Demha's head rested heavily on Lessa's lap, his skin cold and pale under the strange artificial lights of the room. For twelve long hours, he had drifted between life and death, but now his eyes fluttered open — slow, unfocused at first — and found her face.
Lessa's cheeks were stained with the tracks of old tears, her eyes red from exhaustion yet shining with a fierce relief. The instant Demha met her gaze, a calmness settled over him — deep and wordless.
They didn't need to speak; their eyes had already told each other everything.
(It's been understood that the week of suffering Demha had gone through — from not being able to enter Lessa's world, to the challenge, to this moment — all of this was only two days in Lessa's world. The first day, she waited for him and was scared and worried when he didn't arrive. But then the challenge began. Her heart was beating fast in terror — not because she was afraid to die anymore, but because she feared she might never see Demha again. In her world, participation wasn't a choice like it was in Demha's; they were chosen. She and others from her planet, SS, were placed in a room with 5,000 participants, where a clock on the door displayed the number of species in line: 1. It was humans — the last species the challenge was waiting for. The two brutal fights Demha and the other humans faced weren't part of the global challenge. It was something else. Other species entered the global universe a year after the multiverse event began on their worlds. Then, the gate for the final species opened — and Demha appeared. Lessa saw him. The two planets merged.)
The room came into focus — a crude place, part infirmary, part battlefield. Beside him, Lessa gripped his hand tightly, refusing to let go. A thin tube ran from Demha's arm to a strange device held by a tall figure near the wall — a man who looked almost human, but with subtle, unsettling differences. The blood transfusion had kept him alive.
Demha stirred slightly, feeling the odd weight on his wrist: a dark, pulsing band, veined with red light — the reward from the last challenge.
"A heart for another life," the words from the system echoed faintly in his mind.
He thought he had read those words before, but he was too tired to understand.
Other figures gathered nearby — five in total.
Two beings made of rough stone, their bodies studded with blinking, gentle eyes. They had stood guard when others tried to approach Demha's unconscious form.
A fragile-looking girl from a world called Esor, where plants and flesh intertwined — a bright green sprout bloomed from her head like a living crown. Her name was Tena.
An elderly man, wrinkled and worn, leaning heavily on a carved staff — clearly from SS, by the look of his robes.
And the human-like figure, still holding the blood device, a cigarette dangling between two fingers.
This unlikely group had formed around Demha during the chaos — allies, for now.
The Global Challenge would begin in less than twelve hours.
Five thousand participants from around 100 species, all gathered for one brutal purpose:
"Welcome to Rookies."
That was the name of the challenge.
It was not a game. The losing species faced slavery — or worse. The rules weren't even set yet, but the rewards and punishments already were. Only the top species would claim the fate of the others.
It was the reality of the multiverse. The darkness was rising.
In the cramped, cold room, the group huddled together for warmth and safety. Demha sat against the wall, Lessa tucked close at his side, her head resting lightly against his shoulder. A worn blanket was thrown across them both.
Tena, the little plant girl from Esor, hesitated nearby, shivering, until Lessa lifted the blanket with a gentle smile, inviting her in. She squealed softly and burrowed between them, the sprout atop her head wiggling happily.
The stone beings positioned themselves nearby, their heavy bodies radiating a slow, reassuring heat.
The old man leaned on his staff, muttering old songs to himself.
And the human-like figure watched the door in silence, smoke curling around him like a second skin.
For a single, stolen moment — amidst the chill and fear — they found something like peace.
Demha stared at the cracked ceiling above and made a silent vow:
"I must get Lessa out of this alive."
Outside their fragile circle, the clock kept ticking — a storm about to break.
⸻
[ — 30 Minutes Before the Challenge]
A low hum vibrated through the cold floor, stirring the sleepers awake. A sharp metallic ding echoed in the air, and a giant holographic screen blinked to life above them. That voice — the one that twisted Demha's gut — returned.
Every candidate — across every room, every world — lifted their heads to look.
Global Challenge Rules
100 Species League.
Only the Top 20 Species survive freely.
Bottom 80 Species: fate decided by the Top 20.
Each participant earns points for their entire species.
Every action counts. Every choice matters.
