[Teammate Park Jinho has died — Team Points: 4]
— Trash.
— Khhhkk... p-please...
Crack!
Sliding the notification aside, Arnold clenched his fist. The dry sound of a neck snapping echoed through the area.
Thud!
— Useless. — he muttered, tossing the lifeless body to the ground. Within seconds, the corpse dissolved into particles of light, leaving nothing behind but silence and resentment.
Arnold's mood was at its worst.
— What happened?
Perched atop a massive rock, a pale boy with jet-black hair and amber-yellow eyes watched the scene with a mocking grin.
— None of your business. — Arnold growled, turning to leave.
— Hey, easy there! — the other jumped down, landing lightly. — Just because we're on top of a mountain and Jin isn't around doesn't mean you can ignore me like that!
Arnold ignored the playful tone and kept walking, his heavy steps crushing the dry grass beneath his boots.
Troy Derekz. Rank 18.
A psychopath on the brink of insanity, fated to become one of the most infamous villains of the story's mid-arc.
Like Arnold, Troy was one of Jin's three followers. But unlike the brute who submitted willingly, Troy had been forced into that role from a young age.
His father, William Derekz, was a direct subordinate of Jin's father. When he learned that the boss's son was the same age as his own, he forced Troy to "befriend" Jin, even though Troy despised the boy with every fiber of his being.
Jin was born with everything Troy had ever dreamed of. Wealth. Power. Influence. And above all, a loving family.
While Jin grew up surrounded by affection, Troy was raised in a cold household ruled by an abusive, work-obsessed father.
Jealousy turned into hatred. Hatred into a desire for destruction.
That was when Professor Thibaut approached him, offering power in exchange for something far more precious.
A demonic contract.
Troy's talent was so absurd that it drew the direct attention of the Envy Clan, one of the seven great clans. Normally, humans formed contracts through diluted sub-branches of demons, weakened descendants far removed from infernal royalty.
The demonic hierarchy was simple. King. Prince or Princess. Duke. Marquis. Count. Viscount. Baron.
The purer the blood, the higher the rank. And the more terrifying the power.
A contract with a lesser demon was already dangerous.A pact with a pureblood was suicide disguised as a miracle.
Even so, Troy accepted. And the Envy Clan accepted as well.
That was how it went in the original story.Now, everything could change.
The bond was absolute. Demons could not break contracts. Their souls were part of the pact itself. Forcing a rupture would be the same as self-destruction.
Only someone of Troy Derekz's caliber was considered worthy of being courted by one of the seven great clans.
— Stop following me. — Arnold growled, fists clenched.
— Aw, come on! — Troy laughed lightly. — Why are you so desperate to get rid of me?
— You know exactly why.
— I've told you this plenty of times already. It's not my fault she likes me more!
Crack!
The ground beneath Arnold's feet split apart, cracks spreading like spiderwebs. Veins bulged on his forehead as he turned, his glare cold enough to freeze the air.
— Just because your rank is higher than mine doesn't mean I'd hesitate to rip your throat out right here.
Troy raised his hands theatrically in surrender.
— Easy, easy! I'm just telling the truth!
Arnold snorted.
— Hmph. More annoying than you is that pathetic trash in my group.
— Hm? Who are you talking about?
— Some idiot… rank seventeen-hundred or something. Honestly, I'd rather have a rock in his place. He's only not the worst because someone else managed the impressive feat of landing at rank 2055.
Troy's smile froze.
The name wasn't spoken, but the number alone made his blood run cold. Veins pulsed on his face as the grin slowly returned, darker than before.
He knew exactly who held that spot.
Looks like Ren and Yuto managed to earn the hatred of two big shots at once.
What an achievement.
— How are you all holding up?
Standing atop a large rock, Kevin glanced back at the small group following him.
— Could be better... — Emma replied, grumbling as she dropped from the top of a tree with a dry thud.
— We should be safe for now — she added, stretching as she walked past Kevin. — So let's move.
