[2 AM – FORCED MARCH]
They had been walking for an hour.
In the darkness. In the cold. In absolute exhaustion.
No one spoke.
There was no energy for conversation.
Only the sound of dragging footsteps on the sand.
And heavy breathing.
Alex checked the system periodically.
[DEBUFF: SLEEP DEPRIVATION – MODERATE]
[All stats -15%]
[Reduced concentration]
[Reaction ti increased by 20%]
Every hour awake worsened the debuff.
And they had been awake for 21 hours without proper sleep.
He looked back.
Matthias’s green light was still visible.
Maybe 4 kiloters away now.
He had gained a kiloter in the last hour.
He’s catching up.
"How much longer can we keep this pace?" Raven asked, her voice hoarse.
"I don’t know," Alex admitted. "Emily, how are you doing?"
Emily stumbled slightly. Kira caught her.
"Tired. Very tired."
"Can you keep going?"
"I have to."
But she was clearly at her limit.
[Emily – Stamina: 15%]
They all were.
"Master," Grim said from his small form in the backpack. "Matthias’s speed is increasing."
"What?"
"He’s running now."
Alex looked back again.
The green light was moving faster.
Definitely faster.
"Shit. He saw us moving. He knows we’re fleeing."
"How long do we have?" Kira asked, using her [Predator’s Sense] .
Her eyes glowed amber.
Then she paled.
"Two hours. Maybe less."
"We can’t run for two hours," Emily said, gasping. "I can barely walk."
Alex thought quickly.
Options:
1. Keep running: they’d collapse before escaping.
2. Fight Matthias: level 78, probably recovered, against an exhausted team.
3. Hide: but Matthias had a magical tracker on Alex.
4. Split up: but that would make them more vulnerable individually.
All options were bad.
"We need an advantage," he said finally. "Sothing to slow him down without fighting directly."
"Like what?" asked Raven.
Alex looked around.
Desert. Sand. Rocks.
Nothing useful.
Then he saw sothing ahead.
A rock formation. Large. With many cracks and passages.
Like a natural maze.
"There," he pointed. "If we go through that formation, the rough terrain will slow him down. He can’t run through a rock maze."
"Neither can we," Kira observed.
"No. But we’ll know the path before he does. That gives us a few minutes’ advantage."
It wasn’t much of an advantage.
But it was sothing.
"Let’s go," Alex decided. "Fast as you can."
They hurried toward the rock formation.
---
[3 AM – ROCK MAZE]
They entered the formation.
Narrow passages between massive rocks.
Turns. Dead ends. Forking paths.
It was confusing even in daylight.
In the dark, it was a nightmare.
"Does anyone have a torch?" Emily asked.
"No," Alex replied. "Too visible. Matthias would see it."
Then he had an idea.
"Grim, can you provide light? Minimum possible. Just for us."
"Can. Try."
Grim erged in his small form.
His eyes glowed pale green.
Enough light to see three ters ahead.
But not visible from afar.
"Perfect. Lead the way."
They moved slowly.
Every step careful.
The ground was uneven—easy to trip.
Emily stumbled twice.
Raven once.
They were all exhausted.
After twenty minutes, they erged on the other side.
Open sand again.
But they had bought ti.
Alex looked back.
Matthias’s green light was still at the maze entrance.
Slowed down, as expected.
"How much did we gain?" he asked.
Kira checked. "Thirty minutes. Maybe forty."
"Enough."
They kept moving.
North. Always north.
Toward the mountains.
Now clearly visible.
Massive. Imposing. Snow‑capped even from a distance.
The Crystal Mountains.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Their destination.
---
[4:30 AM – TERRAIN CHANGE]
The desert began to change.
Sand gave way to rocky ground.
Vegetation appeared: hardy shrubs, cold‑adapted plants.
The temperature dropped further: now 5 degrees.
"We’re entering mountain territory," Kira observed.
"Is that good?" Emily asked.
"Depends. Fewer scorpions. More..."
She paused.
Looked up.
The sky was beginning to lighten—pre‑dawn.
And in the gray light, there were shapes.
Large. Winged.
Circling the distant peaks.
[Ice Wyverns]
"...those," Kira finished.
"Wonderful," Raven muttered.
