Meanwhile, in the mountains covered by forest, an encampment stood. Around it, four watchtowers were arranged in a square. Students on duty scanned the horizon for any sign of danger, ready to alert everyone at the first sign of threat.
Inside one of the camp rooms, a young man with violet eyes sat on a chair, staring into the air in a daze.
Riven Veylor was gazing at a cold, blue screen.
Task Alert!
Task: Monster Storm Attack
Save people from the ten clans only when they become helpless, and be called Hero of the Camp, saving it at the verge of collapse.
Tips: Ray Phantom Monsters can only be killed by space or dark elements.
Task cannot be denied.
Riven sighed in a defeated manner.
This system had already made me a killer... and now, I'll be part of a massacre again.
I know I liked the way of the system... but aren't the killing missions increasing here?
Riven pondered.
Elsewhere in the camp...
Kaelan Ignis was sitting with Selene Frostreign on the girls' side of the encampment, under the open sky. Both sat on chairs, eating fruits served by their underlings.
Kaelan said with a warm smile,
"You look beautiful as always, Selene. That dress looks really good on you."
Selene replied with an awkward smile,
"Yes, Kaelan. I mostly wear this same color. I like it."
Selene's thoughts:
Kaelan has become quite bold in this dimension. I never thought he would be this open about his feelings.
Is he afraid of someone...?
Suddenly, a face flashed in her memory—white hair and purple eyes.
Selene sighed and stood up.
"Excuse me, Kaelan. I'm not feeling good."
But before she could say anything more—
BOOM!
The earth shook.
The sky above the encampment cracked like glass.
A deep, unnatural hum pulsed through the air, followed by jagged streaks of violet light tearing open the heavens. From those rifts, they emerged—monsters shaped like ray fish, gliding through the air in eerie silence, their bodies shimmering with a translucent, prismatic sheen.
They came in hordes.
A living tide of space-born terror.
As they flew, their wingtips ripped through space itself, leaving behind trails of warped reality that shimmered like shattered mirrors.
Even before they reached the camp, devastation followed in their wake.
Mountains in the distance cracked open and crumbled like sand.
BOOM! CRACK! BOOM!
Whole ridgelines vanished as the creatures passed.
Their mere presence bent the world around them—space fractured, gravity twisted, and the very air seemed to scream.
Someone in the camp shouted,
"Ray Phantoms! Close the barriers!"
But the warning came too late.
The lead monsters tilted, and with a haunting flicker, they accelerated straight toward the encampment.
Ten Minutes Earlier
Rina swung her sword in graceful arcs, her breath steady as she trained in the clearing near her tent. The world was calm—
Until the boom shattered the silence.
She froze. Her head snapped toward the sky.
Above the distant cliffs, reality itself fractured.
Ray Phantoms appeared.
Her sword slipped from her hand.
Eyes wide, Rina stared in paralyzed horror.
Her body trembled as fear overtook her senses. Her knees almost gave way—
Until a memory pierced through the fog of terror.
Alex...
His face, calm and steady in the storm, filled her mind.
Her breath hitched.
"Damn it, MOVE!" Rina screamed, eyes red.
With a desperate cry, Rina turned and sprinted toward Selene's tent.
She found Selene standing outside with Kaelan Ignis, both gazing at the sky as it cracked apart. Selene's hands clenched, preparing to join the fight.
But Rina grabbed her wrist.
"They can't be fought, Selene!" she screamed, panic breaking her voice. "We have to run if we want to live!"
She didn't wait. She dragged Selene with her, stumbling through the trees, screaming to everyone she passed:
"Run for your life! They're here!"
Kaelan saw Selene being dragged away and followed. He thought
I don't care about anybody else anyway. I don't want to be a hero here.
Confused and terrified students watched, but nearly a quarter began to follow—Selene in tow, Kaelan right behind them.
Ten Minutes Earlier
Meika Noctshade, in black leather clinging to her body, was hiding in the shadows.
She had followed Anna Greymoor for a week—suspicion turning to certainty.
Anna wasn't just Riven Veylor's puppet—she was his partner in whatever scheme he had orchestrated against Alexander.
Today, Meika trailed Anna again—and saw her slip into Riven's tent.
Inside, Riven welcomed her with a crooked grin.
"You're here. We don't have much time for sex today—something big's about to happen."
Anna crossed her arms, anger simmering.
"I ruined myself for your scheme, Riven. And what did I get? Empty promises. You said you'd help my family—but I haven't got anything concrete. I want you to swear on your elemental heart."
Riven chuckled darkly.
"You want me to swear on my Elemental Heart just for you, a slut?"
He stepped closer, voice cold and gleeful.
"You know I liked having you around. I liked your body—it felt really good to enjoy sex after so long. I'm really sad that I have to wait for another toy, but your work is already done."
Riven grinned with evil satisfaction, grabbed Anna by the waist, and kissed her so hard she became breathless.
SLAP!
He slapped her plump ass so hard the sound echoed through the room.
Anna stumbled and fell down.
Riven licked his lips.
"I'll remember this test."
SWOOSH—
A black needle passed between Anna's eyebrows.
Tears dropped from her eyes as she collapsed to the ground—lifeless.
Outside, in the shadows, Meika's heart stopped.
Then—
BOOM!
The earth shook.
The sky tore open.
Screams erupted across the encampment.
Hearing the sounds outside,
Meika flinched. She stepped back into deeper shadows.
Moments later, Riven emerged, dusting off his clothes with practiced ease. He didn't even glance back.
He just walked casually toward the chaos—whistling like a carefree man going for a stroll.
Blue Screen Popped
Reward Alert!
+10 High-Rank Air Elemental Stones
Riven smiled.
If I kill someone who can hinder my plans and get rewards… that's really convenient.
Once he was gone, Meika crept into the tent.
Anna Greymoor lay on the floor.
Her eyes were open, filled with tears—but lifeless.
A single, perfect wound pierced her forehead—a needle-thin mark, clean and silent.
Meika crouched beside the body, her expression grim.
"I knew Riven wasn't who he pretended to be," she whispered.
"But this... this is something else."
She looked toward the tent flap—where Riven had disappeared into the madness.