The air in the makeshift shelter was thick with tension, the scent of damp earth and sweat mingling with the faint metallic tang of blood. Liam Crest leaned against the rusted remains of a filing cabinet, his fingers drumming an erratic rhythm against the drone hovering by his shoulder—Eye of the Apocalypse, his lifeline. The dim glow of its lens cast eerie shadows across the room, illuminating Aria's sharp features as she sharpened her collapsible staff with a scavenged knife.
"We're sitting ducks here," she muttered, her ice-blue eyes flicking to the barricaded door. "Kane's not the type to let a humiliation slide."
Liam grinned, though his ribs still ached from their last encounter. "Relax. He's probably licking his wounds and editing his 'expose' footage." He tossed a crumpled protein bar wrapper at her. "Besides, we've got bigger problems."
Aria caught it midair, her glare lethal. "Bigger than a Level 8 sociopath with a vendetta?"
"Yep." Liam tapped his temple. "Our sponsors are getting impatient."
A notification pulsed in his vision:
[Astral Viewer: Anonymous]
"Entertain us, or your friends die."
Attached was a grainy hologram—Rita, Marcus, and Priya, bound and gagged in a dimly lit room. A timer ticked in the corner: 00:59:59.
Aria's knife stilled. "Where?"
Liam's grin faded. "Old subway tunnels beneath the Stronghold. Kane's new buddies must've grabbed them during the chaos."
Aria stood, her staff snapping to full length. "Then we move. Now."
Liam grabbed her wrist. "It's a trap."
"No shit." She yanked free. "But we're walking into it anyway."
The drone buzzed, zooming in on Liam's face as he exhaled dramatically. "Folks, today's episode: Rescue Mission or Suicide Pact? Let's find out!"
The subway entrance was a gaping maw of shattered tile and twisted rebar, the stale air thick with the stench of rot and something sharper—ozone, like the aftermath of a storm. Liam's boots crunched over broken glass as they descended, the drone's light barely piercing the gloom.
Aria moved like a wraith ahead of him, her [Eagle Eye] scanning for traps. "Tracks are electrified," she whispered, nodding to the third rail, its surface humming with a faint blue glow. "Astral tech."
Liam whistled. "Kane's upped his game." He crouched, poking a discarded soda can with his pipe. "Think he's working for them now?"
Aria didn't answer. Her grip on her staff tightened as a sound echoed from the tunnels ahead—a wet, clicking noise, like bones snapping.
Then the shadows moved.
[Ambush: Hollowed Scouts (Level 10-12)]
The creatures were humanoid, but wrong—their limbs elongated, skin stretched taut over distended joints, mouths split ear-to-ear with needle teeth. They scuttled along the walls and ceiling, their glowing eyes locking onto Liam and Aria.
"Chat," Liam said, backing up, "remember that time I said I'd never miss Rita's doughnuts? I take it back."
The Hollowed lunged.
Aria was a blur, her staff cracking skulls with brutal efficiency. Liam [Flash Step] behind one, driving his pipe through its spine. Black ichor sprayed, sizzling where it hit the electrified rails.
[Fan Gift Activated: Chain Lightning (B-Rank, 1 Use)]
Liam didn't hesitate. He slammed his palm onto the wet floor—
BOOM.
Electricity arced through the horde, frying them mid-leap. The stench of burnt flesh clogged the air as the survivors screeched, retreating into the darkness.
Aria wiped her brow. "That was your last Chain Lightning."
Liam grinned. "Worth it for the lighting."
The drone panned to the carnage, capturing the twitching corpses.
[Audience: 15,000\]
[New Donation: "More violence. 100 AP."]
Aria's lip curled. "They're betting on us."
Liam pocketed the virtual coins. "Then let's make it a show."
The tunnel opened into a cavernous chamber—a repurposed subway station, its pillars strung with cages. Inside, emaciated prisoners moaned, their eyes hollow. At the center, a raised platform held Rita, Marcus, and Priya, bound to steel chairs. Above them, Kane lounged on a makeshift throne, his scarred lip twisted in a smirk.
