Immobilize. Hit. Run.

  The plan was simple. Foolproof even. Jin would act as the bait, leading the Anpu Statue toward the wadi. The quicksand there would stall its movement, and hopefully, it would be deep enough to immobilise the statue altogether. The others’ roles were simpler.

  “So, you play the bait and the attacker. And we’re to hold him down with your rope?”

  Jin nodded. “Watch where you step. And Emilia”– he shot her a look–“keeps us alive with that miraculous barrier of yours.”

  Emilia’s smile was brittle. “Barrier? Ah yes. My barrier. Right. My amazing, totally-not-made-by-a-secret-monster barrier.” She swallowed hard. “Got it.”

  Ka Fei sneered. “Never knew you had it in you, princess. Guess miracles do happen.”

  Emilia’s retort was instant. “Says the guy who got his arse handed to him. If Frank hadn’t dragged you back, the Wong Clan might be mourning another wasted heir.”

  “Why you-“

  “Enough.” Eustace’s voice cut through the two’s banter. “Or do I need to remind you both what happens when Frank gets annoyed? You see that? His eyebrows are twitching now!”

  Silence. The kind that came from those who remembered exactly what Jin’s annoyance looked like.

  Ironshield laughed. “Looks like I was worried for nothing. You got them behaved after all, eh?

  Jin sighed. “I guess so?”

  “But, Frank. One last time.” Ironshield’s face turned solemn once again. “Can you do this?”

  “I will.” Jin’s voice dropped, quiet but certain. “Because if I don’t… we’re all dead.”

  “If you say so,” Ironshield added. “Now, shall we get ready?”

  “Sure. Gather everyone. Let’s go hunt.”

  Jin cracked his knuckles before hefting a warhammer – borrowed earlier from Instructor Lila – over his shoulder. The perfect weapon would be a pickaxe, but this was a close second. He secured a buckler to his back. It was a gift from Ironshield. Protection, the veteran had said, should things turn sour.

  Once done, he stared ahead at the horizon. The sandstorm was gone as the Anpu Statue edge closer; its silhouette cast a long shadow across the desert sand. The rest of the team gathered behind him, all readied.

  This, after all, might be the biggest and most important battle of their life.

  ***

  "Ironshield! Hold that hand down!”

  "I’m trying! With one fucking arm in case you forget!" The veteran Player’s muscles bulged, veins threatening to burst as the Anpu Statue’s stone fingers twitched – a few feet away from crushing him. "It’s like holding a damn mountain!"

  "Less talking, more pulling!" Instructor Lila's voice cracked through the chaos. "If that ray charges, we’re toast!"

  “Oi! I need some help here! I’m sinking!”

  Brun, who was not paying attention, managed to slip into the quicksand. Fortunately, Ka Fei was there to pull him out to safety.

  “Emilia! Buff, please!” Ironshield barked his order. “And whatever you do, don’t let the barrier down!”

  Perched atop the Anpu Statue’s pointy ear, Jin adopted the role of tactical observer. After leading the statue into the quicksand, which then devoured it down to its knees, the immediate danger was contained.

  The hard work of restraining it belonged to the others. Divided into two teams – one led by Ironshield and the other by Instructor Lila – they worked to pin not only the flailing limbs and joints but also the sceptre. Viridiana’s protective barrier and Emilia’s constant buffs gave them the strength they needed to tether the construct using Jin’s reinforced lines.

  Now, their only job was to not get crushed by the statue's violent resistance.

  Despite the enhanced strength, a thread was still a thread; eventually, it snapped. Perched on the statue’s shoulder, Cattleya, the Thousand-Year Caterpillar, worked without rest, replacing any broken lines to maintain the restraint. It was a massive advantage that, regardless of the output or complexity, she never ran out of mana.

  To support the team below, Jin used his own supply of intertwined threads – lacking amalgamation, they held less than 50 per cent strength – locking the statue’s neck and head as he scaled the stone toward its forehead.

  With the others diverting the enemy’s attention, Jin finally had his moment to break the Gem of Life.

  His warhammer slammed true. Unfortunately, Jin wasn’t blessed with the ultimate luck of his first attack being the killing strike. Wishing for a one-hit KO was too preposterous.

  The gemstone remained intact.

  He struck again. And again. For thirty consecutive blows, Jin battered the weak spot. A few critical strikes flared, yet the stone refused to shatter.

  “Damn! This thing is sturdy!”

  As Jin continued to hammer the gem, a System Message flashed across his screen.

  

  

  “Oi, Frank. Did you receive the notice?” Ironshield’s voice crackled through the Cryscomm.

  “We can’t take the risk.” Jin declared. “This overgrown paperweight will never escape the quicksand. But if in five minutes we don’t bring it down, abort the hunt. I repeat. Abort the hunt, Ironshield.”

  “Alright. Roger and out!”

  Five minutes. That was enough time to land four hundred attacks, provided that he used both hands and abandoned any thought of balance. Stuck at a thousand feet high up on an enemy that refused to stay still, Jin knew the danger. To let go now was a suicide mission. But it was a risk he needed to take to secure any hope of victory for everyone involved.

