Chapter 19: The Choice and the Chase
The safe zone of Level 10 was suddenly full of life.
People were laughing, hugging, and even crying. It was the kind of happiness that came only after surviving something close to death.
George was jumping around, swinging his huge sword in the air. "We did it! Finally!" he shouted, laughing like a madman. Some of the others were already talking about what they'd do next.
"I'm going home," one of them said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "I'll take a whole week off. I deserve it."
Another woman giggled. "I'm posting everything online. I'll finally show my followers I'm not some weak F-ranker anymore."
Someone else laughed. "Man, my wife won't even believe this. I'm telling her to cook me a victory feast!"
The atmosphere was full of joy and relief. One by one, players began opening their Status Windows, pressing the Return to Earth button. Each time someone pressed it, their body shifted in light and disappeared—vanishing back to earth 🌎.
Kelvin stood there with his arms crossed, watching them go. A small smile played on his face. He didn't smile often, but seeing people happy for once made something warm stir inside him.
"Guess they earned it," he thought. "Even if most of them don't know what's waiting in the higher levels."
George came walking up to him, looking unusually serious. His big grin was gone, replaced with honest respect.
"Kelvin," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I just wanted to say… thanks. I didn't really believe we'd make it this far. I've been stuck under Level 10 for months. Thought I'd rot there."
Kelvin looked at him. "Yeah, sometimes you have to have a bigger goal than stealing."
George chuckled. "Yeah, but all because of you. You made it possible. So… thanks, boss."
Kelvin gave a small nod. "You earned your own victory, George. I just gave you a push."
George smirked. "Still… you're one cold bastard, you know that?"
Kelvin smiled faintly. "It takes one to lead a bunch of loud idiots through hell."
George laughed loudly at that, patting Kelvin's shoulder. "You got me there!"
But the mood shifted when Lee spoke up. He was quiet for a while, but now he finally asked the question that had been sitting on everyone's mind.
"Um, Kelvin," Lee said, his voice low. "Why did you ask us to buy the Astral Link? You said it'll help us summon you when we're in trouble, but… aren't you always going to be with us?"
George immediately frowned and hissed, "Lee, don't—"
But it was too late.
Kelvin looked at them calmly, and for a moment, nobody could read his face. The silence felt heavy. Even George stopped breathing for a second.
Finally, Kelvin said, "No. I'm not staying."
Everyone froze.
"What?" George blinked. "You mean—"
Kelvin's tone didn't change. "I'm leaving this group. I'll be clearing the remaining levels alone."
The cheerful air disappeared. It was like the joy was sucked out of the place.
George tried to laugh it off. "Wait, hold on, man. Don't joke like that. You can't just leave us after all this. Stay with us till Level 15 at least. You know, keep the family together."
Kelvin's voice turned cold. "That's not going to happen."
George opened his mouth to argue again, but one look at Kelvin's eyes shut him up. Kelvin wasn't joking. He wasn't bluffing.
Then Kelvin added, "I'll be taking the archer girl with me."
That got everyone's attention again. The girl blinked in surprise, pointing at herself. "M-me?"
Kelvin nodded. "Yes. You."
George blinked, clearly confused. "Wait, why her?"
Kelvin ignored him and walked toward her. The archer stood nervously, her hands still holding her bow.
"What's your name?" Kelvin asked.
"Uh, Mia," she said quickly.
He nodded. "From now on, you're coming with me."
She froze. "W-wait, seriously?"
Kelvin turned to the other boy who had fought beside them in the underwater special dungeon back in Level 9. The boy had short white hair and eyes that shimmered faintly blue whenever he used his elemental absorption ability.
"And your name?" Kelvin asked.
The boy swallowed. "Kairo."
Kelvin gave a slight nod. "Good work, Kairo. You'll stay with George and the others."
Kairo looked shocked. "Wait—what about me? I can help. I fought beside you! You know I'm useful—"
Kelvin interrupted, voice firm. "You'll do fine with this group. They need someone like you more than I do."
Kairo's lips trembled slightly. He wanted to argue, but he didn't. He just looked down, clenching his fists.
George, sensing the tension, sighed and slapped Kairo's back. "Hey, don't worry about it, boy. We'll make sure you don't die."
Kelvin didn't say anything more. He just turned to Mia and said, "Let's go."
And before anyone could stop him, he opened his Status Window and selected Proceed to Next Level.
The portal appeared—glowing and humming like thunder trapped in glass.
Mia took one nervous look at George and the rest before stepping through beside Kelvin.
And then they were gone.
Kelvin's Though in his mind,
"I didn't take both of them because I wanted strength. I could have done that easily. But this wasn't about gathering power. It was about avoiding another of my past life tragedy."
Kairo was talented—maybe too talented. The kid could absorb elemental energy from monsters and turn it into pure mana. That was rare. If Kelvin wanted a strong ally, Kairo was the obvious choice. But that was exactly why Kelvin left him behind.
"He will be able to take care of him self and help the rest" Kelvin thought. "Plus I can always contact them using the astra link ."
Mia, on the other hand, wasn't special—at least, not yet. But Kelvin knew who her brother was.
"The Mad Titan.
A name that once shook the Alien admins themselves."
"In my first life, her brother was one of Earth's strongest warriors—an A-rank powerhouse whose arrows could pierce through mountains. When he learned that his sister had been killed in a dungeon, he lost his mind."
