The Hollow Chance

The massive king statue's twisted grin vanished.

For a second, the battlefield froze.

"Haa… Haaa…" My breaths came in ragged gasps, throat raw, lungs burning. Dust clogged my nose, thick and suffocating.

"Knights — together! Now!" I shouted, voice breaking as I surged forward. My gaze snapped to Commander Ryker.

His eyes met mine, a flicker of admiration cutting through the tension.

"That thing's distracted! Everyone, charge!" he roared.

The knights rallied. Steel and magic crashed down like a relentless storm. Some knights split off to aid Edric, still locked in combat with the soldier statues.

The king statue stood unnervingly still, staring at the shattered wall — like it had just remembered something. The knights pressed harder, blades sparking against stone.

Crack

A hairline crack appeared on its chest.

Its head tilted, slow and deliberate. A faint crackling noise — like dry stone scraping against itself — broke the tense quiet. One finger twitched. Then it blinked.

The hollow, lifeless expression melted into something worse. Cold, human-like fury burned in its eyes.

"Fall back! Now!" Ryker's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent.

The knights barely stumbled back before the statue roared — a sound that tore through the air, vibrating through my bones.

It moved. Faster than something that size should. The ground quaked beneath its steps.

The first swipe of its titanic sword pulverized a group of knights. Bodies hit the ground in mangled heaps of metal and flesh. It didn't stop.

It lunged for the next group —

Edric intercepted.

His blade met the statue's in a deafening clang. He skidded back, boots scraping against stone, muscles straining to hold his ground.

"I've got this!" he bellowed, voice tight with effort. "Ryker — break that damn door!"

My heart slammed against my ribs.

This is my chance.

No one's watching me.

I stumbled to my feet, legs shaking, and slipped toward the crack in the wall.

The gap was narrow — just enough. Without thinking, I pushed through.

Darkness swallowed me whole. The battle's noise cut off like a blade.

It wasn't just dark. It was nothingness. My skin felt numb. My thoughts dulled. For a moment, I wasn't sure I even existed anymore.

Then, a flicker of light.

It swelled, growing and swirling until it consumed everything. Warmth followed, chasing the void away.

When my vision cleared, I wasn't in the ruined throne room anymore.

I stood in a cavern of jagged black stone, veins of crimson light pulsing through the cracks like a dying heartbeat. The air reeked of iron and decay.

At the center, a pedestal shaped like a skeletal hand reached upward, clutching a gem — no, a heart. It pulsed with faint, rhythmic light.

Like it was alive.

My throat tightened. My heart pounded so hard it echoed in my ears.

This is it…

The Verdant Core.

In the game, the system's quest wasn't about collecting artifacts — it was about conquering the Eldermoon Forest.

This gem, a green teardrop-shaped crystal, was the key to doing exactly that. The core stone that controls every formation, every trap — all under my command.

It doesn't need mana. Just a drop of blood.

Even the most powerful mages from the ancient era couldn't dispel the forest's traps. But with this… I wouldn't need to fight fair. I could turn the entire forest into my weapon.

This is my only shot.

If I lure the game's hero here — with Selene, Clara, and the knights backing me up — maybe, just maybe, I can turn the tables. It's a long shot… but it's the only chance I have to survive.

My hand trembled as I reached for the gem.

The moment my fingers brushed against it, pain exploded through my skull.

"Argh!"

Muffled whispers flooded my mind — countless voices hissing, clawing at my thoughts. My head felt like it was being split open from the inside.

"Stop it!!"

The words tore from my throat, raw and desperate. The whispers ceased instantly, leaving an eerie, suffocating silence. My vision swam with dark spots as I gasped for air.

What the hell was that? There was no mention of mental attacks in the game. Was this because my mental resistance stat was too low compared to game's hero?

No time to figure it out. The gem was in my hand, smooth and warm, pulsing like a living heart. Even without mana, I could feel it — raw, overwhelming power humming beneath its surface.

I couldn't waste time marveling at it. First, I needed to bind it to me using my blood. Then, I could admire it all I wanted.

I reached for my dagger —

"Whoa! What's that, young master?" A voice behind.

My blood froze.

Slowly, I turned.

The healer man from our troop stood there, his usual kind, aloof expression twisted into something else — something smug and far too knowing. His grin stretched unnaturally wide, like he'd been waiting for this moment.

