Chapter 1: The Hunt

“This is the end, Rain.”

“Then stop talking.”

Rain moved first.

The moment the front line formed, an arrow slipped through a gap that shouldn’t exist. A player dropped before anyone understood what happened.

"Contact!"

“Where is he?!”

Behind them.

A dagger flashed trailing a faint, dark distortion. Another body fell.

Rain didn’t rush. He didn’t hesitate either. Every step landed where it needed to be, every attack placed before his enemies fully committed.

“Spread out! Track him!”

They tried. They failed.

Another arrow cut through the back line. A second player dropped.

[Fragment Acquired]

Rain ignored it.

Not now.

He didn’t have time.

“Don’t fight him alone!”

That voice—calm, controlled cut through the noise of the battlefield.

“Close formation. No gaps. Force him in.”

This time, they adapted.

Shields locked. Spacing tightened. No blind spots.

Rain slowed.

Just slightly.

His eyes moved, scanning, counting, recalculating.

“…better.”

Then he stepped forward anyway.

The clash hit harder this time.

An arrow blocked.

A second deflected.

His dagger strike stopped.

“Now!”

Control skills activated in sequence, tightening around him instead of overlapping. Space collapsed.

Rain twisted, countless attack came from all directions.

A blade cut across his side.

Another followed.

His HP dropped.

“Keep pressure!”

“Don’t let him reset!”

Rain stepped back.

The gap closed instantly.

No escape.

No hesitation.

He shifted again, forcing an opening—one down, then two.

A brief gap.

Too brief.

A spear pierced through his shoulder.

He stopped.

Just for a moment.

Enough.

“Finish it!”

Steel came from every direction.

—

[You have died]

[Respawning…]

Light returned.

“He's here—spawn confirmed!”

Rain moved—

Too slow.

—

[You have died]

[Respawning…]

“They’re already on him!”

A step.

A delay.

Steel.

—

[You have died]

[Respawning…]

Again.

Rain forced himself forward the moment his vision formed.

An arrow released.

One down.

A dagger—

Interrupted.

“Don’t let him move!”

—

[You have died]

[Respawning…]

“…How many times now?”

“Doesn’t matter. Keep going.”

“He’s still not logging out?”

[Respawning…]

Rain inhaled slowly.

Something was wrong.

Not the system.

Him.

[Neural Load Increasing]

Ignored.

—

[You have died]

[Respawning…]

Faster.

Before thinking.

Before seeing.

Move first—

Mistimed.

—

[You have died]

[Respawning…]

[Fragment Acquired]

[Fragments Pending Assimilation]

Rain ignored them.

Not now.

He didn’t have time.

“…One more.”

[Respawning…]

He pushed forward.

One down.

Two—

Almost.

A flicker.

[Neural Load High]

Too slow.

—

[You have died]

[Respawning…]

…

Silence.

Longer.

[Neural Load Critical]

“…He’s still going?”

“…Is he insane?”

“Just end it.”

Rain didn’t move immediately.

His thoughts dragged.

Heavy.

Slow.

Breaking.

But his eyes remained steady.

“…One more.”

[Respawning…]

The world tried to form—

Then froze.

A sharp signal tore through everything.

—

Silence.

Darkness.

And then—

Light.

[Welcome, Player]

[Please select your starting element]

Rain stared at the screen.

Unmoving.

…Day One.

Rain didn’t move.

The screen remained in front of him.

Clean. Familiar.

Exactly as it should be.

He should have selected already.

But his hand didn’t move.

For some reason— he already knew what would happen next.

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