ONLY 20 PLAYERS

ONLY 20 PLAYERS

The shattered stone lay in pieces and they got unfreeze. But Mason was nowhere to be found. As they searched the area, five shadowy figures emerged from the dense bushes, walking towards them.

SJ13 stepped forward, narrowing his eyes as he observed their silhouettes. His breath hitched when he recognized the figure in the center.

"It's Mason," he murmured. Then, raising his voice, he alerted everyone, "Attention! I think his allies have arrived. The attack must have been their doing. They're coming straight for us!"

SJ15, the leader of Earth 121 team, quickly assessed the situation. He recalled the powers he had sensed during the battle—the chilling force that nearly froze them, the telekinetic force that controlled objects from a distance, and the precise, lethal arrows. These abilities were formidable. If they struggled against Mason alone, how could they possibly take on four more of his allies?

Doubt crept into his mind. But as a leader, he couldn't afford to show weakness. His team needed confidence, not fear. He looked at each of them, saw their exhaustion, their injuries—but also their determination.

"We have to fight," he declared.

His words reignited the fire within his team. They knew they were at a disadvantage, but surrender was not an option. They had already exhausted a great deal of their energy battling Mason, and as defenders, they lacked offensive abilities. But even in their weakened state, they would not bow down.

Meanwhile, Mason briefed his team. "They've used up most of their energy. They won't last long. But listen—I don't want to kill anyone. We fight to win, not to destroy. Defeat them, but don't go all out. I had the chance to kill them before, but I didn't. Players shouldn't be slaughtering each other. We need to complete these levels, not wipe each other out."

His team nodded in understanding.

Owen, wielding his floating knives, took charge. "Lian, stay at a distance and weaken them with your arrows. Luna, your job is to neutralize SJ14—stop him from clapping so he can't teleport. Sophie, freeze SJ15 on my signal. Mason, you rest. We'll handle this."

Mason nodded and disappeared into the bushes, conserving his energy.

The Battle Begins

Owen charged in first, knives floating around him like deadly satellites. The Earth 121's team fought with all their might, but Owen's precision and skill were unmatched. His blades struck with calculated efficiency, wounding but never killing.

Lian fired arrows from a distance, striking with pinpoint accuracy. SJ14 struggled to teleport, his power disrupted by Luna's telepathic grip. SJ11, attempting to dodge, found himself cornered as Owen slashed at his legs, sending him crashing to the ground.

SJ12 tried to warn his teammates of incoming attacks, but Owen noticed and swiftly silenced him with a precise strike, rendering him unable to fight.

SJ15 watched in horror as his team fell one by one. He realized something strange—Mason's team had every opportunity to kill them but didn't. They fought mercilessly, yet never crossed that deadly line.

SJ13, battered and drained, managed to conjure a shield to protect SJ15. But his energy was nearly gone. Owen signaled Sophie.

"Now!"

In an instant, ice spread over SJ13 and SJ15, freezing them in place. Owen stepped forward and delivered the final blow. The battle was over.

Defeat and a New Path

Mason emerged from the bushes, his energy replenished. He approached the fallen players, now restrained by his team. Kneeling beside SJ15, he met his defiant gaze.

"I'm not going to kill you," Mason said.

SJ15 scoffed. "Spare me your pity. If you're going to defeat us, finish it."

Mason glanced at the others—SJ11, SJ13, and SJ14—all with tears in their eyes. They didn't want to die. They wanted to go home.

Looking back at SJ15, Mason spoke with conviction. "Why force your team into this? I don't want players killing each other. We should be completing levels, not slaughtering one another. That's exactly what the game managers want. If we keep fighting like this, we're just playing into their hands."

The words struck a chord with everyone—except SJ15, who remained silent, his pride battling with reason.

Mason pressed on. "Your team doesn't want to die. Neither do you. So why keep fighting? Join us. Together, we can beat the game."

A long silence followed. Then, finally, SJ15 exhaled sharply and nodded.

A wave of relief washed over both teams. They had found allies in one another. With their combined strength, they might just stand a chance.

A Terrifying Announcement

Just then, a chilling voice echoed around them.

"Hello, players. Hope you're doing well. We're here to inform you that Level One is about to begin. You have three days to complete it. You may also increase your stats by playing small games in the meantime. There are now 20 players remaining. Here is your challenge:"

Level 1: The Diamond Knight (Level: Max, Difficulty: Insane)

Army of 10,000

Abilities: Can kill 1,000 small beasts, 500 big beasts, 200 large beasts, and 50 ultra-large beasts

Speed: 30,000 km/sec

Teleportation: Can teleport within a 500 km radius

Power: Equivalent to 10,000 knights

"Good luck."

Silence. Then—

"What?!" Owen's face went pale. "Where did the five players go? There were 25 of us before! Are they died ? And this… this is Level One? Mason, this thing is a Diamond Knight—at maximum level! You're just a Silver Knight in Level One, and it has an army of ten thousand! How the hell are we supposed to beat this?!"

Terror filled the air. The level one was begin.

To Be Continued...