What do you mean, Ely?
[The source of her system is not reality.]
Silence stretched between them.
You mean she broke the rules too? Is she cursed, just like me?
[No. Her case is different. You two do not share the same nature.]
Remedy's hand instinctively slid into his pocket.
My nature. My powers.
His fingers met only empty fabric. His eyes drifted over to Serene.
By the way, do you know what her nature is?
[Apologies. I do not have the right to snoop into the affairs of others.]
He pulled his hand out of his empty pocket, his pupils sliding to the edge of his vision. A small gesture from Serene—a wave of her hand—snapped him back to the present.
"Ah, right. Sorry."
He cleared his throat. "Here's the plan. We're going to stay in the Outer Zone and completely wipe it clean."
Serene didn't move. Her gaze remained locked onto him, unblinking.
"Right now, the weaker examinees have either dropped out, been hunted down by the stronger ones, or worse, killed by the monsters. As for the powerhouses, they're either gearing up to breach the Inner Zone or hunting down the weak for points. But for maximum profit, they'll push into the Inner Zone."
He stepped closer. "Which means right now, there will be almost no players left here, and just a few scattered monsters. We can sweep the Outer Zone without being disturbed."
He placed his hands gently on Serene's shoulders. "And with you here, we don't need to hunt them down one by one. We gather them, and we wipe them out. We purge the entire Outer Zone. You get it?"
She nodded. She ducked out from under his hands, walked past him, put some distance between them, and stopped.
[It seems you have build a good bond with her.]
You might not believe me, but from the day she arrived at school, we became friends overnight.
[Just like that?]
Yeah, just like that... I don't even remember how it happened.
[... We're you not afraid of her?]
Strangely, never. Even if others are terrified and avoid her, I have this gut feeling that we've known each other for a long time.
[...]
Remedy's focus snapped back to Serene. A dark mist unfurled from her body, and a black point flickered to life above her head.
Her energy. Looks like it's starting.
Remedy cupped his hands around his mouth. "Pull in as many as you want, Serene!"
The black mist deployed, sweeping outward like a dark shockwave across the landscape, blanketing a massive perimeter around her. Inside this field, a perfectly smooth black sphere materialized above Remedy's head.
A fresh surge of heat flooded his system. His muscles coiled. His heart hammered faster, harder. The world around him snapped into sharp, crystalline focus.
[DING! YOUR STATS HAVE INCREASED BY 50%.]
Remedy opened his palm, then slowly clenched it. I still can't get used to this sensation.
Then came the sounds. Snapping branches. Heavy, thumping treads.
The very next second, a massive tide of monsters—Root Wolves and Corrupted Black Stags ranging from levels 10 to 12—erupted from all sides, completely encircling them. Their eyes were locked onto Serene with primal intensity, as if she embodied everything they could ever desire.
Above every creature, dark arrows hovered in the air, all pointing directly at the black dot above Serene.
Then, with a casual snap of Serene's fingers, a fractured black sphere materialized above the head of every monster, right in the middle of those arrows. Instantly, the bloodlust in the monsters' eyes dimmed. Their gazes went half-empty, stripped of any will to fight.
Then, in a flat, monotone voice, she declared:
"Yours."
Remedy stepped toward the monsters, his heavy chains dragging through the snow. One step. Two steps.
"Let's go."
He bolted. The chain in his right hand, cocked back at rib level, whirled like a rotor. Then he snapped his arm forward with pinpoint accuracy. His wrist cracked sharply, releasing the whip. The chain whistled in a deadly arc toward the pack. It tore through three monsters, cleaving them clean in half.
He plunged into the center of the horde in a whirlwind, tearing right through to the other side, breaking the encirclement into a broken crescent. The chains weren't just grazing anymore. They sliced deep into flesh and bone, severing limbs like a hot wire through butter.
Notifications flooded his vision: monster eliminated, attack nullified...
Reaching the other side, he skidded to a halt. The chains clattered to the floor. Behind him, the monsters collapsed in unison. A few—spared by the attack nullifications—were still standing.
[THREE LEVEL 10 MONSTERS, TWO LEVEL 11 MONSTERS DEVOURING COMPLETE. + 5,200 EXP, + 5,200 MP.]
[YOU HAVE LEVELED UP: 10 ➔ 11.]
Remedy's body glowed. A wave of raw power ripped through his frame. His muscles contracted violently.