"Took you long enough," he drawled, his drone circling like a vulture. "Chat's getting bored."
Liam's fists clenched. "Let them go."
Kane leaned forward. "Or what? You'll cry to your Astral sugar daddies?" He snapped his fingers.
The ground trembled. A gate groaned open, and something massive slithered out—a serpentine abomination, its body segmented like a centipede, each leg ending in a human hand.
[Boss: The Grip of Regret (Level 20)]
[Ability: Memory Theft – Steals skills from those it touches.]
Aria paled. "That's—"
"My new pet," Kane interrupted. "Fed it a few streamers who thought they could rival me." He grinned. "Let's see how long your gimmicks last."
The Grip lunged.
Liam barely dodged, [Flash Step] aside as a hand grazed his arm. A searing pain shot through him—
[Warning: Skill Theft Detected]
[Flash Step (D-Rank) – LOCKED for 60 seconds.]
"Oh, come on!" Liam yelped, rolling behind a pillar.
Aria wasn't faring better. The Grip's tail whipped out, slamming her into a wall. Her [Shadow Step] flickered—stolen.
Kane laughed. "Pathetic."
Liam's drone buzzed frantically. [Audience: 20,000]
[Fan Messages: "This is boring." "Kane's better." "Die already."]
His stomach dropped. *They're turning on us.*
Then—
[Anonymous Viewer: "Prove you're worth watching."]
A gift materialized: a single, glowing die.
[Item: Gambler's Die (A-Rank)]
[Effect: Roll for a random skill. High risk, higher reward.]
Liam caught it, his pulse roaring. "Aria! Buy me ten seconds!"
She spat blood, then charged the Grip bare-handed.
Liam rolled the die.
It tumbled through the air, each face flashing with symbols—
And landed on [SS].
[Skill Granted: Pandora's Mimicry (SS-Rank, 1 Use)]
[Description: Replicate the last SS-Rank skill used near you.]
Liam's eyes snapped to Kane. What's his trump card?
The answer came in a whisper from the cages:
"He… he ate a Hollow King's core," a prisoner croaked. "Can… can unmake people."
Liam's grin turned feral. "Perfect."
He activated [Pandora's Mimicry].
The world bent.
For a second, Liam was the Hollow King—his body dissolving into shadows, his mind fracturing under the weight of stolen memories. He saw Kane's past: the betrayal that scarred him, the Astrals' whispers, the hunger for approval—
Then Liam struck.
Shadows lashed out, wrapping around the Grip of Regret. The beast shrieked as its own limbs turned against it, crushing its body inward.
Kane's smirk vanished. "No—NO!"
The Grip imploded, its remains dissolving into motes of light.
The cages burst open.
Rita, Marcus, and Priya stumbled free, their bonds crumbling.
[Audience: 50,000]
[Fan Gifts: Overflowing]
Kane backed away, his drone sputtering. "This isn't over."
Aria's staff cracked across his jaw. "Yes. It is."
He collapsed, unconscious.
The prisoners fled into the tunnels, their whispers of "Level Zero" trailing behind them. Rita hugged Liam, her doughnut-scented apron smearing flour on his jacket. "Knew you'd come," she mumbled.
Marcus clapped him on the back, wincing. "Next time, I get the cool SS-Rank move."
Priya, ever-practical, was already inventorying their injuries. "We need to move. Kane's not working alone."
Liam nodded, but his gaze lingered on the dying hologram of their "sponsor":
[Anonymous Viewer: "You passed. The real game begins now."]
A new map flickered to life—a towering spire in the dead zone, pulsing with Astral energy.
[Location: Pandora's Vault]
Aria's voice was grim. "We're not done yet."
Liam activated the drone, its lens catching the determination in his bloodied smile.
"Nope. But the ratings are gonna be legendary."
[Livestream: Active]
[Viewers: 100,000 and climbing…]