Kai barely had time to process what had happened. One moment, he thought this would be his final attack—the decisive strike that would turn the tide. But in the end, it wasn't.
'Oh, shit.' he thought.
'I fucked up. I fu—'
Before the thought could fully form, the Weeping Slayer yanked him forward by his arm which she was holding.
Kai barely had time to react before a brutal headbutt slammed into his face. The impact was devastating.
His vision went white as blood poured from his nose, the world spinning as if torn from its axis.
His eyes rolled back, showing nothing but pale whites. For a moment, it looked as though he had lost consciousness right then and there. His body wavered, tipping dangerously backward.
The Weeping Slayer, however, remained unfazed. She didn't even flinch from her own attack. No damage, no hesitation—just cold, unyielding precision.
Kai's body was about to collapse as he fell lifelessly, but then-
Something shifted*.*
Time seemed to freeze.
The white haze clouding his vision cleared in an instant. His pupils snapped back into place, sharp and alert, as if his mind had been forcibly dragged back from the brink of unconsciousness.
His body burned with pain, blood dripping from his nose, but suddenly—
His hand shot forward, gripping the Weeping Slayer's wrist.
Her gaze flickered down to him, momentarily surprised. And then—
CRACK!
Kai yanked her forward with a sudden, forceful pull, copying her exact motion, and slammed his forehead into her face with every ounce of strength he had left.
The force of the impact sent her reeling as she dropped to her knees.
Kai staggered, nearly blacking out again while attempting to regain his breathes. He couldn't believe it.
'I...I did it... I actually landed a hit.'
As though responsive to his thoughts-
[Ding!]
A system notification flashed before his eyes, displaying a message which sent joy to Kai's soul.
[Penalty Completed. Player has landed a hit.]
His heart pounded. A surge of triumph rushed through him.
'I did it... I actually did it!'
However, before he could even begin to process his victory—
The Weeping Slayer's grip on his arm tightened.
His eyes snapped to her.
She raised her head, and once again—her cold, unreadable stare was gone.
In its place was something unsettling. A gleeful, almost hungry gaze.
Kai barely had time to react before a barrage of fists slammed into him.Blindingly fast and unrelenting.
His thoughts shattered, unable to keep up with the sheer speed of her blows. His body jerked violently with each strike. He couldn't even register what was happening before—
Bang!
A devastating punch caught him square in the chest. The force launched him through the air and sent him crashing hard against the crumbling remains of a building, sending debris scattering.
The impact stole the breath from his lungs. He crumpled to the ground, gasping, coughing up slivers of blood.
'What... what happened?...The penalty is over... isn't it?'
The Weeping Slayer stood over him, completely unaffected. She reached for her sword. And right then, a deep, crimson glow pulsed along its blade.
Then, she uttered the words that made Kai's blood run cold—
"Fiamma Imperitura."
Just as before, the undying flames erupted, dragging through in length farther than the eye could follow.
Kai's eyes widened in horror.
'No... no, this isn't fair!' His body refused to move as panic clawed at his mind.
'I landed the hit! I completed the damn penalty! So why?! Why do I still have to die?!'
Just then, another system notification appeared.
[Penalty Completed.]
[ Would the Player like to return home?]
[Yes] [No]
His heart pounded.
'Yes! Yes, I want to go home!'
But the moment his mind made the decision—
The Weeping Slayer swung.
The blazing sword carved through the air, just inches from his body. The fire spread like an unstoppable wave, consuming everything in its path.
Kai's voice ripped through the battlefield as he let out the yell.
"I WANT TO GO HOME!"
The flames swallowed him.
A searing heat engulfed his body, his skin burning, his lungs filled with fire. The pain was unbearable.
His scream was the last thing he remembered, before...
GASP!
Kai jolted upright.
His breath came in heavy, ragged gasps as hands trembled as they clutched the sheets beneath him.
Sheets?
His heart pounded as his eyes darted around.
He was back in his room, not the battlefield. Not the penalty world. His room*.*
His body was drenched in sweat. He could still feel the fire licking at his skin, the pain burning into his nerves. But—
His hands flew to his chest. His arms. His face.
No wounds, no scars, no blood.
He was completely unscathed.His mind reeled.
'How... how did I—?'
In truth, there was only one explanation.
He had returned.
The realization hit him like a thunderbolt.
He scrambled to his feet, stumbled to the door, and flung it open, hoping to get a confirmation atleast.
The hallway was just as he remembered it. Normal. Real.
A few social workers moved about, their conversations distant murmurs. The mundane sight was so overwhelmingly real that a wave of emotions crashed into him all at once.
A laugh bubbled up in his throat.
'I... I did it. I DID IT!'
He almost screamed the words, but instead, they echoed in his mind, bursting with raw, unfiltered relief.
His legs gave out. He dropped to his knees, hands on his hips, sucking in deep, shuddering breaths. A wild grin spread across his face.
'Yes... yes! I get to live!'
Anyone would be this gladdened to return to his original world if he had spent years in a solitary world...it was the normal reaction.
However, as the adrenaline faded, his thoughts sharpened.
'Wait...How long was I gone?'
Had time passed differently in the penalty world? Had he been missing for days? Hours? The exact number is years he had spent in the world? Or had no time passed at all?
This was his first encounter with the penalty world and on losing time on how long he had actually spent there, he was more than skeptical about how much of his years he had consumed.
The thought gnawed at him. And he needed answers right then. So-
"Player stats." he commanded, uncaring about what the passers-by felt about him staying on his knees.
As always, the system responded instantly. A glowing interface appeared before him, displaying his stats.
[Player: Kai Draven]
[Strength: 30]
[Skill: 29]
[Stamina: 26]
[Endurance: 29]
[Mana: 1]
[Player Level: Seeker]
He gulped as he looked down on the displaying text of his years used.
[Years used:6/9]