“No.”

  Jin’s eye twitched. He couldn’t believe the word that came out of Ironshield’s mouth. He turned to Old Man Sid. “Am I hearing this right? No, he said.”

  “You’re not wrong. He did say no.”

  Jin turned to Ironshield. “Tell me you're joking. No? Knowing you, you’re not that obtuse to crack a stupid joke like this. So, give me your reasons.”

  “I cannot leave those inside the upper sanctum.”

  “And you’re leading the whole damn team there, including Sid and his crew? Are you out of your fucking mind?”

  Jin’s voice boomed throughout the hallway, startling the others.

  “We cannot divide our team. It's big, yes, but there’s strength in our numbers. Also, how reliable is this information of yours? You know well that e-RIFT cannot be predicted or detected.”

  “I have my ways.”

  “Not good enough to convince me. Or the others. We move forward.”

  Jin exhaled through his nose, disappointed with what Ironshield said. “You sure? Really sure about this? Back at the base, you said if worst comes to worst, I can scoot away with Sid and the rest. Remember?”

  Ironshield said nothing. But for Jin, the silence was the answer. He turned around and motioned Old Man Sid to call his crew.

  “We’re leaving.”

  But before he could step away, Ironshield called out. “Frank! What are you doing? We move as a team.”

  Jin stopped. “Not when the team leader wants blood in his hands. Our blood. Once is never enough, is it, Ironshield? Or have you forgotten Ward 3?”

  Ironshield’s stoic expression faltered. He clenched his fist so hard that the knuckles turned white. After a short pause, he asked, “But what if you’re wrong?”

  “Wrong?” Jin scoffed. “If I’m wrong, then the only thing happening is I fucked up. Big time. But what if I’m right?”

  “Still, we cannot leave those at the upper sanctum! We mustn’t leave our people behind.”

  “You mean, your people. Not mine.”

  “Frank!” Ironshield stopped short of shouting. But even then, his voice was loud enough to attract everyone’s attention to their side. “I thought you were better than this.”

  “Same here,” Jin replied. “If you say yes to drop everything and evacuate per my suggestion earlier, then I might be willing to work with you with those inside the upper sanctum. But you said no.”

  “I’m doing this for everyone!”

  Jin squared up at Ironshield. “You cannot save everyone!”

  “Hey, you two. Calm down.” Old Man Sid shoved the two out of each other’s way; his words became the voice of reason. “Ironshield, your ego and pride are clouding your judgment. And Frank, you’re getting too emotional for your own good.”

  Ironshield and Jin took a few steps away from each other. But their glare was still intact.

  “So, what do you want us to do then?” Jin asked.

  “Easy. Ironshield will lead the rest of us back to the portal, and you can form a team to go to the upper sanctum.” He turned toward Eustace, Emilia, and Ka Fei, noting how they stood in their own separate corners. “Those three might be eager to follow you for their own reasons.”

  “And become a walking target?” Jin cracked into a dry smile. “Other than that, it seems reasonable enough. Are you alright with this arrangement, Ironshield?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “No!” came Jin’s reply.

  Ironshield heaved a deep sigh, shaking his head. “Very well then. We proceed as Sid says. But, there’s still a problem. We don’t know the way out. Or up either. By the time we-“

  “I know. Sid can lead you outside, and I can lead us up. Without losing our way.”

  Jin didn’t bother explaining how he knew the way. They were out of time, and Ironshield’s ego couldn’t handle the truth; that Jin’s Shadow Wolves had already mapped the labyrinth while SeComm’s Gold-ranked instructors – supposedly the best in business – were still a bunch of lost lambs leading their flocks.

  If word got back to Chairman Heihachi, not only would they get an earful from the big boss himself, but their credits and good names would suffer. Let Ironshield and the other instructors cling to their pride. Survival cared not for reasons and whys, but who adapted better when changes occurred.

  ***

  But then again, not many wanted to change the status quo. Especially those who had been comfortable sitting at the top of the food chain for the longest of time. Worse still, if they were born into one.

  While leading his team toward the upper sanctum, Ka Fei never kept his mouth shut. “You are a damned coward! You cancelled the bet because you’re losing, aren’t you?” He spat to the ground.

