"What do you mean by that?" Meryl stopped brushing her teeth and stared at him in confusion.
"Tulip's stats are at zero—he needs to raise them before the announcement of the first crystal's location." Alvin put his brush back in place and left the bathroom without waiting for a reply. In the garden, he saw Tulip riding his electric car, driving it happily.
He walked calmly toward him and called out, "Tulip, we'll be descending into the desert soon. Be ready."
The child stopped his car and wrote a message: "To raise my stats?"
Alvin knelt beside him and began arranging some of his black locks as he said, "Yes. But don't worry, I'll be by your side and won't let them hurt you."
The little one stared into Alvin's blue eyes for a moment and found nothing but honesty in them. "I'm ready!" he wrote — but he wasn't. Tulip was a little afraid of the idea of killing monsters and humans to survive.
After they finished everything they needed to do at the house, the four of them descended into the desert. Alvin to kill, Tulip to train in killing and bloodshed, Meryl and Elena to train in combat and gain experience from real battles.
They continued like this for three days. On the fourth day—the final one before the announcement of the crystal's location—and while they were roaming the desert in search of various monsters to fight, Tulip discovered some tunnels where monsters were hiding.
Tulip had gone with Meryl and Elena—or so Alvin thought, as he was facing a monster in one of the side passages of the tunnel.
Alvin severed one of the monster's legs and smirked as he watched it try to escape while blood poured from its body.
"You'll have to put on a better show than that!" he said wickedly before slicing off the right arm, then the left, continuing until the monster was reduced to pieces.
Alvin's body trembled slightly, and suddenly, he collapsed to his knees, his face hidden in his hands. From between his lips, a mocking laugh emerged. His trembling hand crawled toward the blood on the ground and soaked itself in it, then he slowly ran it over his face.
Something hit the ground with a faint sound. His head quickly turned to the left—and there she was… Elena. Staring at him with an unreadable, cold expression that revealed nothing of her true feelings.
Alvin wiped the smile off his lips but didn't break eye contact. He stood up quietly, waiting for Elena to say something. But she didn't utter a single word.
But her eyes were full of words, and Alvin read them all. A mocking smile formed on his lips before he turned his back and walked further inside. One of the things Alvin struggles with—and considers a problem—is that his body doesn't sense Elena's presence unless she's in danger.
His senses pick up even the faintest sounds, yet he hadn't heard her footsteps. Alvin doesn't know whether it's because he's grown used to her or because he no longer fears being seen by her while enjoying the act of killing and bloodshed.
A full week had passed, and now they were sitting in the garden of their floating home in the sky, waiting for the countdown to end on the massive digital screen in front of them.
Tulip was the only one asleep among them, worn out from fighting all day and playing in the evening. But his absence didn't matter—there were three adults around him who would handle everything on his behalf.
{Greetings to all hunters, of all ages and ranks, from the three empires that govern the lands of this world: the Empire of Royce, the Empire of Miles, and the Empire of Elio.
We congratulate every hunter who has proven their bravery and fought with unwavering determination to stay alive until now. We officially welcome you to the first phase of the trial.}
We understand that the path ahead won't be easy, but remember:
The title of the strongest hunter in the world isn't given to those who retreat—it's earned by those who fight until their last drop of blood.
}
At last, the first phase of the climb to the top has begun!
— [I wish death upon everyone.]
A message from 'The Sad Clown' in the public chat.
— [Things are starting to get fun!]
A message from 'The Womanizer' in the public chat.
{Before announcing the location of the first crystal, there are a set of rules that all hunters must read and follow. Please note that these rules will change at the end of each of the thirteen phases.
First: The time limit to find the first crystal and obtain its contents is forty days. If it is not found within this time, all humans in the host city of the crystal will be exterminated.
Second: Whoever manages to obtain the contents of the crystal will receive a special reward, which will be given at the end of the phase.
Third: For hunters who fail to obtain the crystal, monsters will spawn at a higher rate within the city.
During the forty-day period, each hunter is required to kill at least 100 monsters and a minimum of 10 other hunters in order to advance to the next phase. Prey counts start from the first day of Phase One.
Fourth: Failure to meet this requirement will result in the hunter's execution at the end of the phase.
Fifth: Hunters located outside the city hosting the crystal will not be subject to the previous conditions. However, they must kill 200 monsters and at least 20 hunters to qualify for the next phase.
Note: By choosing not to seek the crystal, you will lose the chance to benefit from its contents—which may be crucial to your progress toward the top.
Sixth: As for non-hunters—you are not required to participate in combat and will not be subject to the penalties of this or future phases. However, remember: neutrality does not mean safety.
}
Elena turned around when her ears caught a faint sound, but the sky was empty. The sound gradually grew louder until it became deafening, waking up the sleeping Tulip.
"What's happening?" Meryl asked anxiously, disturbed by the sudden low-pitched hum. Tulip stepped toward the wooden railing to get a better look below—giant trees were emerging from beneath the sand, rising quickly upward.
Trees with trunks as dark as coal, twisted and cracked branches, and dry orange leaves that held fruits resembling the skulls of children…
Tulip's heart clenched, just as it did for Elena and Meryl when they all raised their heads to look around. There were many gates scattered across the area, and from them emerged monsters of different species and races.
The house was surrounded by a barrier that kept it hidden, but it still hovered in the sky. Because of that, when some of the monsters crashed into the barrier, their bodies instantly exploded and their blood splattered against it.
— [I don't get it. Why are they dragging this out? Just announce the damn city already!]
Message from 'Burnt Cookies' in the public chat.
— [I wonder if that handsome guy will return?]
Message from 'Womanizer' in the public chat.
— [The first stage is about to begin and you're still obsessed with that guy?]
Reply from 'Sad Clown' to 'Womanizer' in the public chat.
— [You misunderstood me, guys! I'm just saying he's strong, and it'll be fun watching him fight!]
Message from 'Womanizer' in the public chat.
— [Shameless!]
Message from 'The Pink Widow' in the public chat.
— [You're all judging me unfairly! I have no ill intentions toward him, I swear!]
Message from 'Womanizer' in the public chat.
"We're in for some tough days," Elena whispered, ignoring the messages flooding the planetary chat.
Tulip backed away and hugged Alvin tightly out of fear of the massive number of monsters, while Meryl kept staring at the digital screen, reading the scrolling text as the voice echoed…
The location of the first crystal will now be revealed!