[The bell tower stood at the center of the city.]
[Everything wanted him dead before he reached it.]
[The dead surged through the streets.]
[Hundreds.]
[Maybe thousands.]
Abaksa Einsro— "Move."
[His sword flashed.]
SLASH.
[One corpse split apart.]
THRUST.
[Another dissolved into black mist.]
[But every enemy that fell—]
[Three more appeared.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...This isn't a fight."
[This was a timer.]
[The city wasn't trying to kill him.]
[It was trying to delay him.]
[Exit Route Stability: 63%]
[The System arrow continued pointing toward the bell tower.]
[Abaksa sprinted.]
[The streets twisted behind him.]
[Buildings changed places.]
[Alleys appeared where roads should have been.]
[The entire city was alive.]
[Then—]
[The ground shook.]
[Not slightly.]
[Violently.]
CRACK.
[The road beneath him split open.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...!"
[He jumped.]
[Barely clearing the fissure.]
[The dead immediately fell into it.]
[Their screams echoed downward.]
[Then suddenly stopped.]
[Something below had eaten them.]
[Silence followed.]
[The city became still.]
[Even the dead stopped moving.]
[That was worse.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...What now?"
[The answer came immediately.]
[A hand emerged from the crack.]
[Massive.]
[Stone.]
[Ancient.]
[Then another.]
[The earth exploded upward.]
BOOOOOOM.
[An enormous figure pulled itself from beneath the city.]
[Thirty feet tall.]
[Its body made of black stone.]
[Covered in glowing blue cracks.]
[Chains wrapped around its limbs.]
[Broken chains.]
[Disaster-Class Entity Detected]
[Designation: Gravekeeper Titan]
[Threat Level: EXTREME]
Abaksa Einsro— "...You're kidding."
[The giant slowly opened its eyes.]
[Blue flames burned inside them.]
[It looked directly at him.]
[Not the dead.]
[Not the city.]
[Him.]
Gravekeeper Titan — "Intruder."
[Its voice shook the buildings.]
Gravekeeper Titan — "Living."
[The chains on its body rattled.]
Gravekeeper Titan — "Eliminate."
Abaksa Einsro— "You all have the same vocabulary."
[The Titan punched.]
[Not at him.]
[At the city.]
BOOOOOOOOM.
[Half the street disappeared.]
[Buildings collapsed.]
[Stone exploded outward.]
[Abaksa barely escaped.]
[The shockwave launched him across the road.]
[He rolled.]
[Got up.]
[Blood dripped from his forehead.]
"...Okay."
[That was not something he could fight.]
[Not now.]
[Maybe not ever.]
[Probability of Victory: 0.2%]
Abaksa Einsro— "Wonderful."
[Probability of Escape: 12%]
"...Less wonderful."
[The Titan took another step.]
[The city trembled.]
[One step.]
[A building collapsed.]
[Two steps.]
[The dead were crushed beneath its feet.]
[Three steps.]
[It was already close.]
[Too close.]
[Abaksa ran.]
[The bell tower remained ahead.]
[Closer now.]
[Exit Route Stability: 41%]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Why is it dropping?"
[Disaster Presence Increasing]
[Not helpful.]
[The Titan raised its hand.]
[Blue energy gathered.]
[Abaksa's instincts screamed.]
[Move.]
[He dove.]
A beam of blue light erased the street behind him.
[Not destroyed.]
[Erased.]
[Reality simply vanished.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Nope."
[He increased speed.]
[The bell tower was only two streets away.]
[One.]
[Then another.]
[The Titan followed relentlessly.]
[The city itself seemed terrified of it.]
[Buildings shifted away.]
[Roads cracked.]
[The dead scattered.]
[Then the System flashed.]
[Exit Point Reached]
[Abaksa stopped.]
"...What?"
[He stood at the base of the bell tower.]
[Nothing else.]
[No portal.]
[No gate.]
[Just a giant bell.]
Abaksa Einsro— "System?"
[Ring Bell]
[A pause.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...That's it?"
[Yes.]
[The Titan roared.]
[It was seconds away.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...I hate you."
[He grabbed the rope.]
[And pulled.]
DONG.
[The bell rang.]
[The sound spread through the city.]
[DONG.]
[The dead froze.]
[DONG.]
[The buildings stopped shifting.]
[DONG.]
[The Titan stopped moving.]
[Everything became silent.]
[Then—]
[The city cracked.]
[Like glass.]
[The sky shattered.]
[The streets shattered.]
[The dead shattered.]
[The Titan shattered.]
[The entire illusion collapsed.]
[And suddenly—]
[Abaksa was falling.]
[Again.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...Why is it always falling?!"
[The city vanished completely.]
[Revealing reality.]
[A canyon.]
[A river below.]
[Poison-green.]
[Very poison-green.]
Abaksa Einsro— "...That's not water."
[SPLASH.]
[The river swallowed him.]
[Darkness followed.]
[Far away.]
[In another part of the Poison Valley.]
[A red-haired warrior paused.]
[Naja slowly looked toward the horizon.]
Naja— "...He survived?"
[A faint smile appeared.]
Naja— "Good."
[Elsewhere.]
[A figure wearing a hood observed a floating clock.]
[The clock's hands moved backward.]
Unknown Figure — "The Eleventh escaped the Echo City."
[A second voice answered.]
??? — "Earlier than expected."
Unknown Figure — "Should we intervene?"
[Silence.]
Then—
??? — "No."
??? — "Let him reach the Sanctuary."
[The clock stopped ticking.]
[And deep beneath the poisonous river...]
[Something ancient opened its eyes.]
[Something waiting for centuries.]
[Something that had just sensed Plot Armour.]