  And when the team leader of three ignored him for the umpteenth time, Ka Fei lost it. He paced forward and pointed his greatsword directly in front of Jin’s face.

  “One more step and I’ll kill you on the spot, bastard!”

  Before Jin could do anything, Eustace drew his sword out. “S-Stop it! I-If you hurt Frank, I-I’ll kill you!”

  “Hah! You? A wimp?!” Ka Fei shot a stare at Eustace, cracking a condescending sneer. “Let’s see you try.”

  Though his whole body was trembling, the blond held his sword firmly. Fazed, but unmoved.

  “Eustace, stand down.” Jin patted his shoulder. “Don’t waste your time killing fools like this. And you, Ka Fei. You said you want to continue the bet? You sure about that?”

  “Why? Are you scared of losing?”

  “Losing? Our last kill count was 124. And yours at measly 21. So, tell me again who’s losing?”

  “Nonsense! There will be more around! We will show you our power! And then, you die.”

  Jin smiled. “Fine. Have it your way. The bet’s on.”

  He had led them without encountering any monsters, as Fenrir and his Shadow Wolf pack killed them off beforehand. Thus, their journey was an uneventful one.

  However, since Ka Fei would not back down from the bet – and most likely, losing was not an option for him – everything changed. He gave the no-kill order to Fenrir. Instead, the Shadow Wolves would lead all of the monsters within this floor toward the room where the stairs leading to the upper sanctum were.

  It didn’t take them long to reach that said room. And the sight that greeted Jin’s party petrified them – the room was a bottleneck of death.

  Eustace’s voice cracked as he rattled off the numbers, his hands trembling as he clutched his weapon. "T-Twenty Wild Martyrs, n-ninety Hypocalcemic Skeletons, thirty Tattered Mummies, and two hundred Rotten Flesh Scarabs."

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  Jin smiled. Guess Fenrir and his pack overdid it a little.

  He then turned to Ka Fei, whose face twisted in horror. Emilia was the same, and the duo’s earlier bravado vanished in an instant. But Jin wasn’t going to let them off the hook yet.

  “So, what’s it going to be?” he said, pretending to be concerned with the enemies beyond the doorway. “You want to go first? Rake that kill counts? Be my guest.”

  No answer came from Ka Fei or Emilia.

  “Oh, come on. Don’t be cowards like us, please.” Jin was having the time of his life. “Where’s all that pride, ego and whatever shits you spouted all the way here? Well, time to prove it, don’t you think so? Or is the Wong Clan and van Lowenhald only produce trash talkers?”

  Ka Fei held the hilt of the greatsword, but his grip faltered; his shaking hands were clear to see. Emilia shrank and tried to leave, but Jin’s words cut her retreat short.

  “Do you know the way out?”

  “I-I don’t…”

  “Thought so. Heads up, but I won’t be going back until I bring those idiots upstairs out of this damned place in one piece. I promised Ironshield, and I’ll see it done.”

  “B-But-“

  “But what, Emilia? Ka Fei? Here’s your one and only chance to win the bet. Get one over us. You want my head?” Jin brushed his hair aside and tapped the back of his neck. “Sure, go ahead. Don’t be shy.”

  Jin kept taunting them. Childish, sure. But these were children in adult bodies. Reasons didn’t work, logic failed, and the only thing left was to have them confront the world where consequences waited, regardless of who you think you were.

  Jin waited a while more. During that time, neither Emilia nor Ka Fei did anything else besides staring at each other and the mob ahead of them. Finally, he had had enough.

  “Eustace, stand back.” Jin patted the boy’s shoulder as he stepped forward into the room.

  “F-Frank?

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. But do you mind lending me that sword of yours?”

  “W-What are you doing? Are you crazy?! You can’t possibly take them all alone, right?” Despite what he said, Eustace still took the weapon out of his inventory and handed it to Jin.

  “Like I said, no worries. So, wait for me outside with the rest.”

  “No! L-Let me go with you. I-I can-“

  Jin wasn’t going to hold himself back. He dashed inside the room, hiding at the corner where the light was the dimmest.

