho paused.
This time, all eyes were on him.
"It's not, nothing is here. But I've made my argument. If any of you were to ask me, then I'd say that I really want to go to the Event. It's the only Event with no penalty for failure and also yields a high reward. Completing the challenge will ensure we are well equipped for the journey ahead."
Min-ho found himself blurting, but when he was done, he had a realization.
"But I'm not saying this to try and sway anyone's decision. I can understand it's a risky move and could set us back on our journey to the Heart. So no one should be forced to do what they don't want to."
Everyone listened, but no one had anything to say, even Blue-hair had stopped pacing to think about it.
"Since there's nothing more to be said, then I think it's time to take a vote," Min-ho said. "All in favor of going."
He raised his hand. Savior followed next, drawing a momentary glance from Min-ho.
After a second or two of contemplation, Savior's friend raised her hand.
With a sigh, Blue-hair followed, leaving the twins.
Hesitant, White-hair raised his hand, and his brother followed.
"Okay then, it's decided," Min-ho said.
After the decision was made, the weapons were distributed amongst one another. Savior had given Blue-hair her sword. And Min-ho had given Savior the 5,000 Coins to purchase a weapon suited to her tastes.
To his surprise, she had purchased the Bone Dagger.
"Also, um," Min-ho said, pausing everyone in place. "I think it's high time we all got acquainted and… share what our Affinities are."
Silence fell.
No one was willing to be the first to expose a carefully guarded secret that could give any enemy an edge over them in battle.
"I'll—"
"I'll go first," Savior's friend said, cutting Min-ho off. "My name is Cho Im-hee. My Affinity is called Bio Touch. I can heal wounds or create them." All brows rose once Im-hee had said the last part. "My Whiplash is called Furnace Kiss, and I feel the pain of whoever I heal or hurt… Luckily it's temporary."
Im-hee began to twiddle her fingers after speaking.
"That's one Affinity you've got there," Blue-hair said.
"Well, I'll be a good sport and follow along. In the spirit of teamwork or whatever." He cleared his throat. "My name is Ji Jang-book. My Affinity is called Gaia's Command. As you've all seen, I can command the earth to do whatever I want. I don't really have a limit or a Whiplash—lucky me, I guess."
They took a second to digest what he had said.
'He really is lucky,' Min-ho thought, wishing he didn't have that stupid Whiplash of his.
"My name is Han Dok-su," the white-haired twin said, "and this is my brother Han Ji-su," he gestured to his brother. "My Affinity is called Marksman, and I can place a weakness on any target I want."
Min-ho's eyes widened.
'That's a very powerful Affinity,' he thought.
"But I am limited to two uses a day, and my Whiplash will reverse the effects onto me for twelve hours anytime I miss," Dok-su added.
"My brother's Affinity is called Wide Sight. He can see anything within a hundred-meter radius."
Min-ho held in a gasp when he heard this.
'He has the same Affinity as that Relic I wanted to buy,' he thought, his heart thumping.
Had he bought that Relic, he would have wanted to jump off a bridge.
"His Whiplash is called Optic Overload, and it causes him to go blind at random. Which is why he can't fight anymore."
Everyone began to shuffle as they heard this.
Now all eyes were on Min-ho and Savior.
"I'll go next," Savior said, pulling Min-ho's attention.
For some reason, he really wanted to know her name.
"My name is…" she paused, which made Min-ho feel like he was leaning over a well. "Yo Sae-wee. And my Affinity is called Foresight, I can see instances of the future. And as for my Whiplash, I'd rather not say… at least, not now anyway."
She said, and once again, everyone took a second to soak in what was said.
Looking at Sae-wee, he felt it strange that something as simple as a name could humanize someone he perceived as an apparition.
"Well lover boy?" Jang-book said, snapping Min-ho out of his daze.
"Ah… right," Min-ho said, suddenly feeling nervous. "My name is Mee Min-ho, and my Affinity… my Affinity is called… Monarch's Will."
All eyes lit up in curiosity.
Sae-wee looked up at Min-ho as he spoke.
"My Affinity allows me to take a percentage of the Coins of those who become my subject without actually touching their rewarded Coins, also I can… I can…"
Min-ho hesitated, unsure if he should disclose the part where he would be able to control them to a degree. He lowered his gaze as he continued to contemplate.
"You can?" Jang-book asked, audibly expressing what everyone was thinking.
Min-ho began to scratch his thumb, his heart racing as he felt his skin burn from their gazes.
"I can… die if a subject of mine dies," he said, feeling a mix of emotions flood him.
He knew they wouldn't be willing to take advantage of his Affinity if he disclosed the full truth. And they needed those Coins.
"That's also quite the Affinity you've got there," Jang-book said, a hand on his chin as his brows furrowed.
"So, you can gain a percentage of our Coins? Without affecting our real Coins?" Dok-su echoed Min-ho's words in disbelief.
"That's what the description said," Min-ho responded.
"What if you actually take a percentage of our Coins away?" Jang-book asked.
"Then there wouldn't be any reason to have subjects would there?" Min-ho said honestly and everyone went quiet.
"Such an Affinity would be most invaluable if you shared the Coins equally with us," the shy twin Ji-su said, helping sway everyone's decision in Min-ho's favor.
