[Chapter 2 - Welcome To The School]

[WARNING: King of Reptiles Detected.]

Rank: C

Level: 15

Strength: 240

Speed: 180

Agility: 200

Venom: Moderate

Cydal's eyes narrowed as he read the stats. This wasn't an ordinary beast; this was a monster forged from the corrupted system they were trapped in.

The snake lunged forward, its jaws stretching wide to devour Beauty in one bite. Without thinking, Cydal shoved her aside, sending her tumbling to the ground.

"Cydal, move!" Beauty screamed, her voice trembling with fear.

But he didn't move.

Instead, his left arm, tightly wrapped in old bandages, began to unravel. The fabric fell away, revealing a monstrous green claw that pulsed with dark energy, veins glowing faintly beneath the skin.

The serpent struck, jaws snapping toward him with terrifying force.

Cydal didn't flinch.

With a single, earth-shattering punch, he drove his clawed fist directly into the snake's skull.

A sickening crack echoed through the air as the serpent's head caved in, black blood bursting from its shattered flesh and splattering across the ground. The toxic blood hissed and burned through the earth, melting stone and withering trees in its path.

Beauty's eyes widened in shock, her breath caught in her throat. This... this wasn't the Cydal she knew.

The timid boy who once feared the world was gone.

In his place stood something far more terrifying—something that could rival monsters themselves.

Cydal's screen flickered again, bright against the darkness.

[CONGRATULATIONS: King of Reptiles Defeated!]

Level Up: 7 ➜ 12

New Ability Unlocked: Predator's Arm

New Outfits Available: Select Appearance?

Beauty's hands trembled as she slowly rose to her feet, unable to tear her gaze away from the boy who now stood drenched in the serpent's burning blood.

"Cy...are you really my cydal?" she whispered in disbelief, her voice barely audible.

Cydal turned to her, his eyes empty, devoid of the fear and innocence he once carried.

The fragile, timid Cydal who feared everything and everyone...

He was gone.

What stood before her now was something colder. Something hardened by suffering and time.

A stranger wearing the face of the one she loved.

"You shouldn't be here—this place is dangerous, especially at this time of year," he snarled before turning and striding past her, leaving her crumpled on the cold ground. His words pierced her like shards of ice.

Lying there, broken-hearted, she choked back sobs. "Of course you wouldn't remember me," she whispered, voice thick with regret. "I'm such a fool—after all the promises I made to protect you, I ended up abandoning you to the mercy of this village. But I didn't have a choice. I wish you would give me a chance to explain..." Her words dissolved into silence as memories surged unbidden.

In that echoing moment, the night of his banishment unfurled before her eyes—a nightmare burned into her memory. The villagers, wild with fury and fear, had chased him through the darkened alleys, intent on burning him alive. Cydal had come to her door, desperate for refuge, but she had been frozen behind closed shutters. The angry mob's torches and jeers had driven him away, exiling him from a home he'd once known. That very night, she had been confined within her blood-stained house, her parents' lifeless bodies at her side, while a hulking man—a towering figure with a digital screen similar to that of cydal—had loomed over her in a terror she could never forget.

Now, as the forest's dead branches whispered in the wind, Beauty lay shattered by the weight of the past and the harsh present.

Some time had passed during cydal and beauty's encounter, Cydal now stepped through the village, his boots crunching over the decaying cobblestones. The air was thick with a biting chill, and the oppressive silence of the streets swallowed any sound. As he moved, the reaction was immediate. Windows slammed shut with a harsh thud, doors locked, and the few remaining children were hurriedly ushered inside their homes. Parents whispered in fearful tones, casting nervous glances toward him as they pulled their young ones close.

"Why is that devil here?" a voice murmured from behind a half-shuttered window.

"No wonder the curse still lingers... He's still alive."