Below the rules, a second table materialized: the Participant List.
Each species' name appeared, along with the number of their fighters.
The numbers made the room fall into cold silence:
97 species had between 45 and 55 participants each.
Lessa's world (SS) had only 25.
Tena's world (Esor) had just 15.
And Earth…
Earth had only one.
Demha.
His breath caught in his throat.
One. Just him.
A chilling note at the bottom flashed briefly:
"Live transmission enabled. All participating planets and allied systems are now observing."
Somewhere out there, billions were watching.
Somewhere out there, Earth had already fallen silent.
Next to Earth's name, a grim red mark blinked:
Lost.
Earth's defeat had already been decided — no backup, no second chances.
Demha stared numbly at the list, but his eyes quickly drifted to the third-place species.
There — SS, Lessa's world — trembling on the edge between survival and slavery.
He clenched his fists.
He didn't care about Earth anymore.
He didn't care about himself.
Only Lessa mattered.
Only the silent promise he had made to himself:
"No matter what happens… I will get her out of this."
"I can't let her be enslaved."
The announcement continued, now in a brisk, clinical voice:
"First Challenge begins in 25 minutes.
All participants report to the Gate."
The room exploded into motion.
Armor was strapped on. Weapons chosen. Last words whispered.
Demha stood, steadying Lessa with a hand on her shoulder.
Tena clutched his sleeve, wide-eyed.
The stone creatures grumbled something low and protective.
The old man tightened his grip on his staff, muttering a prayer.
The human-like figure — still smoking — simply nodded once at Demha, a ghost of a smirk on his lips.
The world outside roared to life.
The storm was here.
⸻
Ten minutes before the First Challenge began.
another announcement echoed through the cold air.
The rules appeared, sharp and merciless:
Point System:
Every leg or hand shot: +10 points
Every stomach shot: +5 points
Every head shot: +1 point
Every back shot: -20 points
Gameplay:
Every two minutes, a new species' participants are dropped onto the map.
Lower-numbered species go first — starting with Demha.
Everyone is given a gun.
The world blinked white — and suddenly Demha was standing alone on a massive battlefield.
A strange wild map of forests, ruins, and broken cities stretched out before him.
He didn't move.
He just stood there, breathing heavily, waiting for Lessa.
Minutes passed.
Then — the plant girl appeared.
She looked terrified, her small leafy hair trembling. Two of the other 14 massive, beast-like members from her world, Esor, appeared too — snarling and scanning for enemies.
She looked worried and anxious.
Demha remembered Lessa opening the blanket for her. He couldn't let anyone Lessa cared about feel afraid. He called her over with a soft motion.
With no hesitation, she rushed toward him.
It was a little odd. The other members of her planet thought it was stupid to join a "lost team." But they didn't care — they already had 14 fighters, and no time to worry about a useless child.
The choice was made:
She would stay with Demha.
Soon after, Lessa arrived.
The second she saw him, her eyes lit up — and without hesitation, she abandoned her own people to run straight into Demha's arms.
Demha didn't even need to pull — she came willingly.
Hand in hand, Demha, Lessa, and the plant girl — Tena from Esor — fled into a dark cave hidden in the rocks.
Inside, catching their breath, Demha whispered, confused,
"Why are the points like this? Shouldn't headshots be worth the most?"
Lessa's voice was low, grim:
"Maybe… they don't want people to die."
Demha remembered what happened in his last challenge and said,
"They want them to suffer first."
The memory of that rabbit and the red button challenge slammed into Demha's mind — the sounds of screams, the choices forced on him, the cruelty of survival.
The organizers of this event…
They loved suffering.
Before he could think more, voices echoed outside — a group of lizardmen approaching fast.
Demha's instincts kicked in.
A shot rang out — aimed straight for Lessa.
Without thinking, Demha pulled her behind him, taking the bullet through his hand.
The pain was white-hot, but he forced himself to run, dragging Lessa and Tena behind him.
As they escaped, Demha noticed something strange:
His wound was closing — healing before his eyes.
Other wounded participants they passed — humans, beasts, monsters — were not healing.
But he was.
Tena was glowing while Lessa carried her, and Demha held her hand as they ran.
