"Ah," the abrupt gasp tore through the air, the sound of life slipping away from Evelyn. Alayn withdrew the dagger from her throat, a gruesome fountain of crimson splattering the ground beneath her. She faltered and collapsed, her once vibrant form now crumpled and lifeless, illuminated by the eerie amalgamation of Alayn's blessing and the moonlight. A collective shock rippled through the entire team, their eyes fixed on Alayn, who had seemingly disregarded his own discourse on contracts and bloodless resolutions. Serene's gaze, in particular, was a mix of puzzlement and horror, unable to reconcile the absence of any murderous intent from Alayn until that very moment. Doubts about her own ability's accuracy started creeping into her mind. In truth, Alayn's decision to stab Evelyn wasn't a predetermined course of action; it was a swift shift in strategy triggered by his discovery of her possession of a life orb. Until that moment, Alayn had held an alternate plan, one that entailed d
"I've done as you requested, Alayn. Now it's your turn to show me the evidence you spoke of, something to truly prove you're on our side," Luvern asserted as he stowed away his ability card with a flick of his wrist. "Thank you for accepting my request. I never thought the teammates I saved would turn on me, to be honest. But okay, I'll provide the 'evidence' you want, Mr. Luvern," Alayn responded, a slight smile forming on his lips. "But first, can you come here? I don't want those two to see it just yet. I'll tell you, and only you, about this," Alayn requested, casting a cautious glance toward the two remaining enemy players on their team. "Fine," Luvern agreed to Alayn's request, allowing curiosity to outweigh his suspicions. Alayn, after all, had saved their team, including Luvern and his sister. "At least he deserves a chance to explain himself," Luvern thought silently. With cautious optimism, Luvern approached Alayn. He remained wary but believed in his ability to activate
"A-ah..." Luvern's heart stopped as he witnessed the gruesome spectacle unfolding before him. His mind struggled to process the nightmarish scene. The heads of his comrades, his friends, his sister-all gone in an instant, severed from their bodies as if by some malevolent magic. His body trembled uncontrollably, and the dagger he clutched slipped from his quaking hand, landing on the blood-soaked ground with a sickening thud. The world seemed to blur around him, the dark surroundings fading into a hazy backdrop of crimson and gray. His gaze fixated on Serene, his dear sister, who knelt there with her head hanging at an unnatural angle, the expression of confusion forever etched onto her face. "S-Serene!" Dropping the dagger from his hand and pushing Alayn aside, Luvern began to run to his sister's lifeless body. A deep, guttural cry escaped Luvern's lips, a primal sound of anguish and despair. He fell to his knees, his hands trembling as they reached out for Serene's lifeless form,
Gasping for air and clutching the wound in his abdomen, Luvern's voice was hoarse and filled with desperation as he faced Alayn. His dark brown eyes bore into Alayn's, burning with an intense need for answers. Luvern understood that time was slipping through his fingers. Every moment that passed without knowing how Alayn had killed his sister and teammates was another step toward their irreversible fate. The pain from the dagger in his gut was excruciating, but he was determined to extract the information from Alayn, no matter the cost. "Why are you hesitating? You should hurry," Alayn taunted, his sinister smile still lingering. "Tell me! Tell me how you did it!!" Luvern's voice cracked as he screamed the question at Alayn. There was no room for subtlety or manipulation now. There was only a slim hope that Alayn might, in a moment of twisted amusement or arrogance, reveal the horrifying secret behind the instant deaths of Luvern's sister and teammates. "You really think I'd spill
Alayn's gaze drifted upwards to the night sky, the moon casting an eerie glow over the surroundings as he explained his chilling plan. "When I first got my ability," he began, "I considered holding off on using it to potentially copy a more powerful one, like yours, for instance. But then, I saw Neo's ability to teleport objects from his hands to anywhere within his line of sight, and that's when that delightful idea hit me." Luvern, though seething with anger, remained silent, listening intently. He glanced occasionally at his team members, engaged in their own activities, and at Neo, deep in conversation with his sister Serene. Alayn's tone was now devoid of dark humor, his explanation delivered in a more contemporary manner. "You see, Mr. Luvern," he continued, "Neo's ability allows him to teleport objects to any place he can see. It doesn't specify that he has to see the destination. And that's where my plan took shape." The realization dawned on Luvern, his eyes widening sli
"Brother Alayn," Neo greeted Alayn with a warm smile as Luvern and Alayn approached the rest of the team. "We've resolved our little misunderstanding," Alayn replied with an equally friendly smile, casting a reassuring glance at his team members. Relief washed over their faces, especially Serene's, as they let go of the tension that had been building. Luvern stepped in, ready to explain Alayn's innocence in Evelyn's death, painting a picture of self-defense as she had attempted to attack Alayn. Lies flowed from his lips, but he saw no other choice in this situation with a micro explosive in his neck. "It's great that you sorted things out, but what's our next move? Are we moving on to the next phase?" Aria interjected, her voice alluring as she directed her gaze at Luvern. She waved her ability card in her hand as she spoke. Alayn had seen three ability cards thus far, including his own, but this was the first time he had glimpsed the back of someone else's card. Observing the bac
With a puzzled expression, Alayn accepted the life orb from Liam, fully expecting it to vanish into his sub-space like the daggers and his ability card had earlier. However, his anticipation turned into bewilderment as he discovered that it wouldn't obey his command. While he successfully sent the life orb from his hand into his sub-space, an unexpected twist occurred - another one of the life orbs, acquired from both Liam and Evelyn in previous encounters, instantly materialized back in his hand. The realization struck like a thunderbolt - three life orbs simply couldn't coexist within his sub-space simultaneously. Just as Alayn grappled with this revelation, Solarael's calm voice interjected, shedding light on an overlooked rule. As both Aurelia and Liam prepared to hand over their life orbs, Solarael's words carried the weight of authority. He elucidated that a person's sub-space could harbor only one life orb at any given moment. No amount of effort could change this fact. "You
"You can call me... Puppeteer," the man with the distorted face replied, his cheek muscles stretching in what appeared to be a smile. As Evelyn's memories slowly returned to her, she straightened herself up. The moment of her death had been erased from her memories, thanks to the effects of the life orb. Nevertheless, she had a vague idea of who might have killed her, and she knew that she had been brought back to life by this mysterious individual before her. "Puppeteer, you say?" Evelyn repeated, withdrawing her hand from the counter. With a peculiar yet measured smile, the man in the gray coat acknowledged her words. "Yes, that's what I'm called in this realm," he confirmed, his deep voice carrying an air of secrecy. Evelyn, her initial confusion slowly giving way to curiosity, took a step closer. "First and foremost, thank you for bringing me back to life," she said, her gratitude genuine but cautious. She was keenly aware that she owed this stranger her current existence, yet