Cydal's expression remained impassive. The anger, the fear—they were all familiar to him. He had learned long ago to ignore their whispers. With a smooth, practiced motion, he summoned his UI screen. It flickered to life, casting a faint green glow in the dimming daylight. The screen shifted, morphing into a massive scanner that hovered in the air then spreading all across the town to scan it. His gaze followed the virtual screens popping all over him as it analyzed the town.

The results were immediate:

Town Map: A web of dilapidated buildings and crumbling infrastructure, the remains of a once-thriving village now reduced to ruins.

Casualties & Deaths: The numbers flashed across the screen—half the population was gone. Some had been hunted down by players seeking to complete their deadly quests. Others had perished from the harsh conditions: food shortages, starvation. Only a handful of people remained.

Cydal's fingers hovered over the screen as he scrolled down. Then, a red dot blinked on the map—an indication of where the battle royale would take place. The date wasn't confirmed yet, but he could feel the gravity of it. If this was the battleground, then the Creator had to be hiding nearby, pulling the strings from the shadows.

"I guess I know where to start my hunt." His voice was devoid of emotion, cold as the wind that tugged at his cloak.

Later.

Cydal arrived at the location marked on his map, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene before him. It was a school building, it stood like an anomaly, its modern structure sharply contrasting with the surrounding medieval architecture of the village. The stone buildings, with their worn façades and wooden beams, seemed as though they had been plucked from a bygone era. Yet, here, amid the ancient designs, was this school—cold, sterile, and out of place.

As he stood there, taking in the oddity of it all, a soft buzz emanated from his screen. A message flashed across its surface, congratulating him for arriving just in time.

[Congratulations, you've arrived at the designated location. Your objective is now clear. Hunt other players gathered here and level up. Prepare for the Battle Royale.]

The screen flickered slightly, the text shifting to a new message.

[Date of Battle Royale unknown. Be prepared at all time.]

Cydal leaned against the wooden fence that encircled the school, the cold sea breeze tangling in his hair. The school sat on the edge of a massive cliff, overlooking the dark, restless ocean below. It was a sight of quiet majesty, but the atmosphere was far from peaceful. The village stretched behind him, a grim, brooding silhouette against the dimming sky. Despite the looming danger, students of all ages still roamed the grounds—some played in the dusty courtyards, while others, older and more cynical, kept to themselves.

Cydal scanned them, his gaze sharp. They wore simple, worn uniforms, all the same—unlike him. He opened his inventory, and with a few swift commands, his own clothes shifted to mirror theirs. He adjusted the collar of his uniform with a slight tug, the fabric stiff and unfamiliar against his skin.

"If I'm going to continue my hunt, I have to blend in... at least for a while. I must endure."

As his eyes continued to sweep the grounds, he couldn't help but wonder how many of them were like him—players, hidden among the crowd. His screen buzzed to life at his command, and a soft glow illuminated his face as the stats of the remaining players flashed on it.

[15 players remaining out of 100.]

Cydal's brow furrowed as he noticed the next part.

[5 players have crossed level 80. They are classified as Boss Players.]

The information was useful, but not enough. He needed to know more, to see who they were, what their roles might be.

He tapped on his screen, issuing the command with a quiet urgency.

"Show me their identities."

The screen flickered for a moment before a cold message appeared:

[Insufficient Data. Must make contact to unlock further details.]

Cydal scowled. Of course. Nothing ever came easy. Still, he couldn't ignore the quiet sense of curiosity that rose in him. Boss players. At level 80, they were already forces to be reckoned with. It would be interesting to see how they fit into whatever game was unfolding here.

With a quiet sigh, he shoved the screen away and returned his attention to the students, wondering which of them might be a threat—or an ally.

With an almost imperceptible sigh, he stepped through the gate and onto the school grounds. As he walked, students turned to stare at him. Some eyed him warily, their expressions a mixture of fear and curiosity, while others stood frozen, uncertain of what to make of the newcomer. The silence was thick, the tension palpable in the air.

But before Cydal could fully take in the scene, a small figure darted into his path.

