They blocked both ends of the hallway.
Perfectly.
Not by chance—
But by design.
"…We're trapped," Huy whispered, his voice shaking.
I didn't answer right away.
Instead, I looked at the timer floating in front of me.
00:06:21
"…They're controlling the pace," I said quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"They're not random."
The creatures didn't rush.
Didn't charge blindly like before.
They moved slowly.
Deliberately.
Step by step.
Like hunters pushing prey into a dead end.
"…They're working together."
Huy swallowed.
"That's… not normal, right?"
"…No."
I stepped forward.
"What are you doing?!" he panicked.
"…Breaking through."
"You're crazy!"
"Trust me."
One of the creatures lunged.
Fast.
But not fast enough.
I had seen this before.
My body moved before my mind could think.
I shifted sideways—
Barely avoiding its claws.
The air sliced where I had been standing just a second ago.
Close.
Too close.
But I didn't stop.
I stepped in instead.
Closer.
Riskier.
I threw a punch.
It landed.
For a split second—
The creature froze.
"…You hit it!" Huy shouted in disbelief.
I clenched my fist.
"…They're not invincible."
The creature snapped back instantly and attacked again.
This time—
I didn't hesitate.
I moved faster.
Sharper.
Another strike.
Then another.
"…We can fight," I said.
"…If we're fast enough."
The creature lunged again—
And this time, I finished it.
My final blow landed clean.
The creature stopped.
Its body trembled—
Then shattered into fragments of light.
Gone.
Silence filled the hallway.
For a brief moment.
Then—
[Enemy Eliminated]
[Reward Granted]
A surge of energy exploded inside me.
Hot.
Violent.
Overwhelming.
My vision blurred.
My heart pounded like it was going to burst out of my chest.
"…What is this…?"
[Stat Increased]
My body felt different.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Faster.
Huy stared at me, stunned.
"What just happened?!"
I looked down at my hands.
"…I got stronger."
"…From killing it."
Huy blinked.
"…You're kidding, right?"
I raised my head slowly.
The remaining creatures were still advancing.
But something had changed.
Not them.
Me.
"…We're not prey anymore."
I took a step forward.
"…We're players."
We didn't run this time.
We moved.
Carefully.
Strategically.
The timer continued ticking.
00:03:14
"…Almost there," Huy said, breathing heavily.
"Stay focused."
We turned a corner—
And stopped.
A girl stood there.
Alone.
But calm.
Too calm.
"…You can see it too, right?" she asked.
Huy froze.
"The monsters?!"
She shook her head slightly.
"…No."
Her eyes shifted to me.
"…The system."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…You can see it?"
She nodded.
"My name is Mai."
Something clicked.
"…You remember too."
Her expression changed slightly.
"…Not everything."
"…But enough."
Huy looked between us.
"…Wait—what are you two talking about?"
I ignored him.
My focus stayed on her.
"…So I'm not the only one."
Mai gave a faint smile.
"…No."
"…You're just the one changing things."
Before I could respond—
A sound echoed behind us.
Different.
Heavier.
Sharper.
We turned.
And saw it.
Taller.
More defined.
Unlike the others—
It wasn't distorted.
It looked… stable.
Controlled.
And its eyes—
Focused.
Aware.
[Elite Enemy Detected]
Huy stepped back immediately.
"…That's bad, right?"
Mai whispered,
"…That's not normal."
I stepped forward.
"…No."
"…That one is hunting."
The Elite vanished.
Gone.
Then—
It reappeared right in front of me.
Too fast.
I barely reacted.
Its claw slashed across my shoulder.
Pain exploded.
Blood burst out.
"…Fast."
Too fast.
I couldn't track it properly.
"…We can't win like this."
The Elite tilted its head.
Watching me.
Studying me.
Recognizing me.
Then—
It attacked again.
"Spread out!" I shouted.
Huy moved left.
Mai moved right.
I stayed in front.
The Elite focused on me.
Good.
That's what I wanted.
It lunged.
I dodged—
Not perfectly.
Its claws grazed my side.
Pain shot through my body.
But I held on.
"…Now!"
Huy rushed in.
Distracting it.
Just for a second.
That was enough.
Mai moved.
Silent.
Precise.
Her strike landed clean.
The Elite staggered.
I stepped in—
And attacked with everything I had.
One hit.
Two.
Three.
The Elite froze.
Then—
Shattered.
[Elite Enemy Eliminated]
[Special Reward Granted]
A massive surge of energy flooded my body.
Stronger than before.
My heartbeat roared.
My vision shook.
[Skill Unlocked]
I gasped.
"…A skill…?"
The world trembled.
Cracks spread across reality.
The air twisted violently.
[Phase 3 Incoming]
Huy panicked.
"WHAT NOW?!"
Mai looked up.
"…Something's wrong."
I followed her gaze.
The sky—
Was breaking.
And something—
Was looking down.
A presence far beyond the system.
A voice echoed.
Cold.
Distant.
"…You are not supposed to win."
I smiled slowly.
Coldly.
"…Then stop me."
The world shattered.
Darkness swallowed everything.
And I knew—
This was only the beginning.