The night air was filled with a chilling breeze that carried the metallic scent of blood across the parking lot. Above, the moon shone down upon the lifeless figure of Mortis, sprawled on the ground like a discarded puppet. The scene was surreal, and the team stood frozen in shock and horror. "Ten seconds are over," the woman with the round-rimmed glasses said, her voice quivering with a mix of pain and fear. As if her words were a cue, the oppressive power of slumber that had nearly engulfed Alayn dissipated, leaving him weak and disoriented. He dropped to his knees, struggling to regain his bearings. Beside him, Serene's cries of anguish pierced the air, reflecting the collective despair of the team. Mortis, the mighty player they all looked up to, had been taken down by a single well-aimed dagger, leaving them shaken and vulnerable. Aria's face displayed a complex interplay of emotions. Fear and sadness mingled with something else, an enigmatic expression that set her apart from

Alayn crumpled to the unforgiving ground, his consciousness slipping away like sand through his fingers. The consequences of channeling 20% of his newfound godlike ability had caught up to him, leaving him feeling as though every sinew in his body had torn asunder. Though he had foreseen some of the repercussions, he hadn't expected the toll it would exact on his very existence. Even a mere fraction of a god's authority was overwhelming for a mere human like Alayn. His mortal vessel, unaccustomed to such power, strained to endure the sudden surge, and the ten-second time limit had now elapsed, forcing his body to revert to its natural state to withstand the strain. As the searing pain of the power's drawbacks coursed through him, he also found himself grappling with the excruciating wounds inflicted by the blond-haired woman's deadly daggers. While the bleeding had ceased upon his victory over Neo and the absorption of his ability at 20% potential, the wounds themselves remained, a

Slowly opening his eyes, Alayn mustered the strength to sit up on the ground, feeling a lingering heaviness in his head. He instinctively touched his temple with his right hand, gently massaging it. While the physical wounds had been miraculously healed due to the midnight reset that the angel Viviana had mentioned, the mental toll of using his ability at 20% potential was not as easily washed away. The experience left his mind in disarray, making it difficult for him to focus clearly. Alayn knew that using a fragment of the authority of gods, even at a mere 20%, would come with consequences. After all, it was merely a fraction of the power he was meant to wield once he reached 100% potential. The mental burden he endured surpassed his imagination, and he understood that such power came at a cost. However, Alayn also knew that he couldn't afford to rest for too long. Time was not on their side, and the Pantheon's trials were far from over. As he tried to gather his thoughts and rega

Terrified by the revelation of an embedded bomb around their necks, the two enemy players reacted in a frenzy, their hands frantically touching and scratching at the spots where the vibrations had originated. "Hey, hey, chill. Acting like that won't help. Just so you know, you'd have to cut into your flesh to remove it," Alayn calmly remarked, his smile lingering despite the tense atmosphere. "Why... Why would you do this? Please, I'll do whatever you ask. Just get rid of it," the woman with round glasses pleaded, her grip still tight around her neck. Their eyes reflected sheer horror, realizing that their lives could be extinguished with a mere thought from the man before them. "Apologies, but even if I wanted to, I can't remove those devices now," Alayn nonchalantly explained with a shrug, the amusement evident in his eyes as he observed the horrified expressions on the faces of the two captives before him. The boy in the green shirt, his voice now tinged with brokenness rather

The echo of determined footsteps resonated through what was once a bustling town, now reduced to a desolate maze of crumbling structures intertwined with nature's reclamation. Verdant tendrils wound their way around the remnants of human habitation, and a gentle breeze carried the subtle scent of damp earth and decaying wood as Alayn's team pressed forward, their hearts set on discovering a safe haven to establish their camp. Options had presented themselves, each bearing a semblance of potential respite: a house, still standing amidst the encroaching wilderness; a broken parking lot, its cracked asphalt a mosaic of abandonment; twin storefronts, their shattered windows revealing a glimpse of former commerce. Yet, with each potential location, Alayn's discerning eye detected lurking dangers, and he skillfully presented these hazards to his comrades, guiding them toward a more secure path. Time had ebbed away, a good forty minutes slipping by since their departure from the fallen par