A frail girl, no older than cydal, tripped and collided with him. Her movements were clumsy, her small frame unable to handle the momentum. She hit the ground with a soft thud, a pained grunt escaping her lips as she rubbed her head.

Cydal glanced down at her, his eyes hard.

The girl was a strange sight—her skin was a pale yellow, almost sickly in its hue, and freckles dotted her cheeks like scattered grains of sand. Her hair was a tangled mess of oversized pigtails, each adorned with white flowers that seemed out of place, as if they didn't belong in such a bleak environment. But it wasn't just her appearance that made Cydal pause.

He knew her.

This was Nara from the orphanage.

She looked exactly the same—small, fragile, her presence like a whisper in a world that had long since learned to scream. Back then, she would struggle to speak, her voice trembling before she could even form a word clearly. They had been friends once. Or at least, something close to it.

Now, she didn't act like a friend. She didn't even act like she was happy to see him.

Next to her, lying forgotten in the dust, was a shiny, razor-sharp knife. It glinted in the weak sunlight. Had she tried to use it on him? The intent wasn't clear.

Cydal's eyes narrowed slightly as she stepped back, panic taking over her fragile frame. Her foot caught on uneven ground, and she stumbled forward, accidentally crashing into him again.

Cydal blinked, awkwardly raising his hand to catch nara, but hesitated halfway. What was he supposed to say to her? 'Are you... good?'

Instead, he just stood there. Silent. Expressionless.

Nara looked up at him, her face pale as a corpse. For a moment, she was frozen in place, staring into Cydal's cold, lifeless eyes that were staring back at her as if ready to Pierce her very soul, but in truth he was struggling to offer any assistance or help.

Instead..

Pure terror took over her!

"I-I'M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!" she shrieked before scrambling to her feet and sprinting toward the school as if she'd just bumped into the grim reaper himself.

Cydal watched her run, completely confused.

Before he could mentally process how he'd just terrorized his only childhood friend without even trying, a sudden shift in the air caught his attention—a disturbance.

He turned, sharp eyes narrowing.

A guy, tall and broad-shouldered, he had noticed him from the crowd of the students and came charging toward him, his footsteps heavy against the ground. His presence was loud, almost oppressive in its exuberance. Cydal flinched, taken aback by the man's sheer volume.

"HELLOOOO!!" the guy bellowed, his voice booming across the courtyard. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before! And believe me when I say, I know every single face here!" His arms spread wide, as though preparing to embrace Cydal in the tightest of hugs. Cydal flinched, taken aback by the guy's sheer volume.

"Are you a new student?"

The guy's grin was wide—way too wide, like a dog wagging its tail in excitement.

"I'm Longs... I know it's a funny name, but my ma named me that because I was born with really long arms and legs."

Cydal didn't care to say anything, his lifeless eyes simply were staring back at longs.

Longs, completely missing the lack of interest still kept talking as he grabbed cydal's hand in a crushing grip and began shaking it. Hard. And he didn't stop. He just kept shaking, as if waiting for Cydal to introduce himself back. "So, what's your name, rookie?"

Cydal realized this guy wasn't going to let go until he said something.

"...Cydal."

The moment the name left his mouth, Longs lit up even more as if he had met his new best friend.

"Cydal! I'll introduce you to all my friends—and yes, that includes the teachers as well! Everyone's friendly here."

"And I understand the first day of school can be a little scary, but don't you worry, okaaay? Once you've got me on your team, everything will be smooth sailing for you, trust me!"

"Everyone here is pretty much a family!"

Cydal glanced around at the students passing by, all giving Longs the same tired, annoyed look before turning away as if they hadn't seen him.

'Friendly, huh?'

"I'll also be giving you the full tour of the school. Oh! And get this—there's actually a catacomb deep beneath the school," Longs added with excitement.

That caught Cydal's attention.

"A catacomb?" That's a perfect place to start my search for the other players and perhaps the creator himself.

To be continued