She stopped beside Amanda, who was staring silently at the horizon.
— What are you doing? — Emma asked, tilting her head.
— Observing.
— Observing what?
— Everything.
Emma let out a deep sigh, stepped closer, and without warning wrapped an arm around Amanda's slender neck, pulling her into a forced half-hug.
— Seriously, what am I supposed to do with you?
Startled by the sudden contact, Amanda looked at her in confusion, eyes blinking slowly. Only after noticing Emma's mischievous grin did she understand and begin struggling.
— Let go.
— Hehe… let's see how strong the all-powerful Amanda really is!
Emma tightened her grip, laughing as she watched the usually impassive archer's face redden, whether from lack of air or sheer irritation.
As the scene unfolded, a few of the boys in the group watched discreetly, captivated by the beauty of the two girls, until a cold voice cut through the moment like a blade.
— Seen enough?
Leaning against a nearby tree, Jin stared at them with a dark expression. The boys swallowed hard and quickly looked away, retreating a bit too fast to seem natural.
Watching from afar, Kevin couldn't suppress a small smile before approaching Jin.
— Still bitter about losing?
— Tch… you just got lucky. — Jin clicked his tongue, looking away.
The two had just competed for the bonus points of a hidden objective, and much to Jin's frustration, Kevin had won again.
Not through skill. Through pure luck.
And for someone like Jin, that hurt even more.
The mission involved finding a rare flower in the mountains, something entirely random. If Kevin had won through merit, Jin would have accepted it. Losing to chance, however, was unforgivable.
— Rules are rules — Kevin murmured, trying to hide his grin.
— Hmph.
Before Jin could snap back, a timid voice spoke up.
— E-Excuse me...
Both of them turned.
A fragile-looking girl stood there, large shimmering eyes that always seemed on the verge of tears. Her hands nervously clutched the hem of her shirt, her flushed face betraying her anxiety.
Kevin blinked, surprised by the sheer sweetness of the scene.
— Yes?
— Ehm… ehm…
— Spit it out already! — Jin snapped impatiently.
— Eee! — the girl shrank back, nearly stumbling.
Kevin shot Jin a reproachful look.
— Hey, ease up.
He turned back to the girl and smiled gently.
— How can I help?
Her voice barely came out.
— Ehm… I… I'm on your team.
— ...Huh?
Kevin's smile faltered. He blinked a few times, trying to recall the faces of his teammates, but nothing came to mind.
When they first appeared in the waiting room, most of them had kept their distance. Maybe envy. Maybe fear. Being talented while coming from nothing earned both respect and resentment.
In the end, Kevin had grown used to solitude.
— Pfff — Jin crossed his arms mockingly. — Can't even remember your own teammates' faces?
— Oh yeah? And you remember yours? — Kevin raised an eyebrow.
Jin looked away and started walking, pretending he hadn't heard.
Kevin sighed, lacking the energy to continue the banter.
But when he looked ahead, the sight that greeted him left him speechless.
Emma was sprinting between the trees.
Amanda was chasing her.
Swish. Swish. Swish.
Amanda's bow sang. Three arrows flew in rapid succession, so fast the air whistled.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
All three embedded themselves in the tree right in front of Emma's face, mere centimeters away.
— S-stop! I give up! — Emma shouted, hands raised, heart racing.
If Amanda hadn't held back, Emma would have been turned into a pincushion.
Kevin rubbed his temple, letting out a tired sigh.
Maybe joining this group hadn't been such a good idea.
A bitter thought crossed his mind. If Melissa were here, maybe things would be less chaotic.
Then again, he chuckled softly, shaking his head.
Or maybe worse.
And so, the Virtual Reality Test continued at a slow pace.
The main group stuck together, just like proper protagonists should.
Ren, deep in the eastern forest, had just completed his own hidden objective.
And Yuto?
Yuto was sleeping peacefully in an oasis in the southern desert.
Everything seemed calm. At least for now...