Instinctively, I hid the gem behind my back.

"H-Haa… I-I found a crack in the wall," I stammered, forcing a shaky laugh. "Thought I'd check it out."

"Oh? What a coincidence." His eyes gleamed with amusement. "I saw the crack too. So… what's that you're hiding?"

Sweat trickled down my temple.

"I-It's just some old rock or something," I lied. "I was going to hand it over to Commander Ryker."

I started to show him the gem, hoping to bluff my way out —

His eyes locked onto it. They widened.

The grin twisted into something hungrier.

"Give it to me," he said, his voice dropping to a low, syrupy drawl. "I'm… pretty good at finding things."

His hand extended toward me, palm open.

My stomach twisted into a knot. My fingers curled tightly around the dagger.

Since when has he been following me?

"Oh, what's wrong, young master? You look tense." His tone dripped with fake concern, but the gleam in his eyes screamed predatory delight.

My dagger shot free from its sheath, pointed straight at him.

He laughed — loud, unhinged, like I'd just told him the funniest joke in the world.

"Hah! You're really nothing like the rumors."

He paused his eyes narrowing as they met mine. "But it doesn't matter."

His figure blurred.

Shit.

Before I could react, his fist slammed into my gut.

"Guh—!"

The force launched me backward. My back hit the stone wall hard enough to rattle my bones. The impact knocked the air from my lungs before I even registered the pain.

How the hell is a healer this strong?!

I couldn't afford to hesitate. My hand, already slick with blood from the impact, lunged toward the gem. One drop — just one — was all I needed to bind it.

Slash!

A burning agony tore through me as blood splattered across the floor.

My wrist — gone.

It took a heartbeat to register the sight of my hand hitting the ground with a dull, wet thud. The gem still clutched in its grip, slick with my blood.

"ARGHHHH!!"

The pain wasn't just physical. It tore through me, raw and searing, leaving me gasping like a dying animal.

The healer tilted his head, watching me writhe. A sword now dangled lazily in his grip, coated in my blood.

"I don't know what you're planning," he said, voice almost bored, "but did you really think I'd let you do whatever you wanted?"

He strolled forward, stepping over my severed hand like it was trash. Crouching, he pried my fingers off the gem one by one, then tossed my hand aside with a wet thud.

The gem pulsed faintly in his palm. He examined it with an almost curious tilt of his head.

"This… it's overflowing with energy. Do you know what it is?" he asked casually, like we were having a chat over drinks.

My teeth ground together so hard my jaw ached. The pain, the fear — they were nothing compared to the burning rage in my chest.

"What's with that look?" he smirked. "I asked you a question. Do you know what this is?" His grin widened. "Well, if you found it, you must know something, right?"

I spat blood at his feet, my voice low and venomous.

"Suck my dick and I'll tell you, motherfucker."

His eyes darkened with something between amusement and annoyance.

"Heh… You really don't know your place. I'm not your knight, kid."

I glared, chest heaving.

"Shame," he continued with a mock sigh. "I wanted to play with a bit more. But I don't have time to waste on you. I'll figure it out myself. As for you…"

His expression turned cold.

"Goodbye."

His figure blurred again — too fast to follow.

Move!

I dove sideways —

Fwoosh!

Too slow.

The sword plunged into my chest.

"Guh—!"

Blood burst from my mouth. My limbs went numb. My body sagged against the blade, pinned like a broken doll.

"HEY!!!"

A voice — distant, furious. My vision swam.

Edric.

He was charging, his face twisted with rage.

BAM!

The next second, the healer's body was a blur, sent flying across the chamber. He crashed into the stone floor with a sickening crunch. His sword tore from my chest, leaving a fresh, searing wound.

I collapsed onto the floor, gasping. Blood poured from me in thick, hot waves. My body wouldn't move.

I… couldn't feel anything.

It's the same.

Useless to struggle.

I slumped my body sideways, cheek pressed against the cold, blood-slicked floor. Everything blurred. My vision dimmed.

Selene stepped into the room, silver hair glowing softly in the dim light. Her expression didn't change. Her eyes, cold and detached, barely registered me.

Her voice cut through the haze, sharp and unforgiving.

"You're too weak to change your fate."

The words hurt more than the sword ever could.

The last thing I felt was the world slipping away.

Blackness.