A game needs to be captivating, and filled with countless new things to discover. Fall of the Karvaia Empire was exactly that—a game brimming with endless possibilities, all waiting for me.
Yet, there was always something that felt off, like a piece of the puzzle was missing. There was something the game on a monitor just couldn't capture.
The sense of immersion, the feeling of truly being there—the adrenaline, the fear, the weight of every decision.
No matter how engaging the game was, it couldn't replicate the rush of facing real danger or the satisfaction of overcoming it. The monitor separated me from the world, making it feel like just another game.
But this? This is exactly the perfect game I've been waiting for—a game where everything is on the line. Your life, your friends, your future—it's all part of the stakes.
I craved this. A world where death could strike without warning. A game that doesn't let you restart over and over again.
There was only one chance.
Fail?
You lose it all.
The thrill of walking the edge of destruction is intoxicating. My dull existence has been transformed into something exhilarating.
Control over the whole game? That's a luxury I no longer have here.
A fresh new start.
Something familiar yet strange is taking over. And naturally, I'll embrace it with everything I have.
I will fulfill my role in this game. Steering it to completion.
Will I succeed? Only time will tell.
For now, I have to pass this current situation.
The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, with two moons reflecting sunlight that cascaded down towards the forest. The surroundings were marked by fallen trees and a clearing where no trees stood. The nearest standing tree was a couple dozen meters away from where we stood.
Standing in front of us was, the bulky man who instilled such intense fear that I silently gritted my teeth, my nails digging into my palms as a cold sweat broke out.
His presence was overwhelming, like an ant standing before a towering giant, its massive foot poised to crush you. That impending sense of doom—it's what I'm feeling right now.
It was overwhelming, and I struggled to keep from passing out. As a
In the future, I'll face beings far more powerful than him, so I can't afford to buckle now.
Dark tendrils spread outward from his body, twisting the air around him as he radiated immense waves of visible demonic mana. The soil beneath him turned dark and corrupted, slowly eroding the surroundings.
Black threads enveloped Kellen's battered, headless body, crumpled on the ground. The tendrils coiled around him, absorbing him in a grotesque display. From his legs to his arms, and finally his torso, Kellen was consumed into nothingness.
Throughout the process, the man's expression twisted into a semblance of satisfaction. He licked his lips as Kellen's body dissolved.
As he retracted his mana and glanced toward us, I felt an invisible weight descend upon me. The moment his gaze met mine, my body seemed to grow several tons heavier.
The air grew oppressively heavy. My breathing became ragged, sweat trickling down my face as I struggled to stay on my feet. Each breath felt like my lungs were on fire, and my vision blurred as I fought against the crushing pressure.
As for Ryder, he was also struggling. His already pale face had turned even whiter, and his body trembled as he leaned on his sword like a cane, desperately trying to stay upright. His legs shook uncontrollably beneath him, betraying the immense strain he was under.
It seemed as though his legs might give out any second, like prey about to be torn apart by a predator. But he was the Hero—he couldn't afford to fall.
My mind raced, searching for the best way out. This man was the current captain of the Black Regiment, notorious for their brutality.
Every mission they undertook left people in fear. Depending on his mood and that of his members, they would either leave bodies with all their limbs detached, hanging from whatever random stick they could find—branches, stones, weapons, even the limbs of their victims.
The Black Regiment was the Syndicate's cruelest force. While they weren't the strongest, they were infamous for instilling fear wherever traces of their attacks were found.
Just imagining the scene nearly made me puke, as in the game, it was just portrayed in text and the scene was never shown to the players.
Why do I have to remember such a fact so vividly? I sighed inwardly.
The bulky man was called Lucian Vale, one of the Syndicate's Elders. He held a four-star rank, placing him in the mid-tier among the Elders.
But even if he wasn't at the top, he still shouldn't be underestimated. His prowess was a tier above Darius's, placing him around
"Are you done thinking?" he sneered. "I didn't expect two freshmen to withstand my pressure! How outstanding you must be to not instantly faint before me. Such talents are only found once a century, and yet here you are, standing side by side."
His lips curled into a twisted smile as he laughed maniacally.
"How lucky for me to find you both. Seeing you, I have so many wondrous ideas! Hmm, maybe you'll make excellent test subjects. Such perfect materials—I can hardly wait!"
His voice dripped with eerie anticipation as he revealed the twisted plans he had in store for us.
It was not common for him to say something like that. He indeed did enjoy twisting out talented young beings, subjecting them to torture, and other horrible things.
Whenever the Hero got captured by him, the game would automatically end for 99% of the part.
"...How disgusting."
A young girl's voice called out from behind me. I spun around, startled, and saw her standing there. Her golden hair flowed freely, catching the sunlight, and her amber eyes sparkled brightly. She wore the academy's standard t-shirt, but it was her presence that left me stunned.
It was Liora.
My eyes widened in shock. I hadn't expected to see her here.
