Somewhere in a vast, ancient library, a thick book with golden-lined edges levitated gracefully from its shelf and gently laid itself out on a table, where a glowing blue quill and a small bottle of golden ink awaited. The book opened itself to its first page, revealing a blank page. The quill dipped itself into the ink, hovering briefly above the page before beginning to write, its strokes deliberate and fluid...
Kyoto, Kimn Academy, Japan...
Among a bustling crowd of students, a boy stood out with his striking golden hair. This was Alexander Cyrus, the protagonist of this story. His steps were slow, his thoughts a whirl of frustration and despair.
"After everything I did—working late hours, re-entering that place, just to get that gift for her... and for what?" Alex replayed the events of the last hour in his mind, a mixture of anger and sadness gripping him.
One Hour Earlier, Under a Sakura Tree
"I said I'm breaking up with you." Alex maintained his calm as he looked at her cold face, and responded. "Why...?"
"You got me an ugly handcrafted necklace for my birthday. Tell me, why wouldn't I break up with you? Besides, I have a new boyfriend now—Ryan. Don't ever let me see you again, or I'll make sure he beats you up every time. Get lost." "...I see."
The cruelty of her words cut deep.
*"First, I lost my girlfriend, and now my only friend betrays me by taking her away in one day. I've had enough… average grades, a bad job, constant bullying…I want to fight back, but I'll be the one losing to these people who can buy their way out of anything.
No one would care if I disappeared, would they?.... Why didn't I die back then?"
Present Time
Trying to clear his head, Alex took a detour before class. He soon stumbled upon an argument between a couple. One of the voices was painfully familiar.
"Get away from me, you whore! You ruined my hair!" Ryan yelled.
"You're lucky that's all I did, RYAN! Just give me back my bracelet, and I'll leave you alone!" the girl retorted.
Ryan sneered before throwing the white-beaded bracelet to the ground and stomping on it. "Oh, you want this? Here you go!" He kicked it at her with perfect precision.
Unfazed by his mockery, the girl bent to retrieve the shattered bracelet, only for Ryan to kick her face. She fell back, clutching her cheek.
Before Ryan could deliver another kick, Alex's fist grabbed his foot. "What happened to your no hurting girls policy, Ryan?"
Ryan felt a sweat drop down his face as he instantly switched up his character, "Ah, I don't really think Alice can be counted as a girl Alex. Don't worry, this is a one time thing, I'll pay-" Ryan's words sharply paused as the noticed Alex looking a little gloomy. "Did she-" "Yes, you don't have to pretend anymore, so drop the act."
"...Finally! You have no idea how hard it was acting like some friendly snob, man, thank God I learned acting from sis. Well, I guess now I can stop wasting my energy. It looks like that bitch over there fainted whilst we were talking, take her to the infirmary, and take the blame for the injuries. Don't worry, you won't be punished nearly as much as you will if you don't take the blame. FYI, I'm the son of the director " Ryan spoke with a huge grin the entire time, keeping his eyes on Alex's face for amusement
After having a good laugh, Ryan walked past Alex, "Better hurry before a teacher comes by~"
Alex looked at Alice's unconscious figure and though tempted to leave her, Alex carried her to the medic's office, making him twenty minutes late to class.
Gymnasium, 11:58 AM
The principal droned on about upcoming exams, but no one paid attention. Seeking an escape from the heat, Alex stepped outside and bumped into the girl he had helped earlier.
"Thanks for earlier," Alice said calmly.
"No problem," Alex replied. Their eyes met briefly before they moved toward the same destination. Before either could question the coincidence, a group surrounded them.
"Well well well. It seems you two are having quite the day huh? Unfortunate to meet us here." It was Ryan, Alex's girlfriend Kaori, and Ryan's goons
"Boys, I want them on their knees."
Nearby staff averted their gazes, pretending not to notice. Alex silently noticed but lacked surprise. This was the norm after all.
Before the first punch could land, a chilling voice echoed: "["Hehehe! The moment has arrived. Let the games begin!!"]
Multiple, small, identical sinister figures suddenly appeared into view. Each hovering beside a person, including the group outside, shocking everyone. Its dark sockets stared into the eyes of each person they hovered by, creeping fear into the most twisted smile spreading across its face.
The ones that had been summoned at Alex and the other's positions suddenly melted into a pile of gloop, but strangely, it didn't fall. Instead, they all pulled together like magnets, and once more a small figure took form, but with a much more evil feeling sprouting from its body.
"[Humans Outside At This Hour? Bad Students! But Killing You Now Would Be No Fun.]"
Meanwhile, Inside the Gymnasium...