"He went on a rampage so terrifying that even the alien Admins took notice. The story was legend: the Mad Titan shot an arrow so strong it destroyed one of the Admin's floating pyramids in space. It was said the shockwave could be seen from orbit."
"And for that, the Admins killed him."
Kelvin had seen that happen with his own eyes.
In his second life, Kelvin made the Mad Titan one of his comrades. Together, they brought down entire alien fortresses. The Mad Titan reached SSS rank, and his sister, Mia, became an S ranker under Kelvin's training.
But now, in this third life, the tragic story wasn't going to repeat. Kelvin had a chance to change her fate.
"She won't die this time," he thought, glancing at her as they stepped into the new world. "I'll make sure of it."
When they came out of the portal, they landed in what looked like a massive war zone combined with a city. Metallic towers reached the clouds, and armored drones floated above, scanning the streets.
Players in military uniforms walked everywhere, carrying guns mixed with swords glowing with energy.
"This… this doesn't look like a dungeon," Mia said, eyes wide.
Kelvin looked around. "That's because it's not. Level 11 is controlled by government factions. Most people here are either soldiers or P.S.A. operatives."
"P.S.A.?" she asked.
"Public Safety Agents," Kelvin said. "They're like the world police for awakened players. The government sends them here to train soldiers and test weapons. They use monsters as practice targets."
She nodded slowly, looking around. "So the government actually has control here?"
Kelvin smirked. "They wished."
They didn't waste time. The first mission came immediately:
[Objective: Secure the Outskirts]
[Defeat the Mutated Mechs and Clear the Area]
Monsters here weren't beasts anymore—they were mechanical. Robots with glowing red eyes and claws made of plasma energy.
Mia raised her bow, firing a glowing arrow. It hit one of the mechs, exploding in sparks, but the robot didn't fall.
"Damn," she muttered. "They're tougher than before."
Kelvin walked past her calmly. "Watch."
The mechs turned toward him, firing plasma beams. Kelvin lifted one finger.
[(Skill) Mind Action – Activated]
[(Skill)Stat Swap — Activated]
[(70%) Stamina/ Intelligence→ Vitality/Agility]
Invisible energy rippled around him. The plasma beams froze midair—completely stopped. He used his hands and pushed all the frozen energy balls reversed direction, slamming back into the mechs.
BOOM!
The explosion lit up the area. Metal parts rained down.
Mia's jaw dropped. "You—You just reversed their attack!"
Kelvin replied casually, "Something like that. Now focus on your aim."
More mechs came charging from behind. Mia rolled aside, firing a cluster shot that scattered into five glowing arrows. They hit each mech's weak points—joints and necks—just as Kelvin had taught her in battle.
"Good," Kelvin said. "Now adjust your your pose. Don't aim for the chest; aim for the sensors on the head."
She nodded quickly. "Got it!"
They moved like a pair of dancers—Kelvin controlling the battlefield with his mind-based skills, Mia covering every blind spot with precise arrows.
At one point, a massive mech boss appeared, stomping so hard the ground cracked.
Mia gulped. "Okay, this one could literally eat an entire tanker."
Kelvin cracked his neck. "Looks like a big toy to me."
The boss fired a laser beam big enough to melt steel. Kelvin dashed forward, sliding on the ground as the beam cut above his head. He put half his stats in strength and made a thunderous clap with both arm. The shock wave pierced the mech's core, exploding inside it.
But the mech didn't fall—it roared and began self-destructing.
"Cover your ears," Kelvin said calmly.
He clapped his hands together again. The explosion reversed inward, like time rewinding for just that moment, and the mech crushed itself into a tiny metal ball.
"Mission complete,'the system voice said.
[Level 11 Cleared]
[Reward: +800🌕 +300💎]
Mia was panting hard, her hands trembling. "That was insane," she said between breaths. "How do you even—"
Kelvin interrupted, smirking. "Practice."
She gave a tired laugh. "That's not helpful, you know."
"I wasn't trying to be," he replied, walking ahead.
When they stepped into the next portal, they found themselves in a crowded metallic city square. Hundreds of people—mostly soldiers and players—had gathered around a raised platform.
Something big was happening.
"Why's everyone watching?" Mia asked, standing on her toes to see.
Kelvin narrowed his eyes. "Government agents. They're arresting someone."
On the platform, three P.S.A. officers in black armor stood with glowing cuffs, surrounding a woman in chains. Her hair was long and black, her clothes torn and blood-stained. But her eyes—cold, sharp, and burning with madness—were what drew everyone's attention.
"She looks dangerous," Mia whispered.
"She is," Kelvin said quietly. "That's a serial killer. A sociopath who slaughtered hundreds of players and even soldiers. They've been hunting her for a long time."
Mia glanced at him. "You… know her?"
Kelvin's jaw tightened. "Yes."
The crowd gasped as the woman lifted her head and grinned—a smile that didn't belong to a sane person. Even bound in chains, she looked like a predator surrounded by sheep.
Mia frowned. "How do you know someone like that?"
Kelvin's eyes darkened. For a second, the air around him changed—he looked colder, heavier, more dangerous.
"It's a long story but for now...." he said slowly, eyes fixed on the chained woman, "we're going to save her."
Mia's eyes widened. "What?! Save her?!"