"How are you here..?"
"We can talk about that later, but isn't there someone else more important to deal with as of right now?"
Her shivering eyes glared towards Lucian who had another eureka moment as he also just noticed her.
"Interesting! A young girl like you can bypass my detection? No wait. There's an artifact shielding your presence. And judging by your hair and eye color, you are most likely from the Karavia royal family's bloodline! Good! Very excellent!"
…fuck why is she here?
Did she see us leaving and decide to follow? She was alone, without any bodyguards, and her artifacts wouldn't protect her from Lucian.
She walked toward Ryder and me. Ryder inched closer to me, his gaze wary. Liora leaned in and, in a hushed tone, murmured to me.
"Hey, what should we do now?"
"...Right. What should we do now? If only you didn't bring us to here, I wouldn't have to meet this insane guy!"
Ryder voiced all his built-up complaints to me.
"You should protect me now, Master!"
Liora glanced between Ryder and me, momentarily forgetting about Lucian, who was impatiently waiting for us to finish our conversation.
Looking puzzled, she said, "...I don't understand this strange obsession you have with Alyssa right now. But you can probably get us out of here, right? You're the one who dealt with the Jester, after all."
What? Why are the future strongest beings relying on me, a mere extra?!
Did I somehow trigger an automatic response in their heads, making them think I'm all-powerful or something?
"...do you think I'm powerful to face against that being?!"
Both of their faces showed confusion.
"Didn't you always have a plan or something? I know Professor breakthrough was thanks to you, and Alice's sudden power-up was too. And you dealt with that Jester by whatever means."
Ryder simply nodded, agreeing with what Liora had just said.
"Oh? You're the one who killed that clown? But your powers are barely in the middle ranges of being a 4th tier? How intriguing indeed!"
My brows knitted into a frown. These two were relying on me far too much. I'd somehow given the impression that I was incredibly powerful, but the truth was, I wasn't—at least, not yet.
I decided to go with the bluffing route. And maybe a seasoning of threat.
"Yeah, I did kill that clown. Honestly, he was far too weak for my taste."
I forced myself to remain calm, and I think I managed it well enough.
"He was such a useless person, don't you also agree, Lucian?"
Swoosh—!
A dark purple sword materialized in front of me, crafted from pure mana. It radiated tremendous power, the kind only Grandmasters could wield. Manifesting mana to this extent was a rare feat, physically altering the world around it.
"How did you know that?"
Lucian's cheerful grin vanished, replaced by a wary frown.
"Answer me!"
A shockwave of mana surged through the area, overwhelming all three of us. Ryder and Liora collapsed in sheer fear, while I struggled to hold onto my consciousness. I couldn't afford to fall now after making it this far.
I slowly lifted my fingers, forcing them to not tremble as I held it alongside the materialized word. Slightly pushing force into it, it had moved.
'...It seems he fell for it.'
"You shouldn't yell in front of me you know? My ears are quite sensitive."
Now with the sword out of the way, I moved my fingers behind my ears to relieve it of its itch, while portraying I was getting annoyed by his voice.
"A weakling like you shouldn't dare to raise your voice in front of me. Do you understand?"
I curled my lips into a slight smile, trying to appear nonchalant, though I was panicking inside. Lucian shuddered momentarily, and I caught the shift in his demeanor.
He seemed even more wary of me, probably wondering, How does she know? Did she call me a weakling? Could she be an ancient monster hiding beneath that skin?
Despite his villainous role, I had to admit he was strikingly handsome. His pristine jawline, violet eyes, sharp nose, and slicked-back black hair gave him an almost regal appearance.
Even a villain could be this attractive. But he was also incredibly old, having somehow maintained this youthful appearance until his eventual death.
"Who are you?"
A thin hint of panic crept into his voice.
"Who am I? I wonder that myself. I could be a nobody or someone you'd never dare to stand against."
Lucian's annoyance was palpable as I continued to toy with him. It wasn't as fun as I had hoped, but it was still thrilling. The fact that a mere facade could unsettle someone of his caliber was oddly satisfying. Without his squad here, he was even more vulnerable, lacking any immediate backup and feedback.
"You. I won't repeat myself. Tell me who you are, or we'll fight."
His voice lacked the confidence he was trying so hard to project. Only high-ranking members of the Syndicate knew their names, so the notion that someone like me might know his was shocking—especially given his decades of masked identity and the only few outside the Syndicate who should know about him.
As Lucian's mana receded from my earlier display, Liora and Ryder struggled to stand, their confusion deepening as they looked at me.
"...Who are you, really, Alyssa?"
Tsk... Why couldn't they just be quiet or faint until I finished with Lucian?
"Don't worry about it now. Things are getting a little heated. He's growing very impatient, you know?"
All three of us glanced at Lucian, who looked like he might explode at any moment.
"It seems we're settling this with a battle."
"Do you really think so?"
In a low whisper, I muttered,
"Sovereign's Path."