THE CITY OF ASH – CHAPTER SIX
(Cycle VI – The Brutality of Reality)
[SAVE POINT ESTABLISHED]
Ethan exhaled sharply, still adjusting to the new sensation coursing through him.
The moment he had taken the Hollow Reflection's power, something within him had shifted—like an unseen tether anchoring him to this exact moment in time.
He could feel it.
The point in reality where he would return.
A checkpoint, one that wouldn't send him all the way back to the Site of Grace.
He clenched his fist, the faint glow of violet light flickering between his fingers.
"Finally."
For the first time, he had control.
No more being thrown back to the beginning every time he died. No more losing everything because of a single mistake.
He could fight smarter now.
He could push further.
And maybe—just maybe—he could finally find a way out of this nightmare.
But as he took his first step forward—
Something changed.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity—
He saw another human being.
A Flickering Mirage – Ethan Sees A Player
At first, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him.
Through the red mist of the ruined city, past the decayed husks of forgotten buildings, he saw it.
A figure.
Not a Remnant. Not a monster.
A person.
Dressed in actual armor—not the tattered, corpse-like rags of the City's cursed denizens, but a polished cuirass, a thick leather belt with pouches, and a sheathed longsword strapped to their back.
Their posture was different.
Confident. Alert. Controlled.
Ethan's breath hitched.
"A survivor?"
His pulse spiked.
After so many cycles of dying alone, of being hunted by inhuman things, he had finally found someone else.
Someone real.
Without thinking, he moved forward.
His voice—cracked, raw from disuse—barely made a sound at first.
Then—
"H-Hey!"
The figure stopped.
Then, they turned.
And Ethan finally saw their face.
A young man. Maybe in his mid-twenties.
Short black hair, sharp blue eyes, and a focused, serious expression.
Ethan's heart pounded.
He opened his mouth to speak—
But then the man's gaze locked onto him.
And Ethan saw something strange.
A faint glow in the man's eyes.
A subtle, golden flicker.
Like text appearing in his vision.
Like a system notification.
And then—
The man's face twisted in disgust.
"No fucking way," he muttered, reaching for his sword. "A rogue AI?"
Ethan froze.
"A… what?"
Player POV – Cole Daniels (In the Real World, Playing the Game)
"Finally."
Cole exhaled as he stepped through the ruins, his boots crunching against the ash-covered stone.
His interface flickered, displaying an overlay of his current stats, inventory, and party notifications.
[LOCATION: CITY OF ASH – LOWER DISTRICT]
[PARTY: DISCONNECTED]
[SERVER: EU-03]
He was alone for now.
That was fine.
He had grinded through this region before—the monsters were tough, but nothing he couldn't handle.
He adjusted his grip on his sword, scanning the area for enemy movement.
But then—
A notification appeared.
[WARNING: UNIDENTIFIED NPC DETECTED]
[THREAT LEVEL: UNKNOWN]
Cole's brows furrowed.
"Weird."
He had cleared this section of the city multiple times, but he had never seen an NPC spawn in this area before.
Then he saw it.
A young man.
Dressed in torn, bloodied clothing, his hair disheveled, his face lined with exhaustion and desperation.
But something was off.
The way he moved. The way he looked around like he wasn't just an NPC programmed to exist in the background.
And then—
It spoke.
Not in pre-recorded dialogue.
Not in scripted, pre-determined responses.
It spoke like a player.
"H-Hey!"
Cole's blood ran cold.
"No fucking way."
A rogue AI?
His grip on his sword tightened.
This was bad.
This was really fucking bad.
Back to Ethan: The First Brutal Death
Ethan didn't understand.
The moment he had spoken—the moment he had tried to reach out—
The man's entire demeanor changed.
The brief flicker of recognition in his eyes turned to hatred.
Disgust.
Like Ethan was something unnatural.
Then—
The sword left its sheath.
Ethan tensed.
"Wait. What the hell is going on?!"
"Why is he drawing his weapon?!"
"Wait—!"
Cole moved first.
Faster than Ethan could react.
A burst of speed, enhanced by game mechanics Ethan didn't know existed, closed the distance between them in an instant.
Then—
A flash of steel.
Pain erupted through Ethan's stomach as the blade pierced through him, forcing out a wet, ragged gasp.
His legs buckled.
Blood dripped down his lips.
Cole didn't hesitate.
He twisted the sword—ripping it out with brutal efficiency, sending Ethan crashing to the ground, gasping for air.
Then, a boot slammed onto his chest, pinning him down.
Ethan couldn't breathe.
His vision blurred, his mind desperate for answers.
"Why? Why is this happening?"
Cole stared down at him, disgusted.
"I don't know what kind of bug you are, but you shouldn't be here."
Then—
He raised his sword.
And drove it straight into Ethan's throat.
Ethan choked.
The pain was unbearable.
His body twitched violently, his mind desperately trying to stay conscious.
But it was pointless.
His vision faded to black.
SAVE POINT LOADED
Warmth.
Mocking warmth.
Ethan gasped violently, his hands clawing at his throat as he jerked awake.
The pain was gone.
The wounds were gone.
But the memory remained.
He staggered, his breath ragged, his body trembling.
And then—
The realization hit him.
"That was a person."
"That was an actual human being."
"And they killed me without hesitation."
His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
He had finally found another person.
And they had slaughtered him like a monster.
Why?
Why did they look at him like that?
What was he missing?
His hands shook.
His first real interaction with another human being since arriving in this world—
And it had ended with a blade in his throat.
"What the hell is happening in this world…?"
And for the first time—
Ethan began to doubt his own existence.