  Eustace’s voice still called out his name, but Jin couldn’t care less about the blond’s worries. To stop him or the other two idiots from charging inside and fucking up his plan, Jin formed a web barrier across the doorway, sealing them out.

  Once they were out of view, he amalgamated with Fenrir before ordering the rest of the pack to extinguish all the torches inside the room, bar one. Because of the amalgamation, he could see very well in the dark. Almost as if it were daylight. That lone torch cast the very shadow Jin would need should he have to escape into the shadowsea.

  “Catt? You ready?”

  “Yes, Master!”

  “Good. Let’s turn this place into a silk farm. Or something.”

  ***

  For the first time since he entered this RIFT, Jin had a peaceful journey. No more shouting. No more goading and taunting. No one pestered him with stupid questions just to be annoying, and better yet, none threatened his life at every turn.

  Although unplanned, it was the best outcome he could have wished for as Ka Fei and Emilia followed his lead like lambs on a leash. Consequences of them losing their bet.

  Meanwhile, Eustace vibrated with excitement, like a pup promised a walk. He trotted beside Jin, his face beaming with a wide grin. “I still can’t believe my eyes, Frank!”

  The boy’s enthusiasm was contagious. Even Jin cracked a warm smile, listening to his words.

  “A little creepy, but it’s so… so satisfying. I doubt even Valkyrie could ever do what you did back there.”

  Beyond the hallway stood a massive stone door. Within, the Players tasked with the puzzle had gathered – but the scene that greeted Jin’s team was a far cry from a breakthrough. Or one of inevitable victory.

  At least thirty Players occupied the large sanctum. Most slumped in the corners, looking exhausted and defeated, while the few remaining in the centre locked horns in a bitter shouting match. A stone sarcophagus lay between them, half-opened. At the far end of the sanctum, where no Player dared to loiter, loomed a gargantuan stone figure. It sat motionless, its elongated muzzle casting a sharp shadow across the back of the sanctum.

  “95% completion, my arse,” Jin said with a bitter smile. “Does that look like 95% completion to you, Eustace?”

  The blond shook his head, speechless.

  Apprehension and cold apathy hung heavy as Jin and his team arrived. Not wanting to waste precious time, he inquired about their progress. But the group offered nothing except stony silence. It felt as if Jin had entered a funeral home – ironic, considering a pyramid was a tomb anyway. The mood shifted only when he produced the food he’d prepared before entering. Once the scent of creamy chicken stew wafted through, their tongues finally loosened.

  “Go and look for yourself,” a Player named Daisy said, her voice muffled by her first proper meal in days. She gestured toward the centre of the room. “We’ve been stuck here for ages because those idiots can’t agree on a damn thing.”

  “Why don’t you leave then?”

  “Leave?” She scoffed. “And who’s going to guard over those fools?”

  Another Player chimed in. “Yeah. Daisy’s right. They’re taking their damn sweet time inside a lousy F-Rank RIFT! Solve it already, dammit!”

  “Besides,” another added, “if we can leave, we already did. But the damn floor below is like a bloody maze.”

  “But we did arrive,” Eustace chipped in.

  His words caught the resting Players off guard.

  “Oh? Now that you mentioned it, yeah.” Daisy stood and walked toward Jin. “How the hell did you get up here? And where’s Ironshield? Didn’t the two HQ’s boys who came up a while ago say that he is coming or something?”

  “He’s taking the others and leaving the pyramid,” Jin replied. “And you should too. The RIFT is going to evolve soon. We have roughly eight hours left.”

  “And that’s why we’re here,” Eustace added. “We want to bring you out of the-wait! The RIFT is evolving? How come this is the first time I heard about this?”

  Even Emilia and Ka Fei were visibly surprised, but they kept their mouths shut.

  Earlier on, Ironshield advised Jin to keep the RIFT’s evolution a secret to avoid spreading panic. Instead, he had changed their mission. Their new goal was to find the exit and return to the command base, leaving the primary objective to the pioneer team.

  However, according to Daisy, who was contracted as one of the pioneers’ team bodyguards, they were far from solving it.

  “So, what do you want to do now? Jin said. “You want to follow us or stay here?”