The terrain continued to change.
Now they walked over rocky hills.
Harder. Steeper.
But also more cover.
And the elevation gain ant a better view.
Alex climbed a small hill.
Looked back.
Matthias had erged from the rock maze.
The green light was clearly visible.
Maybe 2 kiloters away.
Closer than before.
But the sun was also beginning to rise.
Golden light painted the horizon.
Beautiful.
And revealing.
Now Matthias could see them clearly.
No magical tracker needed.
Just direct line of sight.
Advantage lost.
"We need to move faster," Alex said, coming down the hill.
"We can’t," Emily replied weakly. "I... can’t."
She stumbled.
Kira caught her.
"She needs to rest. Actually rest."
"We don’t have ti—"
"Alex," Raven interrupted, her voice serious. "Look at her."
Alex did.
Emily was pale, sweating despite the cold, her eyes barely focusing.
[Emily – Stamina: 5%]
[WARNING: COLLAPSE IMMINENT]
She was near her absolute limit.
"Shit."
They couldn’t keep going like this.
But they couldn’t stop either.
Matthias was 2 kiloters away and closing.
What do I do? What the hell do I do?
Then they heard a roar.
Distant but clear.
Everyone froze.
They looked up.
A winged shadow was descending.
Not circling in the distance.
Descending toward them.
[SYSTEM – ALERT]
[EXTRE DANGER!]
[Ice Wyvern – Level 105]
[HP: 85,000/85,000]
The creature landed fifty ters away.
Massive. Ten ters long. Fifteen‑ter wingspan.
Blue‑white scales that shimred like ice.
Eyes like diamonds.
Its breath was visible, freezing the air around it.
And it was hungry.
Clearly hungry.
It roared again.
A challenge. Territoriality.
Leave my territory or die.
"Run," Alex whispered.
"What?" Raven asked.
"RUN!"
The Wyvern lunged.
Everyone scattered in five directions.
The Wyvern’s jaws snapped shut where they had been.
SNAP.
Missed.
But it turned with incredible agility for its size.
Chose a target.
Emily—the slowest, the weakest.
It lunged toward her.
"NO!" Alex shouted.
He activated [Shadow Step] and appeared in front of Emily.
His sword blocking.
The jaws slamd into the blade.
CLANG.
The force was massive—Alex was thrown back.
CRASH.
He slamd into a rock.
[Alex HP: 520/1,110 → 380/1,110]
Pain exploded.
Ribs probably broken.
His vision blurred.
The Wyvern rose, preparing a second attack.
This ti with breath.
It inhaled deeply.
"Everyone back!" Raven shouted.
[ICE BREATH]
The Wyvern exhaled.
A cone of frozen air—temperature dropped to minus 50 degrees instantly.
Sand, rocks, everything coated in thick frost.
Alex rolled behind a rock, avoiding the worst.
But his left arm was caught at the edge.
[Alex HP: 380 → 280/1,110]
[DEBUFF APPLIED: FROSTBITE – SEVERE]
[Left arm – Mobility reduced 70%]
He scread—the pain was like a thousand needles.
Raven summoned skeletons: twenty level 40 ones.
She threw them at the Wyvern.
As a distraction.
The Wyvern tore through them easily.
Claws. Bites. Freezing breath.
Within thirty seconds, all were destroyed.
"Level. Too. High," Grim reported. "Cannot. Win."
"I know!" Alex replied, struggling to his feet.
His left arm hung useless.
His HP was below 25%.
He had no Fragnt Synergy available.
Emily had no mana.
Raven was exhausted.
Against a level 105 Wyvern.
We can’t win.
But they couldn’t run either.
And Matthias was less than 2 kiloters away.
They were trapped.
Completely trapped.
The Wyvern roared again.
Preparing for a final attack.
Then there was an explosion of green light.
In the distance.
Everyone turned.
Matthias crested a hill.
A kiloter away now.
Clearly visible in the dawn light.
His black robe billowing.
Green energy swirling around him.
And he was smiling.
Even from this distance, his smile was visible.
Got you.
The Wyvern noticed him too.
A new threat.
Larger. More powerful.
It turned to face Matthias.
Roared a territorial warning.
Matthias raised a hand casually.
