[Chapter 3 - Boss Players]

"Yup catacomb! But no one dares to go there because of the strange noises coming from it," Longs said, lowering his voice dramatically raising cydal's excitement further. Then, just as quickly, longs brushed it off.

"But honestly, I think it's all just a dumb rumor spread by the Conspiracy Theory Club. I've been in this school for years, and there's not a single inch of this place I haven't seen. I've never found it."

Cydal felt his patience slipping and he was gravely disappointed with longs giving him hope and then immediately taking it.

Longs kept rambling, too busy hyping up this so-called "friendly school" to notice how done Cydal already was.

"And once we're done with the tour, I'll introduce you to the Conspiracy Theory Club too! But honestly, they're the ones who started this catacomb nonsense. I mean, I'd love to see it... but it's not real, so what can you do, right?" Longs let out a forced laugh.

Cydal's eye twitched.

"Can you let go of my hand now?"

Longs blinked as if he'd forgotten he was still gripping Cydal's hand like his life depended on it.

"Oh! My bad."

Cydal snatched his hand back, already regretting coming to this school.

He wasn't sure what annoyed him more—Longs' endless talking... or the fact that now he was actually curious about this damn catacomb.

Longs stared cydal with an obnoxiously wide grin, looked him up and down. His sharp eyes lingered on Cydal's face, particularly his eye patch and the dark, ominous aura that seemed to cling to him like a second skin.

"Now what?" Cydal asked.

"Nothing, it's just.. oh Man! I couldn't help but notice.. You've got a real scary look going on don't you?" Longs remarked. "The eye patch? The permanent frown? The whole 'I could kill you and make it look like an accident' vibe? It's intense."

Cydal's only response was a slow, blank stare.

"But don't worry!" Longs quickly added, clapping him on the back. "You'll fit in just fine. This school accepts everyone with the desire for knowledge! Doesn't matter how old you are, or how you look—if you wanna learn, you're welcome!"

Cydal slowly blinked, glancing around at the mixed crowd of students.

"I see… So that explains why you're so old and still in school," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—

"BWAAAAAH!!"

Longs stumbled back like he'd been physically struck by the words. His hands shot to his head, clutching at imaginary gray hairs.

"He… He thinks I'm OLD?!" he gasped to himself, the realization sending visible shockwaves through his soul.

Cydal remained unmoved, his face as blank as ever.

Longs took a deep breath, dramatically straightening his uniform. His demeanor instantly shifted into one of forced coolness, his voice dropping into an exaggeratedly suave tone.

"I'm not old, okaaaay~" he drawled, flipping his hair unnecessarily. "My ma says I just had a different growth spurt, that's all. Otherwise, I'm barely the same age as you."

Cydal gave him a long, slow, disapproving look.

The silence stretched.

"HE DIDN'T BELIEVE ME?!" Longs suddenly screamed internally, gripping his head like the sheer disbelief was physically painful. Whereas cydal kept walking to the class, completely ignoring longs. His mind spun, trying to assess his little situation with longs.

"Is this going to be a problem? Or is this just another idiot trying to be too friendly? Either way i can't let my guard down around these people."

Despite cydal's irritation, Longs still continued his monologue, utterly oblivious to Cydal's growing frustration. Chasing right after cydal as they walked towards the school But then, something strange happened. As the two of them walked through the school grounds, shadows began to warp and shift behind them. Cydal's keen senses picked up on it immediately—something was off.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark figure emerge from the transforming shadows. The figure was clad in black, wearing a jester's mask that seemed to mock him from the darkness. The figure's eyes locked onto Cydal, studying him intently.

"So, this is the first player chosen for the game?"

The shadowy figure summoned a flickering digital screen, its design almost identical to Cydal's, but this one was black, its dark hue contrasting sharply with the shadowy figure it belonged to. The screen came to life with a soft hum, revealing Cydal's stats in stark details.

[STATUS WINDOW]

Name: Cydal

Level: 12

Class: Player

Rank: E+

HP: 600/600

MP: 220/220

Strength: 150

Agility: 140

Speed: 160

Stamina: 180

Perception: 110

Intelligence: 100

Skills:

Shadow Step (Lv. 2)

Enhanced Reflexes (Lv. 1)

Predator's Instinct (Lv. 1)

The numbers blinked steadily on the screen, each one a silent judgment. Cydal's stats were barely above the minimum—weak, sluggish, unremarkable. A far cry from the first player who should have spent the longest grinding, farming, and reaching high levels of experience. Cydal was the complete opposite, as if he had refused to play the game ever.

The figure's voice was low, dripping with disdain.

"Not impressed. But I should know better than to judge a demon by mere numbers, I'll have to keep an eye on you."

With that, the figure melted back into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.

Cydal's gaze flickered toward Longs, who was still enthusiastically talking about whatever it was he found so fascinating.

"Sighs, this is going to be a long day."

The cold wind howled as two figures walked toward the abandoned school, their footsteps echoing through the empty streets.

Above them, the sky trembled as a glitching, purple digital screen flickered to life.

[STATUS WINDOW]

Name: Selphonie

Level: 81

Class: Boss Player

Rank: ???

HP: ???

MP: ???

Strength: ???

Agility: ???

Speed: ???

Stamina: ???

Perception: ???

Intelligence: ???

Skills: ???

Selphonie sat on the rooftop, her pale skin reflecting the dim light like freshly fallen snow. Her lips, painted pitch black, curved into a faint smile as she sang a haunting melody:

"The little boy never saw the rain...

And drifted away before the clouds."