When they reached a place to breathe, away from the lizards and others,
Demha tried to figure out what had happened.
He kept pacing left and right, thinking, worrying about Lessa more than his wounds.
Lessa sat against the wall, thinking too.
Tena reached out and touched Lessa's hand and Demha's shoulder.
And then she glowed brighter, and Demha's wound healed completely!
He felt more pain at first — but as the healing finished, the pain faded.
A message appeared in front of him:
Heart in Another Life: Requirements Reached
And he realized — it was the same sentence he and Lessa had received in their first challenge.
And it was connected to the device on his wrist.
It was the "Heart in Another Life."
But…
He remembered lying on Lessa's lap before, and his wounds hadn't healed.
He also carried Tena while they waited for Lessa — and nothing happened.
It's somehow working… but how?!
⸻
They found an old, broken cabin to hide in.
Panting, Demha felt the device throb again — steady and warm.
He said he would try to get something to eat for the three of them.
When he stepped outside, he noticed more enemies approaching.
Demha decided to test something crazy.
He ran out — deliberately showing his back — and let them shoot him twice.
Screams of frustration rose as the lizardmen realized they lost 40 points — and worse, Demha gained 40 points.
But he was badly wounded, crawling back to the cabin.
Lessa screamed when she saw him, rushing to catch him before he fell.
Tena's little tears ran down her cheeks as she jumped between Demha and Lessa.
As soon as her hands touched him — the wounds began healing again.
The bullets were pushed out by invisible force.
The truth was clear now:
Demha could heal… if he was touching both Lessa and Tena.
⸻
Demha proposed a crazy plan:
He would go out alone, deliberately get shot in the back to collect negative points — flipping them into positive points for their side.
Lessa argued, furious and scared:
"What if you die?! What if we couldn't reach you in time?!"
Demha refused her idea of holding hands during combat.
It was too dangerous for her.
He wouldn't risk it.
The argument got louder — until Tena reached up with her long vines and gently patted both their heads to calm them.
Blushing and embarrassed, they quieted.
Demha got a new idea.
He asked Tena,
"How long can you stretch your hands?"
The girl giggled shyly — then showed she could extend her arms surprisingly far.
New plan:
Demha fights alone.
Tena hides underground, one long vine always touching Demha secretly.
Lessa touches Tena, completing the life-energy chain.
If it worked, Demha could get shot — and heal instantly.
⸻
They tried it.
It worked.
Tena's ability to transfer life energy — combined with Lessa's emotional bond — created a miraculous healing effect.
Demha became almost unstoppable.
⸻
[The Blood Trial]
Demha roamed the battlefield like a ghost.
He let enemies shoot his back again and again — each time gaining points, each time healing just in time.
The pain was indescribable.
Hundreds of shots.
Hundreds of waves of agony.
The pain itself could break even the toughest warriors into madness.
His body screamed for rest, but his mind repeated only one thing:
"For those I care about… my family, Tena… and Lessa — they must be safe."
And deep inside, buried under everything, a second voice whispered:
"Make it right this time."
(The screams he once heard in the elimination of the human slaughter and Red Button challenge still haunted him.)
⸻
[Challenge End]
The horns sounded.
The challenge ended.
Final Ranking:
5th Place: Lizardmen – 1,000 points
4th Place: Iron Giants – 1,200 points
3rd Place: Shadow Stalkers – 1,500 points
2nd Place: Bone Wolves – 3,000 points
1st Place: Demha – 6,000 points
Everyone was shocked.
A single human — alone — had outscored entire species.
Even though the device healed his wounds, Demha's body was drained.
It was like he had sprinted for 100 days without sleep.
But he stood — exhausted, but victorious.
He was superior to all of these species.
He could now control their fates.
"Earth, Lessa's world, and the plant girl's world… from today…
They are one universe.
We survive together."
⸻
[Aftermath]
From 5,000 candidates, only 1,500 survived.
3,500 dead — killed by headshots, bleeding, starvation, or unhealed wounds.
Some universes faded into mystery, their participants disappearing without a trace.
But for now —
Demha, Lessa, and their little plant girl, Tena, stood together.
They survived… for now.
⸻
[End of Challenge Arc]
[END OF VOLUME 1 ]