Silence gripped the Slum for several tense seconds after the announcement, as a single thought coursed through the minds of nearly every player: 'Three disaster worlds in one week? And One Piece in the Slums?' The mere mention of that particular world had left them all speechless. One Piece was a well-known world, not just in the Slum, but throughout all of Paradise. Yet, missions to such a high-level world were rare in the lower levels, confined mostly to the higher realms. Tales of its extreme dangers and unrelenting chaos had filtered down to the Slum through rumours and horror stories, but none had expected to see it unleashed here.
"One Piece… Paradise sure is cruel when it feels like it," Jacob muttered, his tone grim.
Ali turned his head, noticing the frustration written all over Jacob's face. His expression was mirrored by the other players scattered around the area, each of them grappling with the sheer brutality of what they'd just witnessed. 'They have this odd sense of camaraderie,' Ali mused silently as he observed the crowd. 'When they're in different worlds, they're selfish—willing to betray and kill each other at the drop of a hat for personal gain. But now, watching the weekly review together, there's this… pride. It's like they take comfort in the idea that even one of them can make it through. There's this strange solidarity in survival. Hm. Maybe it's about beating the system—a shared victory when a human survives this hellscape. A fight against something greater than themselves.' Ali's understanding of Paradise grew deeper as the scene unfolded before him.
The silence was finally broken as the next section of the review began, heralding a collective sigh of relief from the crowd. It was clear that no one wanted to hear of another slaughter. The misery of the past three worlds was already more than enough for a month's worth of suffering.
"Best performances this week:"
The change in tone brought an air of anticipation to the Slum. The focus shifted from tragedy to triumph.
"World: Game of Thrones"
"Players sent: 185"
"Players returned: 135"
"Grade of best performer: B+"
"Best Performer: Chosen One"
Jacob practically burst out laughing the moment he read the name aloud. "Pfffft! Chosen One? Hahahahaha!" His laughter was uncontrollable, and several heads turned toward him in the restaurant.
Ali allowed himself a small smile at the ridiculousness of the name. 'Someone clearly needs a reality check,' he thought, amused by the audacity.
"Still, a B+ is a solid grade," Jacob continued, wiping away a tear from his eye. "Although I've never heard of the name before, and I definitely would've remembered it if I had. Regardless, I'm sure a lot of people are going to be paying close attention to this 'Chosen One' now."
Ali nodded in agreement. It was inevitable—Paradise had a way of thrusting the best performers into the spotlight, whether they liked it or not.
The next announcement followed swiftly.
"World: Vampire Diaries"
"Players sent: 100"
"Players returned: 45"
"Grade of Best Performer: A-"
"Best Performer: Fire Falcon"
Jacob's face contorted into a mixture of frustration and disbelief. "Fuuuuck, that bitch did it," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
"You know this player?" Ali asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jacob sighed. "Unfortunately, yeah. I wish I didn't. She's going to be absolutely unbearable now. Down here in the Slum, there are only two apostles left—that's me and her. Fire Falcon, the apostle of the Fire Guild. I met her once in a world… she ended up torching an entire squad of Water Guild guys who were after me. And not because she wanted to help me. No, she just did it because she felt like it. Classic case of a kid being given way too much power."
"So… sounds like a close friend," Ali said dryly, a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
Jacob snorted. "Her? Not in a million years. She's nothing but a pain in my ass, always poking her nose where it doesn't belong."
Ali didn't respond, only turning his attention back to the giant blue screen as another alert came up, catching the eyes of everyone still watching.
"World: Tokyo Ghoul"
Jacob's eyes widened as a grin spread across his face. "There it is, man. Be ready to be famous…" he said excitedly, almost bouncing in his seat.
"Players sent: 194"
"Players survived: 20"
Jacob whistled, mockingly impressed. "Damn, you really did a number on them, didn't you?"
Ali didn't flinch at the comment. "I'll admit I played a part in thinning the numbers, but it wasn't all me. You and the ghouls did your fair share of killing as well."
Jacob chuckled, satisfied with Ali's response.
"Grade of Best Performance: S-"
As soon as the grade appeared, the entire Slum went wide-eyed. Even Jacob, who had been full of bravado moments ago, turned to Ali with surprise written all over his face. Every player had two immediate thoughts: 'What kind of monster earns an S grade?' and 'What kind of reward does someone like that even get?' The legendary S-grade was rare, a mark of almost superhuman accomplishment.
But before Jacob could voice his question, the next line appeared.
"Best Performer: Violet Butterfly"
Jacob blinked, his face twisting into confusion before turning to Ali with an incredulous expression. "Wait a second… You named yourself Violet Butterfly?" he asked, trying—and failing—to suppress his laughter.
Ali turned away from the tower and fixed his cold, dark eyes on Jacob. "What do you think, idiot?" he said icily.
The look on Ali's face was enough to make Jacob shrink back slightly, even in the relative safety of the Slum. "My bad… it was just a joke," Jacob said quickly, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "But seriously… who the hell could have scored higher than you?"
Ali considered the question for a moment before responding. "You mentioned OWL wasn't supposed to be there. Perhaps the player who sent him was responsible for the highest score. OWL did take out a lot of high-level ghouls in the auction. I saw the corpses myself. The ghoul leaders were all dead before I even arrived."
Jacob nodded thoughtfully, his earlier playfulness gone. "Yeah… that's the only explanation that makes sense." He paused, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Well, my time here is almost up. I'm heading to a better life—at least that's what they promised me. I'll see you up there soon enough. Don't forget to reach out when you make it to the second level."
With that, Jacob rose from the table and descended the stairs, blending into the bustling crowd of players around the tower. Ali watched him disappear before standing up himself and leaving the restaurant.
As he wandered through the crowded market streets, he passed by various shops displaying their wares—most of them selling items related to spirit energy or information about other worlds. There were also armour and clothing stores, all promising newcomers better chances of survival. In reality, though, all they did was offer a slightly more expensive way to die.
Ali's attention was caught by a small craftsman's shop that specialised in custom leather garments. The store appeared empty from the outside, with nothing but a simple sign to indicate what it sold. Intrigued, Ali pushed the door open and stepped inside, stopping dead in his tracks as he found himself face-to-face with someone he had not expected to see.
Standing before him was the same stunning blonde elf who had been on the stone platform when he first arrived in Paradise.
The elf had been about to leave the shop but now stood frozen in place, blocked by Ali's imposing presence. Ali simply stared down at her, his eyes locking with the elf's, aware that she could kill him in an instant if she so chose.
The elf, noticing his gaze, raised an eyebrow and asked in her soft, melodious voice, "What are you looking at?"
Without hesitation, Ali replied calmly, "You. But I could ask you the same thing."
The elf was momentarily taken aback by Ali's calm demeanour. Most players in the Slum were far too intimidated to even look Paradise officials in the eyes, let alone speak to them so directly.
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