Raven's third eye narrowed, his gaze icy cold.
"Then you will die, boy."
The boy stood tall, unflinching despite Raven's oppressive presence. His voice rang clear. "Do what you want. I won't play this game, even if it means death."
A hush fell over the crowd.
Then—a slow, deliberate clap broke the silence.
An old man stepped forward, his silver hair glinting under the darkened sky. He studied the boy, admiration flickering in his aged eyes.
"You know, boy," the old man mused, his voice steady, "despite your youth, you are the only one here worthy of being called a man. The rest?" His gaze swept over the cowering crowd. "They are nothing but children."
Then, he turned to face Raven directly. His wrinkled hands curled into fists. "I, too, refuse to play this game."
Another man in the crowd hesitated—then stepped forward. "So do I."
Then another.
And another.
The defiance spread like wildfire. One by one, people rose to their feet, their voices ringing through the air.
"I won't play either!"
"Neither will I!"
Raven's wings twitched, his once-amused expression darkening. A shadow of killing intent flickered around him. "You think defying me makes you strong?" His voice dripped with venom.
Feng Yun leaned against a crumbling wall, a smirk playing on his lips. His sharp eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Hah... now this is interesting."
The once-terrified sheep had found their teeth. The meek had turned mighty.
But as Raven lifted his wing, preparing to unleash devastation upon the rebellious crowd—
A voice, calm and authoritative, shattered the tension.
"Don't harm them, Raven."
The air grew heavy.
Raven stiffened. His eyes darted toward the unseen speaker.
A tremor ran through his body as he whispered, "M-Manager…?"
A deep, indifferent voice echoed from nowhere. "We need them. They agreed to this game at the start. Let them have their moment. In the end, they will play by the rules."
Raven's beak clenched shut. For the first time, uncertainty flickered in his gaze. "What do I do now?"
The Manager's response was final. "Return. Your time is up."
A growl of frustration rumbled in Raven's throat. He turned his gaze back to the crowd, his anger boiling beneath the surface.
Then, he laughed.
A cruel, mocking sound. "Hahaha… Do whatever you want, you lowly humans. Enjoy your little rebellion."
With a powerful flap of his wings, he soared into the sky.
But his laughter still echoed.
"Let me give you some advice—" he called out, his voice dripping with malice.
The crowd stiffened.
"Strength decides fate. Everything else is just noise."
Then, he was gone.
Riyal exhaled sharply. "H-hey, Leon… I think we should've stopped them."
Feng Yun raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Riyal glanced at the defiant ones, still glaring at the sky where Raven had disappeared. "I hate him too, but… don't you think they were pushing their luck?" His voice lowered. "If that Manager hadn't stopped Raven, we'd all be dead."
Feng Yun chuckled. "Dead? Nah. We're the only players left in this area. If we die, who plays their game?" His smirk deepened. "That 'Creator' he mentioned earlier must care about this more than we think."
Riyal's expression darkened. "So… we're just pieces in their game?"
Feng Yun shrugged. "We agreed to their terms from the start."
Riyal frowned. "That's a lie! We never agreed to this!"
Feng Yun's smirk widened. "Didn't we?" He met Riyal's gaze. "Remember the tutorial? The system asked if we wanted to play. If we touched 'No,' we would've died on the spot."
Realization dawned in Riyal's eyes. His fists clenched. "That's… cheating!"
Feng Yun sighed, amusement flickering in his gaze. "So what if they're cheating? You got the power to fight back?"
Riyal's voice caught in his throat.
Silence.
Feng Yun's smirk remained. "Didn't think so."
A soft chuckle broke the tension.
The old man, the first to rebel, smiled at Riyal. "You see, young man… as individuals, we are weak. But united? We are the strongest."
Riyal scoffed. "Strong? We're nothing but pawns in someone's twisted game!"
The old man met his gaze. "Perhaps. But even pawns can change the board."
A loud ding suddenly echoed through the air.
[Ding… You are about to be teleported to a random world.]
The sun had just begun to set, its golden glow casting long shadows across the ruined city. The crowd, still rattled, exchanged uncertain glances.
Then—
Riyal vanished.
Feng Yun's eyes widened slightly.
A moment later, he disappeared as well.