"No one wanna ask what's happening?"All of these clone-like figures acted in unison speaking at the same time. One of the boys mustered the courage to speak.
"W-w-whats going on?!... Eh?" His worldview suddenly turned upside down, confusing him, but before he could further process anything, his mind faded away.
"It-it killed him!!" A scream erupted nearby—shrill and raw. People scattered like startled birds, their panic immense. The boy's head had been cut off, and blood spewed off his neck, landing on others, allowing them to know they weren't dreaming.
Ignoring their screams, she loudly spoke, looking like she was talking to herself. [I killed him 'cause he was too loud, but look at them... Should I just kill them all?]
The noise instantly quieted down but the fear hadn't left. "[Alright, listen up!]"
Back at the corridor...
"This is a game?" Alice said as she looked at a virtual text that had appeared before her. It seemed everyone could see one of the same thing as they all looked at empty space.
[Quest-Desperate Survivor: Due to the benevolence of the fairy Eva, you have been given a chance to survive. The last three survivors within the next five minutes will not be killed.
*Time Limit:-5 minutes
*Reward-Survivor [SS], 2 Stat Points, 10 Survival Points
Restrictions-Forced Quest]
A blue screen appeared before Alex, detailing the rules. He glanced at it with disinterest. "So the world is changing? That means... money doesn't work anymore". A smile eerie smile leaked out of Alex's face as he saw the prompt.
The temperature slightly reduced as a chilly aura emanated from Alex who silently walked towards Ryan. The fairy laughed as she snapped her fingers causing a popcorn-looking product that was oddly green and slimy to appear in her hands. Ryan's bravado faltered. "W-we're classmates! We shouldn't fight!" he stammered, signaling his gang to attack at once.
Alex's demeanor shifted. "I won't kill a student," he said with a cheerful laugh,
In a blur, Alex closed the distance to Ryan. With calculated precision, he struck Ryan's solar Plexus, causing Ryan to reel back in pain. 'Ack! shit, it hurts-!!! I can't breathe!' Ryan who had fallen on his back tried to glare at Alex but raised his head only to see a fist at his face along with a blue-eyed devil. "But I never said I couldn't take out the trash."
Bam!
Ryan couldn't even utter a word as his consciousness faded, leaving himself unprotected from the demon that was Alexander Cyrus. Alice, meanwhile, ran backward, ending the hands of the goons who wanted to use her against Alex or kill her for better odds, they weren't sure themselves.
Luckily, Alice was a gymnast previously, she easily escaped from their grasp and made space between them. "I'm tired of being weak!" She grabbed a vase nearby and threw it at them, hitting one of them and causing blood to leak from his head. Kaori ran away trying to escape confrontation after seeing Alex quickly kill Ryan without hesitation. On the other hand, Alex turned towards her with a bloodied fist, his knuckles were bleeding too. Kaori's eyes showed a look of horror as she slowly retreated until her back hit a rippling transparent blue wall that suddenly appeared. "[No one's leaving until after the quest, you've already been placed in an artificial space, so don't even try getting out, or you'll just become meat paste]"
"It's not really personal although it may look that way, I just generally hate the rich. Besides, I want to live in this 'new world of her's'. I might have a chance to change my future Alex said to Kaori as he glanced at the fairy above. Kaori glanced behind him as she saw only one lackey was left alive and was trying to kill Alice.
'If that stupid lackey dies, then I'll be able to live, I just need Alice to kill him…', Natalia thought as she started formulating a plan. Suddenly, Alex moved, and without giving her time to talk, he grabbed her neck and held her in place, ignoring all the feeble punches and scratches from her that gradually got weaker. "I thought you said it wasn't personal, why did you kill her like that then?" Alice said as she leaned on the wall breathless, she had pretty low strength. The last of Ryan's goons had already been taken care off either way. "You're taking this quite well."
Alex said with calm eyes. "...Not my first time alright Sherlock?" Alice yielded before Alex's calculated eyes and his slight grin. They stood amid the corpses, the last two standing as the timer ran out.
CURRENT PLAYERS: 14,797,621,673
NO. OF DEATHS: 62
TOTAL NO OF DEATHS: 62
GAME: TUTORIAL
CLEAR TIME: ONGOING
Note of the day
ESSENCE GEM
They are gems with are manifested in the body of beasts and monsters above a certain racial threshold.
The gem can be absorbed to gain stats and rarely, wills, they can be used in alchemy, blacksmithing and engineering. Can also act as a mana reserve.
Their quality is divided into 10 stages, using the same naming system as the beast/monster naming system. Eg rank 1 monster=Basic essence gem