The sky burst open.
Not lightning—but with a crack as if the world had been sliced by code. Purple pixels fell like rain, scorching through cement and warping skyscrapers into what seemed like never-before shapes. Lagos Island gave itself over to nightmare cartography: towers were now obsidian spires, traffic had become stone, and the smell of raw energy and blood filled the air.
Screams.
Elaine Odili didn't run with them.
She dabbed at the blood on her cheek, eyes narrowed — running calculations.
A translucent notice blinked in her line of sight.
[GLOBAL QUEST BEGINS]
Survive
Reward: Level +1
Penalty: Permanent Death
She exhaled slowly.
"So these things actually exist."
Behind her, a bike courier stumbled backward as the street cracked open. Something crawled up — six limbs, chitin armor, a jagged mouth dripping poison. A Reaver Beetle. Level 5.
The guy was Level 1.
Dead meat.
Elaine stepped forward before she even thought about it. Instinct. Training. The assassin she'd once only been behind a VR headset… now inside her flesh.
Her shadow stretched obnoxiously far out.
Skill Unlocked: Night Veil Step Cooldown: 5 seconds
She vanished.
One heartbeat later, she was behind the Beelte again and had its weak point in her blade — the soft gap at the base of its skull. A burst of black pixels.
The creature shrieked — glitching apart.
The courier stared. "You… you killed it. How did you—"
Elaine ignored him. She watched the screen rising in front of her.
Enemy Defeated!
1 Level
Reaper's Mark Passive: Level stolen from target
Level Gain: 4 Levels
Nový level: 5.
The man blinked. "You just… leveled up."
Elaine rolled her shoulders. There was power running through her veins.
"I was Level 300 yesterday," she said flatly.
" And that thing wasn't meant to spawn until the end of the game."
They heard again above them, the sky screaming — a monstrous roar rattling the earth.
[WARNING]
The world boss "Shadow King" has invaded!
Elaine's blood ran cold.
The final raid boss. Only three players had ever reached it.
One no one — not even her — has defeated. The one she hadn't beaten.
She smirked as she slashed with her shadow-forged blade.
"So it's like that," she whispered. "Good."
If Death wanted her…
…then Death ought to have a plan.