  With the warhammer in one hand and the buckler in the other, Jin slammed onto the Gem of Life with unceasing intensity.

  "One hundred!" Jin grunted, wiping sweat from his forehead. The Anpu Statue’s Berserk status edged closer.

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  << Time left until Berserk state: 8 minutes 13 seconds. >>

  But Jin was unperturbed.

  “Two hundred! Fuck it! Why doesn’t it break?!”

  With Fenrir’s amalgamation, his overall speed increased twofold. This included his attack speed, and using that advantage, the number of attacks now exceeded five hundred.

  Yet the gemstone showed no sign of cracking.

  << Time left until Berserk state: 5 minutes 1 seconds. >>

  And right on the fifth minute, Ironshield’s voice sounded through the Cryscomm. “Everyone. Abort the hunt. I repeat. Abort the hunt!”

  “Damn! After all we have done! Damn it all!” In his anger, Jin slammed both his weapons onto the Gem of Life. “You damned monst–ah?!”

  A small and fine crack appeared at the centre of the Gem of Life where the blunt tip of the buckler had been slamming earlier. But it was not enough to warrant a notice.

  Or was it?

  As Jin moved to widen the fine crack, a notice popped out on his screen.

  << Major Critical Weakness: Gem of Life has been cracked! >>

  << Anpu Statue will now abort the Berserk state. It will cease all its functions in one minute!>>

  “Hahaha! Hahahaha! Finally. We did it. We fucking did it. Bee. Did you see that?! That is the power of human cooperation.”

  “Yes, I saw everything, Jin. Though it is insignificant by the grand scheme of things, it is still quite impressive. But you had better be careful now.”

  "Careful, why–oh hell!"

  As the Gem of Life finally shattered, the Anpu Statue buckled. While the ground team had time to escape, Jin was a thousand feet high in the centre of the chaos. Stone by stone, joint by joint, the colossal figure began its rapid, chaotic collapse.

  The sun was still on his side. Using the shadows, Jin traversed the shadowsea, escaping the crumbling gargantuan structure. A dangerous close call.

  As he materialised outside the collapse, Jin heard a soft voice calling out for his name. His stomach dropped when he realised the sound came from the direction of his escape.

  “Emilia?! The hell is she not running?!” he cursed as he dashed inside. With the rest of the team already making their way out, seeing the familiar silhouette of the Lowenhald princess standing dazed amidst the falling rubble, shouting his name, was a massive surprise.

  “Oh? Frank?! Is that you?!”

  Jin didn't wait for an answer. He scooped her up and ran as fast as the Fenrir amalgamation would allow, dodging the massive falling stones. The debris and impacts were overwhelming, but the boost was enough to carry them clear of the worst of the danger.

  Right before they escaped, Jin cancelled the amalgamation to avoid unnecessary questions. Unfortunately, that left him open to the sands, grit, and dust flooding his lungs straight away. A series of harsh coughs tore through him.

  “Frank? Are you alright?”

  Jin tried to stand, but his legs gave way. Emilia caught him by the shoulder. Seeing her genuine, heartfelt concern, he forgave her death-defying stupidity.

  "Haha. Thanks, princess. Glad we came out unscathed.”

  “I’m sorry, Frank. I’m really sorry.”

  "Now, now. No crying," he patted her head. "I'm not dead, and Ka Fei, if he saw you like this, will definitely make fun of you. Might even call you a snotty princess."

  Emilia wiped her tears away with her sleeve before giving the man a sharp elbow to his rib, which only made him cough even more.

  “I see you two are alright,” Lila said as she approached them first. “Ah, such is youth, eh~?” She then edged her face closer to Jin and whispered, “So, you managed to tame even the lioness. What a lady-killer you are, Frankie darling~.”

  “I–”

  The rest of the group arrived before Jin could respond. The battle was a major success. Yet, instead of wildly celebrating the near-impossible victory, a wave of relief washed over them. Saved for some bruises and minor scrapes, no one had suffered any major injuries.

  << Your Mission Objective: Solve Anpu’s Gift [COMPLETED] >>

  << Congratulations, Players! You have managed to solve Anpu’s Gift. The Judicator of Death is pleased.>>

  << ‘To the Victor, Thy Greed is Tolerated’ System Reward activated. >>

  << All participating Players will receive extra rewards based on time completion and difficulty rating.

  ***

  “Whoa! What’s this?! Stone Killer?!”

  “What? You got a skill? H-Hey! Me too!”

  “Me three. Better still, it’s a passive skill! And twenty-five per cent at that. This is better than what we could ever hope for.”

  Looking at the celebrating group, Jin asked, “Ironshield, what makes them so happy? I mean, it’s just a skill, a title, and some random chests, right?”

  Ironshield laughed. “You’re telling me you don’t know about Boss rewards?”

  “Did we have those in class?”

  This time, Instructor Lila answered. “I’m sure we didn’t teach you that. I know I didn’t. So, you want to tell him, Ironshield? Or should I do the honours?”

  “You do it, Lila. I’ll add if you missed anything.”