She wore black skin-tight pants, bare feet dangling over the edge, and a baggy purple shirt with a melting black heart design. A golden piercing gleamed through her nostrils, adding an eerie elegance to her gothic appearance.

From the shadows beneath her, a dark figure slowly emerged, twisting and forming into something vaguely human.

"Ah... Shadow," Selphonie greeted without turning her head.

The shadow's distorted voice echoed from the void, "Mind telling me what you're doing out of your shell?"

Selphonie ignored the question, her cold smile stretching wider.

"All boss players are meant to stay hidden until the final stage. Don't tell me... you've started disobeying our creator?" The shadow's tone darkened. "You know how sensitive he is when it comes to betrayal."

Selphonie finally turned to face the entity, her black eyes glistening with amusement.

"Betrayal?" she chuckled. "You of all people have no right to speak of loyalty. You're so high on your ground, you've failed to notice... our creator has already begun to doubt you."

Her grin widened unnaturally, exposing sharp teeth.

"Just what have you been doing behind our backs, Shadow? Don't worry... I'll find out." Her voice softened into a whisper. "And when I do... I'll kill you."

The shadow remained motionless, showing no reaction to her words.

Selphonie sighed in boredom, resting her chin on her hand.

"Whatever. The creator sent me here to test No. 1. I suggest you stay out of my way... I tend to get ugly when I'm mad."

The shadow finally raised its head, meeting her gaze with a cold, empty stare.

"As if you were ever pretty to begin with."

Selphonie's grin twitched, but before she could respond, a low beep echoed from below.

Down on the cracked pavement, Cydal walked toward the school gates when a glowing screen suddenly appeared in front of him.

[Warning! New players detected nearby. Remain ready to engage in battle.]

The rooftop trembled beneath the weight of two opposing forces. The air itself felt suffocating—thick with darkness leaking from Shadow's towering form, while Selphonie's cursed aura bathed the ground in a wicked purple hue.

Shadow's cold, emotionless gaze pierced through the silence, hidden beneath his massive black cloak.

"My job is to keep all boss players in check," he muttered, stepping forward with slow, fluid movements. "We've already raised too much suspicion in this school. I won't let you be seen roughing around the playgrounds."

"The Creator's vessel will be safe, and you'll have your test battle… but at the right time and place. Is that understood?"

Selphonie smirked, twirling a strand of her hair as she swayed her hips toward where Cydal was, completely ignoring Shadow's warning.

Before she could step any further, Shadow dissolved into black mist, reappearing in an instant to block her path.

"Did you hear me, Selphonie?"

Her grin widened as she leaned in, eyes glowing with playful mischief.

"Oh, I heard you. Having my test battle? Sure. Having to listen to you? Not a chance."

Selphonie's voice dripped with seduction as she spread her legs ever so slightly, her body moving with the grace of a dancer.

"You're no fun, sweetie. Let's make this interesting."

In a blink, she launched a sharp, lightning-fast kick toward Shadow's head, slicing through the still air.

But Shadow didn't flinch. Without lifting a finger, he shifted through the darkness, her attack passing through him as if he were a mirage.

Selphonie clicked her tongue, unleashing a rapid flurry of strikes, but Shadow's body flowed like liquid ink, evading each attack with disturbing ease.

"Ugh, you're always so boring and bossy," she groaned. "And I like you, I really do. You're so big…"

She dragged a finger down her lips, eyes glinting.

"But only a few levels bigger than me. That doesn't mean you get to boss me around."

Her attacks didn't stop—each kick and punch seamlessly weaving into her words.

"Today, I'm here under our Creator's orders."

"He personally wanted to check on his vessel's progress. But since he can't leave these walls, he sent me."

"Your interference? Not needed."

Shadow remained silent, effortlessly weaving through her movements.

Then, in one swift motion, he stepped into her shadow, emerging behind her in an instant. With a sharp sweep, he took her legs out from under her.

Selphonie crashed to the ground, landing on her stomach—her rear lifted slightly in the air.

"Tch..." she hissed.

"Get inside the catacombs and rest with the other boss players," Shadow ordered coldly, towering over her. "You'll be called when needed."

Selphonie chuckled, blushing as she peeked up at him with playful eyes.

She flipped onto her feet with a graceful swing, fixing her dress over her thick hips and adjusting her hair.

"You're so rough, Shadow… at least be a little gentle when we play," she teased, licking her lips.

Shadow remained unyielding. His presence alone was enough to command submission.

"Ugh, fine, fine… I'll go," she pouted. "If your dominance is that overwhelming, how could I possibly resist?"

Shadow's cold gaze followed her every move.

Then, just as he turned his back—

BAM

Selphonie struck.

Her leg, charged with cursed purple aura, spun through the air and struck Shadow's head.

This time, he had no chance to react.

Upon impact, Shadow's body distorted like ink—swelling, then bursting into black fragments that scattered across the rooftop.

Selphonie grinned, brushing the dust off her dress.

"Our little round was fun." She smirked. "But I never let the same man play twice."

She turned to leave—

But then, her own shadow twisted unnaturally beneath her.

Her smirk faltered.

The darkness behind her stirred.

Shadow reformed, rising taller and more menacing than before. He gripped her wrist tightly, dragging her toward the catacombs.

"In the catacombs. Now. Or this time, I'll use my fists too."

Selphonie's eyes widened.

"Fine, fine. I guess I can't stop you."

But just as the words left her lips—

She grinned and snapped her fingers.

In an instant, shadow froze in mid-motion.

Shadow stood stiff as Selphonie danced toward him, her hips swaying seductively. Her fingers traced toward his mask.

"Now… let's see what kind of face hides behind that mask."

To be continued.