"That's what I plan to do," Min-ho blurted.
"How do we become a subject?" Im-hee asked, stepping forward.
Min-ho paused, uncomfortable with the process.
"Come on spit it out, we haven't got all day!" Jang-book shouted, startling everyone.
"Anyone who wants to become my subject has to kiss my hand," Min-ho said, tensing up.
The twins exchanged glances, Im-hee felt embarrassed and Jang-book's face contorted in confusion. Sae-wee on the other hand, did not react.
"That's not demeaning at all," Jang-book said sarcastically.
"Well, there is a reason his Affinity is called Monarch's Will," Im-hee said with a smile.
She walked over to Min-ho and looked him in the eyes.
"Are you really okay with this? If one of us dies, there's a chance you'll be dead too." Im-hee reiterated, making Min-ho contemplate further.
"We need those Coins," Min-ho said, very sure where his stance was regarding his Affinity.
"Okay then." Im-hee picked up his hand and kissed it with a curtsy.
"Your majesty," she joked before walking back to Sae-wee's side.
[Monarch's Will Activated]
[Subject Acquired]
[Name: Cho Im-hee, Rank: E]
[Affinities, Equipment]
[Inventory, Shop]
[Coins: 0]
[Subsidiary Affinity Activated]
[Affinity 'Command' Is In Effect]
[Affinity 'Enhance' Is In Effect]
[Affinity 'Sacrifice' Is In Effect]
Min-ho's eyes widened upon seeing this list.
'Subsidiary Affinity?' Min-ho pondered.
"It won't be sensible to not become a subject," Ji-su said to his brother Dok-su.
Dok-su paused for a moment, before sighing and making his way toward Min-ho, with Ji-su following behind.
He picked up Min-ho's hand and kissed it without saying a word.
[Monarch's Will Activated]
[Subject Acquired]
[Name: Han Dok-su, Rank: E]
[Affinities, Equipment]
[Inventory, Shop]
[Coins: 0]
[Subsidiary Affinity Activated]
[Affinity 'Command' Is In Effect]
[Affinity 'Enhance' Is In Effect]
[Affinity 'Sacrifice' Is In Effect]
Min-ho ran his eyes through the texts subconsciously.
After Dok-su kissed his hand, he took a step back and waited for his brother.
Ji-su paused, staring at Min-ho's hand for a second too long.
"Ji-su," Dok-su called out, snapping his brother out of his daze.
He shook a bit, before picking up Min-ho's hand and kissing it in haste before rushing back.
Once again, the screens appeared before Min-ho.
Jang-book sighed deeply, then marched to Min-ho's side and picked up his hand, kissing it in a curtsy.
"Wait, that was an accident," Jang-book said, prompting a giggle from Im-hee.
He walked back to his side while trying not to flush in embarrassment.
Min-ho was still dazed, staring at the screens, itching to investigate what they meant.
'Was this what the System meant by controlling them to a degree? What did sacrifice mean?' Min-ho thought, his body becoming tense.
"Well creepy girl?" Jang-book said to Sae-wee, calling Min-ho's attention.
As she stood, everyone stared at her.
"I won't be joining in," she said to everyone's astonishment.
"What?" Jang-book questioned.
Min-ho said nothing, he just stared in contemplation.
"We don't know if there could be some hidden consequences to all of us being linked together like this. If something bad happens, it'll be wise to have someone—"
"You know what, save it," Jang-book said, making his way to the door. "We've wasted enough time already."
Though an obvious question was on everyone's mind, they withheld it for now and followed Jang-book to the door.
"Let's go," Im-hee said, pulling on Sae-wee.
Min-ho wasn't sure what to say or how to react to this. He had a lot running through his mind right now that he didn't know how to process any of it.
Exhaling, he decided to ignore everything for now and focus on the most important matter at hand. So he followed.
"How the hell do you open this damned door?!" Jang-book yelled.
Finally having left their room, the team made it to the exit of the temple.
After much traversal and several close encounters, they managed to make it to the Event location in the nick of time.
Once they got into the massive hall, the doors around them had shut close.
Inside the hall, there were about 60 or more Z-Streamers, each one ready to haul a massive amount of loot.
'Or kill each other for it,' Min-ho thought, his hands ready to summon his dagger from his Inventory.
Standing still, Min-ho and his team along with the six or so dozen Z-Streamers waited for the Event to begin.
Before their very eyes, the same icon that had been atop the building appeared in the middle of the massive hall.
Everyone waited in anticipation for the event to begin. But instead, the Icon of the map started to glitch. And in an instant, the map changed to a skull.
Gasps escaped everyone, but they weren't even allowed to process what had just happened before Spectors appeared around them all.
Without a moment's notice, the Spectors lashed out, tearing into the Z-Streamers in a cacophony of screams.
Just as the Spectors were about to attack Min-ho's team, Jang-book used his Affinity Gaia's Command. With a jolt of the ground, the team shot into the sky, narrowly escaping the Spectors' attack.
While in midair, Jang-book created a sloping rock-slide so they slid down without hurting themselves.
Getting onto his feet with a groan, Min-ho watched what was happening around him in terror.
'How is this possible?'