Moving On

Day 7 – Floor One: Begi

Michael stood at the edge of the hilltop, the wind brushing softly through the tall grass. This time, he wasn't alone. Flash stood just behind him, quietly watching the horizon.

"This where you remember him?" Flash asked, his voice low.

Michael nodded. "Yeah. The day before he died, we sat right here and watched the sunset. That was the last one we ever saw together. And… we'll never see another."

Flash stepped forward and placed a hand on Michael's shoulder. "He was a great guy. You know that, right? He lives through you now."

Michael's eyes didn't leave the view. "Yeah," he whispered.

In his hand, he held a single Polly flower, its white petals dancing in the breeze. He knelt down and gently placed it beside the others he had left over the past few days—a growing cluster of memory.

"See you next time, Micha," Michael said softly. "I'm going to do this for both of us. Just… stay at my side."

He leaned forward and kissed the stone marker carved with Micha's name. As he rose, he felt a presence behind him—another hand, resting on his shoulder opposite Flash's.

Michael quickly turned.

There was no one there.

But he smiled anyway.

Then he stood tall, stretching his arms and bending his knees, shaking off the heaviness that had weighed on him for days.

"Alright, Flash," he said, smirking. "I've made my decision. I'm joining the frontlines—Dreadnaught, the other guilds—I don't care. I'm going to fight. And I'm going to track down the Reaper Squad myself."

Flash raised a brow. "Heh. That's the Michael I know."

But then his expression shifted. "Actually… something's been on my mind."

Michael glanced back. "What is it?"

Flash folded his arms. "The four Reaper Squad members—Ivan and the others—after they killed Micha… why didn't they kill you? I mean, no offense, but even you couldn't take them all on, right?"

Michael's heart skipped.

His breath caught.

The memory rushed back—

[FLASHBACK]

SYSTEM ALERT — ORIGIN PROTOCOL DETECTED

ACCESS GRANTED: ORIGIN PROTOCOL: ZERO

ALL CLASS BARRIERS REMOVED.

SKILL ACQUISITION MODE: ENABLED.

AWAKENING IN PROGRESS…

⸻

Michael blinked, pulled back into the present.

"They just… left," he said slowly. "Guess they didn't want the sword anymore."

Flash scratched his head. "That's weird."

Michael's chest tightened. Why hadn't he ever questioned it? The system… the power… the slaughter. He remembered the chaos—using Swordsman strikes, Pulse Caster bursts, a Nullmage burst barrier. Skills he never unlocked. Skills he shouldn't have had.

His heartbeat quickened.

What the hell happened to me that day?

"Hey," Flash said, waving a hand in front of him. "You alright? You zoned out there for a sec."

Michael forced a smile. "Yeah. I'm good. Let's just head to the teleport hub. Floor Three's waiting."

"Alright then, let's go."

Flash turned and started walking, his boots crunching softly against the dirt path. Michael followed behind, casting one last glance at the grave.

As the wind whispered through the grass, he muttered under his breath:

"What the fuck actually happened to me?"

Michael and Flash stood at the center of the town square, the bustle of players, merchants, and town criers fading into the background as they approached the teleportation kiosk. Flash tapped the screen, navigating through the floors before selecting:

FLOOR 3: Duskrun Hollow

A low hum vibrated beneath their feet as the teleport hub activated. Rings of pale-blue light spiraled around the platform, pulsing softly with arcane energy. But Michael barely noticed. His thoughts were elsewhere—fixated on the one thing that hadn't left his mind since that day.

The system.

Origin Protocol: ZERO.

Why did he have it?

Where did it come from?

What exactly did it do?

He hadn't earned it—not through quests or leveling. It had just awakened in the darkest moment of his life. And now that the grief had started to dull, the questions came pouring in.

"Come on, Michael," Flash said, already stepping onto the glowing platform.

Michael blinked. "Oh… yeah. Right."

He followed Flash onto the hub. In an instant, their bodies dissolved into luminous strands of blue code. The world around them fragmented—light, sound, weight—and then reassembled in the blink of an eye.

⸻

Floor Three – Duskrun Hollow

Location: Hollow Spire Caverns

Michael and Flash materialized on the other side with a flash of shimmering particles. The air was cooler, heavier with moisture, and dimly lit by glowing crystal lanterns embedded in the jagged stone above.

They stood in the heart of Hollow Spire Caverns—a sprawling underground town built beneath a massive cave system. The rocky ceiling loomed high above, dripping with stalactites and moss-veined mineral veins. Bioluminescent plants glowed along the streets, casting eerie blues and greens across the cobbled stone pathways.

Around them, players moved between stone-built shops, torch-lit inns, and guild outposts carved into the rock walls. The architecture was rough but sturdy, carved directly into the natural formations of the cave. It had a wild, frontier feel—dangerous, but alive.

Beyond the safety of town, through the jagged tunnel mouths, lay the perilous outskirts of Duskrun Hollow:

• Poisonous swamplands, thick with noxious fog.

• Sub-caves within the cave, echoing with distant roars and unsettling whispers.

• And monsters—Venom Drakes, Parasitic Fungi, Swamp Specters—all lurking at levels 30 to 40, waiting for the reckless or the brave.

Michael took a slow breath as he looked around. "Whoa… This place is insane. A town inside a cave?"

Flash smirked. "Welcome to Duskrun Hollow. Floor Three's no joke—but it's where all the real action is."

Michael narrowed his eyes at the glowing tunnels in the distance, still half-distracted.

But that system…

Whatever it was—it didn't just save him.

It changed him.

In the heart of the underground town stood a towering stone fortress—its jagged spires nearly touching the ceiling of the cavern itself. Torches burned high along its walls, casting long, flickering shadows across the stone. It was both imposing and awe-inspiring, a monument of power carved straight into the cave.

Flash pointed up at the massive structure with a grin. "That's the Dreadnaught Guild's citadel."

Michael blinked. "Wait, seriously? How the hell did you guys build that so fast?"

Flash shrugged, cocky. "Rex had it under control. What'd you expect? The guy's a beta tester."

Michael smirked. "Yeah… you're right."

Flash began walking toward the gate. "Well, come on. You did say you wanted to hit the front lines."

Michael nodded and followed. "Let's do it."

As they approached the citadel's gates, two armored players from the Dreadnaught Guild stood at attention, guarding the entrance. Their armor bore the crimson insignia of the guild—an angular wolf's head framed by a gear.

"We're here to enter," Flash said casually.

The guards nodded. Their eyes lingered on Michael with clear recognition. Word had spread—he was the one who landed the final blow on the Floor Zero boss. The guards exchanged a glance, then bowed respectfully and pulled the heavy gates open.

Michael raised a brow.

Flash chuckled. "Looks like you've got fans now."

Michael gave a small laugh. "You're starting to sound like Micha…"

His voice trailed off for a second.

They stepped inside.

The interior of the citadel was grand—wide corridors lined with red banners and deep crimson carpets. The walls were lit by flaming sconces, giving the stone hallways a warm but intense glow. It smelled faintly of iron and fire—like preparation and war.

Michael turned to take in the towering ceilings, the intricate arches, the sheer size of it all. "This place is huge."

Flash grinned. "Yeah. It's badass."

Then, just ahead, a figure rounded the corner.

Michael stopped.