Across the continent, the system's new announcement rang out like a bell... The Survivors everywhere froze as the system's message appeared before their eyes.
[ System Update: Survivor Leaderboard Activated!]
[ Requirement: Level 10+]
[ Monthly Rankings with Rewards for Top 3 Survivors.]
For some, it was something they wanted to look forward to.
But for others, it felt like a threat. After all, their names would be published in the Leaderboard, and none of them were sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing just yet.
Many of them didn't want to expose their abilities after all.
***
In the wreckage of Haven‑32, Renji crouched beside the remains of a fallen Sentinel. His hands were streaked with blood and grease, but he was uninjured.
The shelter around him was nothing but rubble. There were corpses of his previous companions buried beneath steel beams, but he was the only one left alive.
"This…"