[HOLY CORRUPTION – BURST]
A beam of green light shot forth.
Struck the Wyvern in the chest.
BOOM.
[Ice Wyvern HP: 85,000 → 72,000/85,000]
Massive damage from a single attack.
The Wyvern screeched—surprise, pain.
It rose to flee.
Not worth fighting this threat.
It vanished over the peaks.
Leaving Alex and his team.
Alone.
With Matthias.
Who was now walking toward them.
Leisurely.
Knowing he had already won.
"Get up," Alex said hoarsely. "Everyone. Get up."
They rose, stumbling.
Ford a line.
Alex, Raven, Emily, Kira, Grim (Awakened form).
Five against one.
But all wounded. Exhausted. Out of resources.
Against a level 78. Fresh. Powerful.
Matthias stopped twenty ters away.
Smiled wide and genuinely.
"Good morning," he said cheerfully, as if greeting old friends. "Sleep well?"
No one answered.
"I see you didn’t. Pity." He looked around. "Nice spot for a final battle, don’t you think? Sunrise over the mountains. Poetic."
"It’s not our final battle," Raven spat.
"Oh, my dear. It is." Matthias raised his hand—green energy gathering. "I’ve been patient. I’ve played your ga. But now..."
The energy exploded, more intense than ever.
"...it ends."
He lunged.
Not running.
Teleporting.
Appeared in front of Alex.
His fist glowing green.
WHAM.
Struck Alex in the stomach.
[Alex HP: 280 → 120/1,110]
Alex flew backward, crashing.
Spit blood.
His HP was critical.
I’m going to die.
Raven attacked—her scythe cutting.
Matthias blocked with his forearm.
CLANG.
Counterattacked with a kick.
WHAM.
[Raven HP: 480 → 280/920]
Kira fired three quick arrows.
Matthias caught them.
All three.
With one hand.
Crushed them.
"Impressive accuracy. But useless."
Grim charged, his scythe ready.
Matthias dodged with impossible speed.
Counterattacked with a punch to Grim’s chest.
[Grim HP: 1,400 → 900/2,400]
Emily tried to use [Lunar Beam] with her last reserves of life energy.
[Emily HP: 650 → 450/850] (life cost for using skill without mana)
A beam of light shot forth.
Matthias absorbed it.
Again.
"Your power is delicious. But..." He hurled the energy back, amplified. "...insufficient."
BOOM.
Emily was thrown—unconscious before she hit the ground.
[Emily HP: 450 → 150/850]
[STATUS: UNCONSCIOUS]
"EMILY!" Alex shouted.
He tried to rise.
Failed.
His body wouldn’t respond.
Too wounded. Too exhausted.
Matthias walked toward him.
Slow. Confident.
"It’s over, Alex Carter." He knelt beside him. "You fought well. Better than most. But..."
He touched the Fragnt mark on Alex’s chest.
"...this is mine now."
Green energy flowed.
The extraction process began.
Alex felt pain like his soul was being torn out.
He scread.
No. Not like this. I can’t...
[FRAGNT 1 – REACTION]
The Fragnt awakened.
Not partially.
Fully.
ARE YOU GOING TO LET THIS INSECT TAKE YOU?
"I don’t... have a... choice..."
THERE IS ALWAYS A CHOICE. LET HELP. COMPLETELY. THIS IS MY FINAL OFFER.
"If I accept... at 80%... I lose control..."
WOULD YOU RATHER DIE WITH CONTROL OR LIVE WITHOUT IT?
An impossible question.
Alex looked at his team.
Raven was wounded, trying to rise.
Emily was unconscious, maybe dying.
Kira was bleeding, stumbling back.
Grim was broken, barely functional.
If I die... they die.
If I lose control... maybe I hurt them.
But if I do nothing... they will definitely die.
He made a choice.
I accept. But only to save them. After... you stop .
AGREED.
[ACTIVATE PARTIAL AWAKENING – 30% OUTPUT?]
[WARNING: CORRUPTION 77.5% → 80.5%]
[LOSS OF CONTROL LIKELY]
[CONFIRM?]
Confirm.
[PARTIAL AWAKENING – ACTIVATED!]
Energy exploded.
Dark. Massive. Uncontrollable.
Alex scread, but not in pain.
In power.
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