Resonance Crystal

The great civilization had fallen a few decades ago.

When everyone was celebrating New Year's Eve, thousands of Mirage gates appeared in the shattered, deep midnight sky, flooding the world with countless creatures they brought.

Humanity managed to hold on due to its advanced technology and weaponry inventions. It did not last long, however.

When the next wave of Mirage Creature, Phantasm, cornered them, they used all resources—nuclear weaponry, bio-weaponry, and others that would harm the planet and its environment.

Even after all that, they failed to defend their homeworld.

In the end, when the first enchanting melody, Nightingale, appeared and bestowed upon chosen individuals miraculous abilities after passing its trial, the rampage was put to stop by these very individuals known as the Resonant.

Since then, the planet was no longer the same. Tainted by Mirage and Nightingale had transformed it into a sort of magical world, altering some existing logic and throwing in new ones.

A Resonance Crystal was born from that.

However, very little was known about it. What they knew was that it was used for the Resonant's growth.

Hyde, who had played the game, knew only as much as the others. Not because there was no explanation, but because he didn't pay much attention to the lore.

Practically speaking, he knew a few things about the Resonance Crystal more than the others did. But that was if he arrived at a certain time in this world, specifically the beginning of the game.

By finding a Resonance Crystal there, Hyde could only assume it was before Chapter 3. It could be the beginning of the game or a year after that.

Regardless of when, as usual, it didn't matter much for Hyde whose primary concern was survival.

Focusing on the crystalline cube, Hyde thought to himself.

'If I can get my hand on it, escaping from this forsaken ruin is no longer about chances.'

Switching to two hands, Hyde tightened his grip on the metal bar and carefully sneaked toward the Phantasm.

The closer he was to the Phantasm, or precisely, Resonant Crystal, the heavier and colder the air was. Hyde didn't know why he felt suffocated when it never occurred to him when playing the game.

'Guh...!! What is happening? What is this intense pressure?!'

At that moment, Hyde's body began to move rigidly, seemingly freezing from the cold air.

But he pushed forward as his sense of hearing gradually closed its door to the noises and his vision blurred, hoping it was a hallucination induced by his fear again.

Unfortunately, his overreliance on it would soon backfire.

With the remaining strength left in his body, Hyde raised the metal bar shakily. When he was about to swing it downward, his grip weakened, causing the weapon to drop down with a loud clang.

'Ah...'

Soon after, the Phantasm before him turned around and let out a shriek that pierced the thick air upon noticing him, making Hyde's chest tighten.

Its small form transformed into the intimidating version Hyde saw earlier.

Gritted his teeth, Hyde tried to move his body and turned around...

'I need to get away—'

Before he could move a muscle, his eyes caught a movement in the corner of his vision.

The Phantasm, whose form was alternating between a muscular, ogre-like figure and a small, goblin-like form, pressed its legs onto the bar wall and then launched itself like a bullet.

Hyde's breath hitched as the Phantasm lunged toward him, its shifting form blurring in his vision. His instinct screamed at him to move, but his frozen body refused to obey.

Then, just as the Phantasm was about to reach him—the world twisted.

The cold air stretched. The concrete walls rippled like the surface of water. The Phantasm's clawed hands, which should have torn through his chest, passed through him like a shadow.

Or rather, Hyde had moved.

His mind didn't process it immediately, but his body had jerked sideways, barely avoiding death.

His shoulder slammed into the cold, dusty floor. Pain shot through his arm, and dust scattered into the air.

Hyde hadn't dodged out of skill, but it was all luck. His body had simply fallen at the right moment. He had dropped at a fair distance from his initial location, where the air itself suppressed him.

Gasping for air, he looked in the crystal's direction after regaining control over his body.

'That heavy and cold air... was it radiated from the crystal? Now that I'm out of its range and don't feel the pressure anymore, I'm sure it was.'

Hyde was sure of it, but he couldn't find the 'why.'

Shaking his head, he inhaled deeply, calming down himself. Then, Hyde shifted his gaze to the Phantasm near the wall adjacent to the door. Its form returned to resemble a goblin.

It was screeching as it tried to pull its claws out of the wall.

Noticing its struggle, Hyde rolled to the side and used the momentum to get up and run straight toward the door before it could pull its weapon.

His left ear was assaulted by a high-pitched shriek as he left the room.

Back at the office space, Hyde rushed toward a stairway and ascended the building as soon as he heard the Phantasm's cry, chasing him.

Arriving at the third floor, Hyde continued to ascend the stairs. However, the path to the fourth floor was blocked. The stair steps were broken, leaving a large gap.

'Huh?'

It might not be a problem if he were descending, but jumping over in an ascending situation was impossible. If he attempted a jump, he would likely fail and fall, injuring himself in the process. Not to mention, the Phantasm was just below him.

However, he found it strange. As far as he remembered, the path wasn't supposed to be blocked. But he quickly dismissed the thought.

'No time to think. Move!'

Finding crossing was impossible, Hyde headed for another stairway at the other end.

An overturned long table lay in his path. Hyde took a quick breath and hopped two times over the corroded metal structure.

After landing, he turned and lifted the table straight before kicking it as hard as he could to delay the Phantasm's advance.

Hyde continued his way.

'Huff... huff...'

Midway ascending the stairs to the fourth floor, his breath came short, but he didn't stop. He never stopped, even when he slipped and his shin crashed into the edge of the stairs, Hyde kept running, limply.

In that situation, his attempts to delay the Phantasm were more desperate. Occasionally, he would drag a chair from the nearest office desk or push down box towers.

After reaching the fifth floor, Hyde approached the broken window walls, dragging his hurting leg.

SCREEECHHH—!

Hyde's chest tightened when hearing the Phantasm's screech behind him. But he just gritted his teeth, ignoring it completely.

'A mere low-level monster...'

His ears caught the sound of its claw scratching at the floor.

'Go on. Launch yourself at me.'

Then, he stopped at the edge and turned around, finding the ash-skinned Phantasm already lunging at him, its sharp, long claws swinging through the air.

'Dumb creature!'

Thumps of his heart were reverberated in his head.

The purple lights that replaced the Phantasm's eyes, filling the hollow sockets, burned fiercely and formed flames. Its long claws were inches away from Hyde.

Thump—!

With a gulp, Hyde broke his back and bent backward before laying flat on the floor.

The Phantasm lost its target in its sight and instead gazed at the violet sky, its claws swiping at nothing before disappearing into the depths below.