He lunged back into the fray, executing the three survivors, then continued wiping out the ring of monsters encircling Serene.
One of his attacks nullified. The surviving beast leaped straight for his jugular. He spun on a dime, his chain whipping around to cleave it out of the air. The remaining monsters were backing away, their limbs trembling. Some didn't even move anymore, heads bowed in submission.
He relentlessly cleared the space around Serene, looping a section of the chains around his forearms to toggle into mid-range combat. Each monster received multiple blows, overriding the nullification curse by sheer volume. A few monsters still managed to graze him.
Serene's eyes tracked Remedy's movements with unusual focus. Any beasts that crawled too close to her were promptly met with daggers thrown directly into their skulls.
The black spheres hovering above the monsters weren't just mental suppressors. They weighed down their strength, slowed their limbs, and dulled their claws. Even the reality curses that doubled the monsters' stats weren't enough to overcome this massive handicap.
***
Meanwhile, inside the observation room, the sheer efficiency of the duo had hijacked everyone's attention.
"Is that Serene from Class 3?" Director Stern observed aloud.
"That girl..." Dr. Glass muttered. "I don't like her power."
"She is a walking enigma. I wonder what that boy did to get her to cooperate with him like this," Coach Steele commented.
"Speaking of Remedy... Isn't that the student who recently received his system that you were talking about, Mr. Stone?" Mrs. Bloom inquired.
"Yes, I remember. And his class was Enchanter, if I recall," Mr. Sharp piped up.
"The boy has always been gifted with martial techniques. I felt terrible that his potential was going to be wasted, but he finally managed to awaken the System. Now, he can finally evolve," Coach Steele added.
All eyes turned to the homeroom teacher. "Congratulations, Mr. Stone. Another bright student in your class."
Mr. Stone smiled faintly, his eyes glued to the monitor tracking Remedy.
A few days before the exam.
The teacher was sitting down, food laid out before him, phone pressed to his ear.
"You're telling me you woke the system four days ago, and your class is Enchanter? Why are you just telling me this now?" He rubbed his face. "Come see me at school tomorrow. We need to update your file."
He looked back at the student's onscreen performance.
You never gave up, even when I tried to hold you back.
A proud smile tugged at Mr. Stone's lips. Looks like I underestimated you, kid.
***
Back in the dungeon, the snow was painted red, littered with monster corpses. The job was done.
Devour.
The carcasses disintegrated and seeped into his shadow.
Total: 32 Monsters Eliminated
* 18 x Level 10 — +10 Points each
* 9 x Level 11 — +11 Points each
* 5 x Level 12 — +12 Points each
[DING! MONSTERS DEVOURING SUCCESSFUL. + (1,000 MP, 1,000 EXP) x 18 | + (1,100 MP, 1,100 EXP) x 9 | + (1,200 MP, 1,200 EXP) x 5.]
Remedy turned to Serene. She didn't seem interested in asking a single question about his bizarre devouring powers.
Tell me, Ely. Why am I getting all the elimination EXP?
[NOTE: It seems she has no need for it.]
You mean she doesn't need experience points to evolve?
[Precisely.]
He let out a heavy breath. She's hiding some heavy secrets too.
He reeled in his chains and coiled them around his arms without prying.
"Alright. Shall we keep moving, Serene?"
She nodded. Remedy turned on his heel and began to walk away.
As Serene took her first step to follow him, the black mist still hovering over the corpses and lingering in the air suddenly froze. Then, like a film being played in reverse, every particle of dark energy was violently sucked back toward her. The dispersed darkness rushed back in a steady stream, vanishing into her body without leaving a single trace behind.
In an instant, the area returned to its natural light, but Serene looked even denser, more "charged" than before. She hadn't spent a thing. She had reclaimed it all.
She trailed behind him, silent. The two moved toward another sector of the forest, methodically continuing their purge of the outer zone.
End of chapter 16
═══ STATUS WINDOW ═══
Name: Remedy
Lineage: Human
Tier: 1 — Optimized Human
Level: 13
EXP: 53%
MP: 53,450
Health: 70%
Energies:
• Mana: 100%
═══ CLASS ═══
• Primary Path: Sealed
• Secondary Path: Scourge of Reality
═══ SKILLS ═══
• Secondary Path: Steal, Manifest, Bind, Devour
═══════════════════════════
Party: Remedy & Serene
Party Points: 449 points