Axel could feel a surge of energy building inside him. As he opened his eyes, his vision became clear, allowing him to see colors and objects from a far distance, beyond what a normal eye could perceive.
"What's happening to me?" he thought, questioning his own sanity as he repeatedly opened and closed his eyes to confirm if he was hallucinating or not.
Rian shook his head in pity, saying, "His head is going to explode... One... Two... Three... Boom..." However, to his surprise, nothing happened to Axel.
"It seems the duration is longer than expected," Rosa sighed heavily.
Ignoring the comments from the other players, Axel turned his attention to the system.
"What is the purpose of this golden vision pill?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed, waiting for an answer.
*Ding!*
(I thought you would never ask.)
"Huh? Aren't you supposed to explain everything to us without us asking?" Rian angrily retorted, sucking his teeth.
Ding!
(The golden vision pill allows you to see beyond the capabilities of human eyes. You can see objects from thousands of miles away, discerning their colors and details without needing to get closer.)
"Oh... I see," Axel nodded in agreement.
"How do you feel?" Livi asked, her expression filled with concern.
"Good!" Axel replied, briefly turning his gaze to her before refocusing on the system.
*Ding!*
(Your golden eyes will appear whenever you need them. To summon them, simply call for them in your mind.)
"You should test it now, Axel. Let's see how it works," Rosa suggested excitedly. Axel nodded in agreement, about to summon his golden eyes, but was interrupted by the system announcement.
*Ding!*
(Note: You can only summon the golden eyes for something important, as you can only use them once while still at level 10/100.)
"Damn! I hate this system," the dreaded man cursed bitterly, his arms crossed.
(The yellow pill increases your energy level by 10/100 percent, filling you with more
energy.)
"Shouldn't the energy level be higher than ten, considering we all possess some energy already?" Livi questioned, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Well, I'm still not using this pill until I see that Axel's head remains intact," Rian declared.
*Ding!*
(You have two days of rest before the next mission commences.)
"Finally! We can take some rest," Livi sighed heavily, taking a seat on the floor.
"Come lay on me, baby," the dreaded man said, sitting down and gesturing for Livi to join him.
"Get lost!" Livi yelled, rolling her eyes.
Axel found a spot in the tiled hallway of the hospital and took a seat, burying his head in his lap. Thoughts of his wife and daughter flooded his mind, and despite his outward strength, his heart ached. He blamed himself for what had happened to them, wishing he had never become an assassin and had lived a carefree life like everyone else.
"Hey! What's wrong with you?" a voice asked, tapping Axel on the shoulder. He recognized the voice as Livi's and raised his head to acknowledge her.
"Nothing. Just exhausted from the game earlier," he responded, forcing a smile.
"Since we're the only survivors of the first game, we're now a team. We should get to know each other better," Rian suggested.
"Team?" the dreaded man scoffed. "I hate teams."
"I accept your suggestion. We should all get to know each other better after going through life and death together," Rosa said, her expression filled with excitement.
"We already know Axel," Livi said with a sigh. "Rian and I have introduced ourselves to him. It's just the two of you who haven't introduced yourselves yet," she added, pointing towards Rosa and the dreaded man.
"Oh yes! I'm Wilson Rosalie, Rosa for short," Rosa introduced herself with a bright smile. "Nice to meet you, Axe."
"Nice to meet you too, Rosa," Axel replied, returning her smile.
The players turned their attention to the dreaded man, waiting for him to make an introduction. However, he remained silent, showing no intention of introducing himself.
"Hey?" Livi called, making the dreaded man turn his gaze towards her with a questioning look. "Aren't you going to introduce yourself?" she asked.
"I told you I hate teams. I'm not interested in forming unnecessary alliances," the dreaded man replied, rolling his eyes.
"Ignore his foolishness," Rosa said to Axel. "He is Taylor Anthony, Ant for short."
"Hey! Who asked you to tell him my name?" Anthony yelled, his tone filled with anger.
"Stop the drama, Ant. We all know you're upset that your girlfriend is spending more time with him, ignoring you," Rian said quietly, loud enough for everyone in the hospital hall to hear.
"Everyone must be very hungry. I'll go grab some food from the supermarket," Livi said, standing up.
"I'll come with you," Rosa volunteered.
"Do you wanna come with me?" Livi asked, cutting off Rosa as she extended her hand towards Axel, causing Rosa to take a step back.
"Damn! I hate that guy," Anthony cursed bitterly, watching the display of drama unfold before him, his expression filled with anger and hatred.
"I need some fresh air to clear my mind after all," Axel thought to himself, grabbing Livi's hand.
"Let's go," he said, walking alongside Livi out of the hospital.
_
_
The night breeze was cool, and the stars filled the dark blue sky with their ethereal glow. The silver orb of the moon illuminated the lonely street, casting a gentle light on everything below.
Axel looked up at the night sky, letting out a heavy sigh. "Why is the sky so beautiful? It looks even more beautiful today than any other day."
"You can still appreciate the beauty of the night after going through that bloody game," Livi said with a smirk. "You really have a strong heart. What caused your death in the real world?"
"Death," Axel replied, causing Livi to stop in her tracks, her eyebrows raised in confusion.
"I know it's death," Livi said. "But what kind of death specifically?"
"You don't have to know the kind of death that killed me but If you knew the kind of person I am, you wouldn't even want to walk down this street with me," Axel replied, attempting to walk past her. However, he was once again blocked by Livi's slender figure.
"What kind of person are you?" Livi asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"I'm someone who can kill you right here, right now," Axel replied. "I am death itself."
Livi went silent after what Axel said, and even though she didn't say a word more, fear and terror were evident in her eyes.