  “I’m done staying here,” Daisy said. “But damn if I break my contract. Money’s one thing, my reputation will suffer if my future clients know I bailed out on my previous job.”

  The others agreed. No one was willing to leave until their team leader gave the word. With no other choice, Jin went to meet the leaders himself. Before he could even speak, the bickering escalated into a heated argument that echoed throughout the sanctum.

  “What the fuck are you on about, you piece of shit?!” A massive Player grabbed his colleague by the collar. “We have been stuck here for god knows how long. It is all your fault, smartarse!”

  The other Player adjusted his glasses, looking entirely unimpressed. “Like I said, we need more time. We have solved most of the puzzle. What is left is this little device here.”

  “You said the same thing days ago,” another Player added, her voice dripping with displeasure.

  The man with the glasses scoffed. “So? We still have-”

  He cut himself short as he noticed the new arrivals, watching Jin’s team approach with blatant disdain. “Great. More useless nobodies. When will the higher-ups learn?”

  The man's voice grated against Jin’s patience like sandpaper.

  “I do not know how a bunch of losers like you managed to come this far,” the man continued, “but heads up, we have no food or drinks to spare for your lot.”

  “Food and drinks? Like the ones the people in the back are enjoying right now?” Jin asked, his annoyance surfacing. “Instead of you feeding us, I am the one who fed your people. Anyway, I will get to the point. Are you done solving the puzzle or not?”

  No answer came other than the same ninety per cent bullshit they had reported to Ironshield. Some even threatened violence. Not wanting to cause a scene, Jin gave them the necessary information about the RIFT and the planned exit before retreating to where the other Players were resting.

  “Why are they not telling us anything?” Eustace complained. “We are not interfering with their work, right?”

  “Greed. Pride. Pick one,” Jin said. He sounded both annoyed and disappointed. There was nothing to do but wait. Until the moment it was no longer safe to stay, these Players could do whatever they wanted.

  Eustace was not satisfied. “What do you mean by that?”

  “First lesson, kid.” Jin’s voice was flat, his gaze fixed on the arguing leaders. “Everyone has something to lose. The closer they are to winning, the tighter they cling to it. New faces? To them, we are the biggest threats to their reward.”

  “Even when our lives are in danger?”

  “Especially when our lives are in danger. This is a high-risk, high-reward life. How does the saying go? By blood and tears shall we make our wishes dear?”

  Eustace fell silent and looked at the floor. Jin said nothing else, instead tuning back into the conversation ahead.

  “Every time we touch this bloody coffin,” the large Player argued, “the walls shake. The ceiling moves. Things click and clack in the dark. We sent scouts, and they returned empty-handed.”

  The man with the glasses scoffed. “Because your so-called scouts are useless. They are hare-brained idiots who would not know a ruby from a bloodied piece of shit.”

  “I am telling you, the stone coffin is cursed. The more you fiddle with it, the worse it gets.”

  “Oh, now it is cursed? You were fine with it when we cleared the first three layers. We are halfway through the fourth and final layer, and you want to chicken out at the last minute?”

  “I am not a chicken! But I am not staying here if the RIFT evolves like that guy said.”

  “Bullshit! No one can predict an evolution. Besides, even if it does happen, you are a Silver III Guardian. It should be easy for you.”

  “And you are only a Mediciar, not an archaeologist! Stick to healing. We are done!”

  “You are done! I am not!”

  The two sides continued to brawl with words. Jin tuned them out. Arguments. Excuses. Ego. None of it mattered. What mattered was that despite four days in the real world – a month inside this RIFT – they had made zero progress beyond that ninety per cent mark. Jin asked the others, including Daisy, but no one knew why they were stuck. They tried everything.

  Meanwhile, the mission timer kept ticking.

  Jin was not one to sit idle, but he also didn't want to draw more hostility. He turned elsewhere for information, walking toward the seated gargantuan statue at the back of the room with Eustace trailing close behind. Perhaps there was something worthwhile there.

  It was certainly better than listening to idiots fight over rewards they might never live to see. Better yet, if he could find a way to solve the puzzle himself, he could quicken their escape.

  After all, there was always more to an enigma than what meets the eye.