  While Emilia nursed Jin’s bruises – most earned from saving her – Instructor Lila started her ad-hoc class. Ka Fei and Eustace joined in, seated around Jin and Emilia.

  “Alrighty!” Instructor Lila clasped her hands. “Inside the RIFT, when you complete a mission objective or kill a boss, you’ll get your reward. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. Most of the time, it's so-so.”

  “Is it like what the Cleaners collected? Loots, right?” Jin asked. “I thought Players can’t collect drops or loot.”

  Instructor Lila shook her head. “No, no, my dear little Frankie~. This is not drops or loot. This is a r-e-w-a-r-d. And what kind of reward would it be if you can’t use it, right? You’d get titles, skills, and unique boss items.”

  “Titles?”

  “Yup. Titles can enhance your attributes, and those 'Killers' you see? Passive skills are rare, and 'Killers' are the rarest and most treasured of all.”

  “Alright. But please stop calling me Frankie, Miss Lila.”

  She shook her head. “I like calling you that, and no way I’ll change my mind. Now, back to our topic. With some rewards, you've got to be careful, Frankie. Some titles have negative effects on your attributes, especially if they grant a major enhancement elsewhere.”

  Jin rubbed his chin. “So, it’s give and take then?”

  “Yep. Clever boy!”

  For his effort, Instructor Lila gave Jin a head pat, much to his embarrassment and Emilia’s palpable annoyance, who then tried to swat her hand away but missed.

  “Anyway, if you don’t like it, you can change it. Or you don’t have to use it at all. Your choice.”

  “Lila’s right. And for our effort this time, all of us even got a title and a passive skill. Which is rare,” Ironshield added. “Titles usually only go to those who solved the mission or landed the killing blow. I’ve done nothing until the boss fight, so this is amazing for me. Twenty-five per cent permanent buff goes a long way.”

  “Stone Killer, eh?” Jin said, looking at his Player Status Screen. Though he had the same skill as the others, instead of the same percentage, his was a massive fifty per cent.

  "And what about the other boss rewards?" Jin pressed.

  “Who knows?” Instructor Lila said, opening her inventory. “It’s random. Could be trash, crystals, some weird memorabilia, or maybe some equipment if you're lucky. Or maybe–eaaayyaahhh?!”

  Her sudden scream surprised everyone.

  “What happened, Lila?” Ironshield asked, concerned. The ever-cheerful girl was now sobbing.

  “B-Baldie… I-I-I…” She couldn’t finish her words.

  However, everyone waited for her. When she finally calmed down and explained what happened, it was their turn to cry like babies, confusing Jin and Emilia even more.

  “It’s a Stat Seed!” cried Instructor Cho. “Hahahaha! Not one, but it increased all my attributes by a hundred! What a godly reward! My CP now finally exceeds three million!”

  Instructor Hanma sprawled on the desert sand, his trembling hand covering his crying face as he muttered incoherent words.

  Ironshield's laughter echoed like thunder across the sunny desert. And even with one arm, he snagged Jin tight in his embrace. “Damn! It's all because of you, Frank! You’re our lucky charm! I never thought I’d live to see the day I’d be getting a Stat Seed as a reward!”

  “Stat Seed? What’s that?” Jin asked, trying to peel away from the man's grip before he suffocated under his armpit.

  “Are you that dumb, obtuse or trying to pull on our legs, bossman?” It was Ka Fei who talked next. “Stat Seed is one of the most desired treasures for any Player. One of these buggers would sell for at least thirty million in an auction. And that’s for a meagre increase to only one stat!”

  “Wow…” Eustace whistled. “That’s a lot of money.”

  Ka Fei smirked. “A lot? Nope. Compared to this one we have right here. A Stat Seed that increases all our attributes by a hundred points. A bomb on top of a bomb! So, you tell me how much it's worth.”

  “It could change a man’s life,” said the big-sized Player, Brun, whose name Jin finally committed to memory. “With this, I can sell it off at the auction and retire rich. My family is well taken care of and…”

  “And?” Jin asked.

  “And perhaps pay for that fool’s funeral. And those who died with him.”

  Jin smiled and nodded. Despite their past interactions, the man seemed like a nice guy with a big heart. And he wasn’t alone either.

  “We all will, Brun,” Ironshield said. “But for now, let’s celebrate for those who are still with us.”

  The group exchanged toasts, congratulating each other. More importantly, they each swore an oath: never reveal today’s spoils to anyone. The rewards – especially the Stat Seed – would turn even the gods outside envious. If they chose to sell, as Brun intended, they would do so under anonymity.

  Once the celebration ended, Ironshield took the lead. He stepped back into his role as the SeComm lead instructor, addressing Jin, Ka Fei, Emilia, Eustace and his other three colleagues. Even then, the other Players stood at attention, listening to his every word as if he were their commander.

  “Everyone, I hereby declare our mission in Sand Maw a success. If you’re injured, seek treatment at one of the SeComm tents. Those who are able, return home immediately. Understood?”

  A chorus of cheers erupted.

  Ironshield cracked a wide, toothy smile. “Good. Now, you’re all dismissed.”