Seven days. One week to prepare for war.
The Network's ultimatum echoed in every mind, every world, every moment. Seven days until they attacked everywhere at once. Seven days until we lost everything.
We worked around the clock.
Lyra coordinated with five worlds—troop movements, supply lines, communication networks. Her voice grew hoarse from constant calls, but she never stopped.
Darius trained his 500 Chain fighters until they collapsed, then trained them more. Grief drove him. Loss sharpened him. He would not lose anyone else.
Vera drilled her Echoes mages in silence warfare—attacks that came without warning, without sound, without mercy. They'd been slaves to the Network once. Never again.
Mei Lian and I trained together. The bond made us faster, stronger, more lethal. Level 52 now. Level 53. Pushing toward something beyond.
But it wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
---
The Decision
On Day 2, I gathered my core team.
Darius. Vera. Lyra. Mei Lian. The ones I trusted most.
"They're coming in five days. We're as ready as we'll ever be." I looked at each of them. "But ready isn't good enough. We need to hurt them before they hurt us."
Darius's eyes lit up. "Hunt."
"Hunt. I go alone. No holding back. No mercy. I find their forward scouts, their advance parties, their leaders—and I kill them. As many as possible. Before they know what's happening."
Mei Lian grabbed my arm. "Alone? No."
"The bond connects us. You'll feel everything. You'll know if I'm in trouble." I cupped her face. "But I need to move fast. Quiet. Lethal. One person can do that. A team can't."
She stared at me. Fought it. Lost.
"Come back."
"Always."
---
The Hunt Begins
The Curator opened doors to the spaces between worlds.
"The Network's forces gather here. In the void. They use these pathways to move between targets."
I stepped through.
Darkness. Cold. Floating platforms of rock and debris. And everywhere—them. Network immortals. Their soldiers. Their creatures.
Dozens. Hundreds.
I smiled.
No holding back.
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
SOLO HUNT MODE ACTIVATED
· Restrictions: None
· Mercy: None
· Objective: Kill as many as possible. Weaken invasion force.
· Time Limit: 3 days (before main assault)
---
Kill 1-10: The Scout Party
Five immortals. Twenty soldiers. Moving toward Earth's coordinates.
They never saw me.
Dimensional Sight showed me their path. World Walker speed let me intercept. Immortal Touch meant my kills were permanent.
The first immortal died with my blade through his throat. No regeneration. No recovery. Just darkness.
The second turned—too slow. Flame Spike through his chest. He burned from inside.
The third and fourth fought back. Experienced. Dangerous. But I'd killed their kind before. I'd become their kind's nightmare.
They fell.
The fifth ran.
I caught him. Made it last.
Twenty soldiers died in the chaos. Some by fire. Some by water. Some by my hands, bare and bloody.
When I finished, the void was silent.
[KILL COUNT: 25]
Time elapsed: 4 hours
---
Kill 11-30: The Command Post
Twelve immortals. Fifty soldiers. Planning the assault on Echoes.
Vera's world. Her people. The place that had enslaved her.
I felt rage. Used it.
They'd set up camp on a floating platform—tents, maps, captured Echoes mages in cages. Waiting to be sacrificed.
I killed the guards first. Silent. Precise. Opened the cages.
The Echoes mages looked at me like a god.
"Run. Find Vera. Tell her Ren sent you."
They ran.
Then I turned to the command post.
Twelve immortals. Fifty soldiers. All waking up to chaos.
I gave them no time to organize.
Blood and fire. Screams and silence. My hands never stopped moving.
When it ended, I stood in a field of bodies. Red from head to toe. Breathing hard. Alive.
[KILL COUNT: 62]
Time elapsed: 14 hours
---
Kill 31-50: The War Party
Twenty immortals. One hundred soldiers. Marching toward Chains.
Darius's world. The prisoners he'd freed. His people.
I intercepted them in a narrow void-passage. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Just me and them and narrow space.
They tried to rush me. Overwhelm me with numbers.
I let them come.
First rank fell to Steam Burst—flesh melting, screams echoing. Second rank died to Water Whip—necks snapping, bodies flying. Third rank burned—Flame Spike carving through them like wheat.
The immortals fought back. Hard. Desperate.
I took wounds. Kept fighting. Took more. Didn't stop.
When only one remained, I held him by the throat.
"Tell your masters. Ren is coming. For all of them."
I killed him.
[KILL COUNT: 120]
Time elapsed: 2 days
---
Kill 51-73: The Last Stand
Twenty-three immortals. Their best. Their elite. Waiting for me.
They'd set a trap—knew I was coming, gathered their strongest, prepared an ambush.
I walked into it anyway.
The fight lasted three hours.
They were good. Centuries of experience. Powers I'd never seen. They hurt me—badly. Broke bones. Opened wounds. Nearly killed me twice.
But I'd fought corrupted. Nobles. Shadow wielders. Network immortals. I'd lost friends. Lost pieces of myself. Lost everything except this—the will to keep fighting.
One by one, they fell.
When the last one died, I collapsed beside him. Bleeding from a dozen wounds. Laughing. Crying. Alive.
[KILL COUNT: 193]
Time elapsed: 3 days (hunt complete)
---
The Return
I stumbled through the portal into the ruins.
Mei Lian caught me before I fell. The bond had shown her everything—every kill, every wound, every moment of madness. She'd felt it all.
"You're insane," she whispered. Holding me. Crying.
"Probably."
Darius appeared. Looked at the blood. The wounds. The exhaustion.
"How many?"
"One hundred ninety-three. Immortals and soldiers."
His eyes went wide. "That's... that's a third of their invasion force."
"Good." I tried to smile. "Less for you to kill."
He laughed. Shook his head. "You're terrifying."
"I know."
---
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
HUNT COMPLETE
· Kills: 193 (47 immortals, 146 soldiers)
· Invasion Force Reduced: ~35%
· Your Status: Severe wounds. Exhausted. Victorious.
· Time Remaining: 2 days until main assault.
[LEVEL UP! ×2]
Ren: Level 53 → Level 55
Mei Lian refuses to leave your side. The bond hums with relief and love.
---
Two Days Left
I healed. Slept. Held Mei Lian.
Darius and Vera reinforced allied worlds—Chains, Echoes, Glass. Prepared them for what was coming.
Lyra coordinated everything. Five worlds. Eight hundred fighters. One final stand.
Sarah sent word from Earth—her defenses were ready. She'd recruited help. She believed in us.
Theo and Mira sent another message. Short this time. Just three words.
We believe too.
I read it twice. Let it warm me.
Then I went back to work.
Two days left.
The Network would come.
We'd be ready.