"Morning, Asagi-nee."
Kenmei Isayama was just stepping out to take out the trash when he bumped into Asagi Aiba, who was already waiting at the door. She must have just arrived, as she was still patting her face with a powder puff.
"Asagi-nee, watch out. This bag is huge."
"Morn... Oh, sure."
It wasn't until he walked past her that Asagi realized it was her student. A bit bewildered, she checked her phone.
What the hell? It's only 6:45 AM.
Back when Sakura was around, she had rarely seen Kenmei up this early.
Kenmei, yawning and looking utterly drained, was busy contemplating two things: whether the scrap metal in his hand counted as recyclable waste, and how to break the deadlock in his current predicament.
As for why Asagi was at his door? Simple: "Responsibility." She wanted to make sure her student wasn't just all talk—hyping himself up one day only to ditch school the next. That would make her a laughingstock.
"Kenmei, you look awful," Asagi said, walking over with concern. "You're not coming down with something, are you?"
She had only caught a glimpse of him as he passed, but the boy looked haggard—like a walking corpse.
"No, I'm good, Asagi-nee," Kenmei replied, his voice raspy. "Just slept really late."
Fighting off mental fatigue, Kenmei tied the heavy trash bag tight and tossed it into the designated bin. He'd just have to call the scrap disposal company later to pick up the ruined electronics.
He turned to Asagi. "Give me a sec. I haven't packed my bag yet."
"Perfect. I'll check your homework while I wait."
"..."
"What? Got a problem with that?" Asagi raised an eyebrow playfully.
Kenmei sighed in defeat and pointed to the open door. "Be my guest."
Back inside, Kenmei handed over the assignments he had finished at school yesterday. Asagi flipped through a few pages before tucking the notebook into his bag.
"How's it look, Ms. Asagi?"
"Not bad. At least you were actually listening in class yesterday."
Kenmei felt a wave of relief as he took the bag from her. "Let's roll."
---
By the time Kenmei was strapped into the passenger seat of Asagi's red supercar, it was 7:00 AM. Since they had plenty of time before the 8:00 AM homeroom, Asagi didn't floor it this time. The drive was smooth.
"Asagi-nee, you don't need to pick me up tomorrow," Kenmei said earnestly, relaxing his grip on the door handle. "Don't worry, I won't skip class like before. I can ride my bike or take the subway."
"I've been trouble enough for you these past few days."
Asagi lived in the Chiyoda Ward—prime real estate where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold. Kenmei's place, on the other hand, was out in the sticks. Having his teacher chauffeur him for two days straight felt wrong.
"It's not just 'these past few days,' kid. It's always. Okay?"
Asagi smirked, glancing at him with mock annoyance. "Fine. I won't pick you up tomorrow. But if you're late... you know the consequences."
"The energy I spend on you could fund a dozen research projects," she sighed, her tone softening as she thought of Kenmei's late sister. "Just study hard, get into a good university... that way..."
She stopped herself, not wanting to dampen the mood. At least the kid had pulled himself back from the brink.
"Learning isn't something you can rush. Don't burn the midnight oil too hard."
Seeing his schoolbag open on the coffee table and signs that he had slept on the couch, Asagi assumed the prodigal son had turned a new leaf and studied all night.
"We've got time. I'll drive slow. Close your eyes and catch some Z's."
Kenmei choked on his own spit.
"Me? Studying? Until late at night?"
Since when?
Misunderstood again. He didn't know how to explain that he had actually spent the night grinding a "raid instance," which was why he looked like a ghoul. But seeing the proud, relieved look on Asagi's face, he couldn't bring himself to correct her.
"Right. Thanks, Asagi-nee. I won't stay up that late again."
"Want an eye mask?"
"No, I'm good."
Kenmei sighed internally and closed his eyes.
He genuinely needed the rest to soothe his frayed nerves. His head had been throbbing since he woke up, his psychic reserves completely overdrawn.
Who told him to be a "noob" and die five times in one night?
He had entered the [Temple of All Living Things] five times. He died five times. And he experienced five unique, excruciating ways to die.
Honestly? It was a bloody bargain.
Having his heart ripped out or limbs severed was child's play. He'd had his skull and spine ripped out together Predator-style, and once, he was even flayed and eaten alive.
Total Earnings: [3200 Points]
He had killed four Wraiths in total. Kenmei discovered that the payout varied per entity. The highest yielded 1,100 Points, while that first pitiful Villager only dropped 300.
Killing that first Villager Wraith in his second run seemed easy, but only because he was over-prepared. Afraid of the "heart-rip" instant kill, he had brought a Riot Shield to block the initial strike before following up with the chainsaw.
With the experience from his first and second runs, Kenmei became increasingly convinced this was a game. Every kill was a checkpoint, but you couldn't overwrite the save.
For example, the "Second Loop" timeline started after he killed the first Villager Wraith. If he died in the Second Loop, the Third Loop would start at that exact moment after the first kill.
Here was the intel Kenmei gathered on the mobs:
Even the lowest-level Wraith had a Strength stat of 7—higher than Kenmei's own. No wonder the System flagged the [Temple of All Living Things] as an "Extreme Danger" zone. Even the trash mobs on the outskirts were lethal threats.
In the Second Loop, he encountered a Wraith (Butcher) worth 700 Points in the woods. His prepared Riot Shield was useless; the Butcher cleaved through the metal shield and half of Kenmei's torso in a single, clean strike.
His guts had spilled onto the wet ground—a disgusting memory—before his head was sent flying a second later.
Fortunately, Kenmei had the foresight to unsummon his chainsaw the moment things went south, preventing it from being destroyed in the Second Loop.
In the Third Loop, he used a trap to drop the Wraith (Butcher) into a pit, then used the running chainsaw to saw through its skull (700 Points). He then caught another lone Wraith (Villager) and executed it.
The Third Loop was his most successful run.
But the biggest haul came in the Fifth Loop, where he killed a Wraith (Hunter) worth 1,100 Points.
His death in the Third Loop had been caused by this Hunter—a paralyzed arrow from a distance, followed by the Hunter ripping Kenmei's skull and spine out while he was half-conscious to feast on the marrow.
In the Fourth Loop, he tried to ambush the Hunter, but his trap was spotted. That time, he was skinned alive and eaten. The paralytic toxin on the arrow was potent; without it, Kenmei might have suffered a mental breakdown from the sheer torture.
By the Fifth Loop, Kenmei was seeing red. He finally managed a "mutual kill." He charged the Hunter like a madman, jammed the chainsaw into its gut, revved it to max, and tackled the bastard off a cliff.
As they fell through the air, Kenmei glimpsed something in the distance.
It looked like a village. If he guessed right, that was where these damned Wraiths came from.