The system sound did not ring.
It pierced.
A sharp, metallic chime that forced its way into every human ear on Earth, dragging people out of sleep, out of dreams, out of exhaustion.
James' eyes snapped open.
The words were still floating in front of him.
[World Announcement]
[Early awakening of the Nine-Tailed Fox.]
[Due to early awakening, it will be weakened to Three Tails.]
He stared at it without blinking.
"Nine-tailed… reduced to three…"
Then the second window appeared.
The one no human being on Earth could ever forget.
[All humans transporting]
James' breath stopped.
Not because he didn't understand.
But because he understood too well.
Some people nearby were still confused, asking what it meant. Some laughed nervously, thinking it was a bug. Some were tapping their system screens in panic.
James didn't move.
His eyes slowly darkened.
"Not again…"
And then—
The world folded.
No flash.
No light.
No falling sensation.
Just—
Nothing.
---
Wind touched his face first.
Then smell.
Grass.
James' eyes snapped open.
Green.
Endless green.
A vast, flat land stretching farther than sight could follow.
His heart began pounding violently in his chest.
He didn't look around first.
He looked beside him.
Eumie. Herro. Clark. Mhae. Alex. Ashley.
Still there.
Only then did he lift his head.
And the screaming started.
Just like before.
People were shouting, crying, running without direction. Some fell to their knees. Some hugged strangers. Some stared at the sky as if waiting for an answer.
Panic did not arrive slowly.
It exploded.
James immediately grabbed the six of them.
"Stay close. Don't move away from me."
Without hesitation, he summoned.
Martis appeared beside him, long white spiky hair catching the wind, red pupils scanning the chaos calmly.
Sampon followed, now in his physical vessel, eyes narrowing.
Both looked at James.
"What's happening?" Martis asked.
James swallowed.
"It's the same place. The same one from before. We've been brought back."
Martis' expression hardened.
Sampon's eyes turned serious.
---
Not far from where James stood—
Ark slammed onto the grass and rolled to his feet instantly.
"James?!"
He didn't even check himself. His eyes scanned the sea of people desperately.
Beside him, John Delgo stood up calmly, brushing the grass off his clothes as if this were a mild inconvenience.
Ark looked around wildly.
But instead of James—
A man in a clean black suit approached them.
Neat hair. Sharp face. Calm smile.
He walked as if this chaos did not concern him.
He stopped in front of John.
"Are you John Delgo?"
John blinked. "Yes. Why?"
"I would like to ask for your help with something."
Ark leaned toward John and whispered urgently, "That guy is obviously suspicious."
John stared at the man for a moment.
Then answered, "Sure."
Ark turned to him in disbelief. "Why did you agree?!"
John replied plainly, "He's handsome."
Ark's brain failed to process that answer.
Before he could speak again—
The sky cracked.
A long fracture tore through the air above them like glass breaking.
People screamed.
But Ark didn't.
John didn't.
Because they recognized it.
They had seen this before.
The same crack.
The same light.
The same being.
An angel descended from the fracture, white wings spreading slowly as he hovered above the vast green land.
He smiled.
Like nothing was wrong.
Like this was normal.
And that was the most terrifying part.
"Hello, humans," the angel said gently. "I hope you all received the announcement."
His voice carried across the entire field without effort.
Silence slowly replaced the screaming.
Fear replaced the noise.
"Someone," the angel continued, "has triggered the requirements for the Tutorial Zone Boss to arrive earlier than intended."
Murmurs spread across the crowd.
"If you kill the boss, you will proceed to the next zone."
"If you fail… you remain here."
He paused.
His eyes slowly swept across the countless humans.
"As such… Earth now requires a representative."
The wind itself seemed to stop.
"A leader."
Before the angel could continue—
A system window appeared in front of him.
The angel's eyes moved as he read it.
Then—
He smiled wider.
That smile made James' blood run cold from across the field.
Because he knew.
That smile meant the system had already chosen someone.