Amandus bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment of Lasiv's words. "I accept that I made a mistake, and I will face the consequences later. However, I assure you that capturing the leader will satisfy you," he responded as if acknowledging his error and offering reassurance regarding the captive he had focused on.
Lasiv nodded in acknowledgment of Amandus's response, though she did not offer any verbal reply.
However, her satisfied expression conveyed that she found his acknowledgment and assurance adequate.
As I observed their interaction, countless thoughts began to flood my mind, questioning the identities of these people, particularly Lasiv, and the nature of their relationship and goal.
Just who was she?
Lasiv's remarkable feat of singlehandedly defeating an S-tier demon lord, a threat of city-level magnitude, left no doubt that she was no ordinary person.
There was no undeniable anymore that a power beyond High and Obsidian rank exist. Damn it, it was already impossible for me to obtain High-rank as peasant but now the reality of a power beyond what I wanted to achieve present before me, it was like life was laughing at me.
The arrival of two others who effortlessly destroyed the ceiling and swiftly subdued the almost-evolving demon lord only added to the mystery.
What puzzled me even more was the absence of any visible signs of magic or indications of being high-rankers yet their power seemed to even overwhelm the Orc demon lord.
These people seemed to possess extraordinary abilities that surpassed the game's mechanics.
As a devoted fan of the game, I knew that the majority of players in the city of Eternia were from the Singa Sanctuary and the South Red Sea continent.
If these people were renowned high-rankers, their names and faces would undoubtedly be familiar to me.
I prided myself on being well-versed in the knowledge of the game's ranking list, and it was highly unlikely that I would have overlooked someone as powerful as them.
In this era, concealing one's identity as a high-ranker was nearly impossible, unless they ranked among the top 20 players in the solar system leaderboard.
The system rewarded such exceptional players with a life of wealth and numerous societal benefits, including the ability to hide their names and information from the public.
Even the most skilled hackers would struggle and ask for permanent death sentences to uncover their true identities.
Their ability to remain anonymous in a world where information was readily accessible raised more questions than answers.
As I contemplated the possibility that the person before me might be among the top 20 strongest rankers across the solar system, I reminded myself that Lasiv had mentioned she was not a ranker. It seemed unlikely that she would be part of that elite group. Then I came to conclusion for now that she was really someone who had the same power as regressor that could jump between timeline, and TWOD might not be a game.
If this was true, my sense of logical reality would be challenged.
Feeling my strength wane and my vision growing increasingly blurry, I realized the gravity of my situation.
This was the first time in the game that I felt so close to death. Even in a virtual world where pain was supposed to be non-existent, the threat to my life felt all too real as if I closed my eyes now I could be dead for real.
Overwhelmed by the sensation, I decided to lay low and observe the unfolding situation, desperately hoping for some respite and a chance to recover.
As I grappled with the uncertainty of what happened to those who perished within this chamber, a wave of unease washed over me. Were they merely losing their avatars and rendered unable to continue playing the game, or were they facing a fate far more worse?
The thought of permanent death in a virtual game was unsettling to me, but what made me felt true fear was the thought of dying in real life as well.
From a distance, I observed Lasiv gracefully leap onto the debris that had accumulated on the massive body of the defeated demon lord. Standing tall and confident, she looked down at him and uttered something that I strained to hear.
Her words carried a sense of authority and determination as if she were addressing the fallen embodiment of evil itself.
Her voice carried across the distance yet barely reached my ears "Who gave you the Sourceon? Someone must be aiding you in the fourth dimension, additionally how come you can allow PVP to be in the system of this realm?"
The demon lord, seemingly regaining consciousness yet unable to continue fighting, responded [We are all mere pawns, enslaved by the Divine system, compelled to carry out its desires.] His words conveyed a sense of resignation.
"So you won't tell me..."
With remarkable agility, Lasiv swiftly lifted her slender leg and brought it down upon the debris with astonishing speed.
The impact was so powerful that it caused the debris to split into two, sending shards flying in all directions.
The force generated from her energy surged through the demon lord's back, creating a dazzling energy blast that illuminated the chamber once again.
The impact reverberated throughout the chamber, causing cracks to spiderweb across the walls like shattered glass.
In the aftermath of this devastating attack, the demon lord, unable to withstand any more punishment, coughed up black blood, a clear sign of his weakened state.
The intensity of the moment left me breathless as my body was also impacted by the energy blast shockwave.
Lasiv's calm yet intimidating voice resonated through the chamber as she demanded a decisive answer. "Do not speak ambiguously. I want a clear and definitive answer. Who is aiding you?"
The demon lord responded [Even I tell you, it is too late. The Divine judgment has arrived into this realm as well as this timeline. There is a war in the fourth dimension, time will collapse and only killing the Einsamer of this timeline can save it.]
Lasiv's frown deepened as she issued her response. "So you are aware of the existence of the multiverse.. and the potential of Einsamer Stern" she replied, her voice laced with a hint of frustration.
She added, "The overseer narrator lacks authority over the fourth dimension, and the sequence of creation and timeline has branched out."
Just what are they talking about? The overseer narrator? The Divine judgement? I felt so overwhelmed with unknown information right now. But I could only continue to eardrop on their conversation to know more.
And I was no one important, killing me wouldn't make any difference.
The demon lord's chuckle filled the chamber as he responded with a seemingly contradictory statement. [Who allowed player versus player combat in the city? Who allowed me to create a hidden base here? Only the Overseer narrator from beyond could do that,] he declared.
"I see, so the archon and the overseer narrator of this timeline has finally join hand. It means in this timeline, a great war in the fourth dimension is coming...no wonder they try to kill all Einsamer in every timelines."
-Overseer narrator? Me in every timeline? The multiverse?- I pondered.
She turned to look at me but I pretended to close my eyes like I heard nothing.
His words seem to hint at a higher power that had granted him these abilities, further deepening the mystery beyond the game's mechanics. I wish I could become deaf right now so I wouldn't think of myself going slowly insane with the information I heard from them.
Shit, after all I knew there were other reality beside my own.
Suddenly, the demon lord's voice echoed with regret as he shouted, seemingly out of nowhere. [I am sorry, everyone, for failing you. I am sorry that I couldn't save our civilization.]
As if the unexpected outburst revealed a profound sense of remorse and a weight of responsibility that the demon lord carried within him. Does he have a complex backstory and a deeper connection to the game's lore? More importantly, is this even a game anymore?
His body bathed in a vivid crimson glow, emitting lines of red light that spread across his form. The surrounding atmosphere grew increasingly stifling, the heat intensifying with every passing moment.
Sensing the impending danger, I noticed Lasiv swiftly leaped back and landed on the ground, her movements seems calculated and decisive.
With a commanding tone, she instructed the two men beside her "Carry the unconscious woman and that old man to safety."
Amandus nodded in agreement, yet he seemed surprised with a sense of disbelief at the demon lord's action saying "This fool is sacrificing his spirit to activate the Source!
Erebus then reminded him "Do as she commands you, don't talk!"
Amandus "Aight aight."
When Amandus's words echoed in my ears, I comprehended the culmination of events. The situation had escalated to its climax, with the demon lord preparing to self-destruct in a probably grand and potentially devastating explosion.
And I knew one more things, there might be a war happened beyond time and space....I hope all of this was a prank but the pain I felt was too real, it was too realistic and gruesome to be a prank.