Day 97 – 24 Hours Remaining
Kaito stood in the alleyway, his breath steadying as he took in the scene. Three unconscious bodies lay sprawled around him, the faint scent of blood mixing with the stench of rotting garbage.
His hands trembled slightly—not from fear, but from something else. Excitement.
The system’s notification had come in almost instantly.
> OBJECTIVE COMPLETE.
+24 HOURS ADDED.
But something still felt off.
Kaito’s instincts prickled, the way they always did when he was being watched.
Slowly, he turned his head.
Up above, on the fire escape of a nearby building, a figure stood in the shadows.
A witness.
---
00:27 AM – The Silent Observer
Kaito''s heartbeat quickened.
He couldn''t make out the person’s face clearly, but their posture was relaxed, almost casual—as if watching a street fight in the middle of the night was normal for them.
Then, the figure moved.
A faint chuckle echoed down from the metal stairs.
"Not bad," the voice called out. It was male, smooth and unhurried. "You’re new, aren’t you?"
Kaito’s grip on his switchblade tightened. Another player?
The man hopped down from the fire escape, landing effortlessly on the pavement below.
Now, Kaito could see him clearly.
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Tall. Slender. Dressed in a black hoodie and ripped jeans. His hair was a deep shade of red, and his sharp eyes gleamed with amusement.
He didn’t seem scared. If anything, he looked intrigued.
Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"
The man smirked. "Ah, right. You probably don’t know the rules yet."
Rules?
The stranger took a step forward. "Let me introduce myself properly—"
A sudden vibration in Kaito’s pocket made him pause.
His phone screen lit up.
> WARNING: INTERACTION WITH ANOTHER PLAYER DETECTED.
NEW SYSTEM UPDATE ACTIVATED.
Kaito’s blood ran cold.
The man’s smirk widened. "Yep. That’s the one."
---
00:30 AM – The New Rule
Kaito tapped on the notification. A red message box appeared.
> SYSTEM UPDATE: PLAYER INTERACTION UNLOCKED.
- Players may now engage with one another.
- Killing another player grants additional rewards.
- Be wary. Some players will try to eliminate you first.
His eyes darkened.
"So, I can be killed now."
The red-haired man stretched lazily, cracking his neck. "I should probably mention, I’ve been at this for a while. You’re what? Day 97?"
Kaito didn’t answer.
The man grinned. "Thought so. I’m on Day 72. Haven’t died yet. That’s an achievement, right?"
His nonchalant attitude set off alarms in Kaito’s head.
This guy had been playing for almost a month longer than him. That meant he had experience.
More importantly—he wasn’t dead.
"Relax, kid," the man said, seeing the tension in Kaito’s stance. "I’m not here to kill you."
"...Yet," Kaito muttered.
The man laughed. "Fair enough."
A gust of wind swept through the alley, making the discarded trash rustle.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, the man exhaled and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Name’s Ren," he said. "And I’ve got a proposition for you."
Kaito didn’t lower his guard. "What kind of proposition?"
Ren’s grin widened.
"You and me. We team up."
---
00:45 AM – The First Alliance?
Kaito stared at Ren, searching his expression for any sign of deception.
"You want to team up?" he repeated. "Why?"
Ren tilted his head. "Because this game isn’t meant to be played alone."
That was the first thing he said that actually made sense.
Kaito had already learned that the hard way. The system wanted him to escalate—to push him into darker and darker choices.
And now, with other players being potential threats, surviving alone would only get harder.
Ren’s eyes gleamed. "You’re strong. And smart. That fight back there? Pretty damn efficient. But you’re not thinking ahead."
Kaito frowned. "What do you mean?"
Ren took a step closer. "You’re playing defensively. Just trying to survive. But survival isn’t enough."
He leaned in slightly, his voice lowering.
"If you really want to win this game, you have to start thinking like a villain."
The words sent a chill down Kaito’s spine.
Not because they were wrong.
But because deep down, he knew Ren was right.
Kaito crossed his arms. "And you? What’s your goal in this?"
Ren chuckled. "Simple. I don’t plan on dying. Ever. If we work together, we can push the system in ways no solo player can. We break it before it breaks us."
Break the system?
It was a bold claim.
But it also sounded... tempting.
Kaito glanced at the unconscious gangsters around them. A few days ago, he wouldn’t have believed he could do something like this.
Now?
He had just beaten three men half to death and felt no remorse.
Maybe teaming up wasn’t a bad idea.
Still, he wasn’t stupid.
"And if I refuse?" Kaito asked.
Ren shrugged. "Then we part ways. For now."
There was an unspoken threat in those words.
For now.
Kaito exhaled slowly.
"If I say no, I might be making an enemy of him. If I say yes… I might be signing a deal with the devil."
The system had pushed him to commit greater and greater crimes.
Maybe Ren was right. Maybe he needed to stop resisting and start controlling the game.
Kaito extended his hand.
"...Fine."
Ren’s smirk widened as he grasped Kaito’s hand firmly.
"Smart choice," he said.
> NEW PLAYER ALLIANCE FORMED.
PLAYER: REN IS NOW LINKED TO PLAYER: KAITO.
WARNING: ALLIANCES CAN BE BROKEN AT ANY TIME. TRUST CAREFULLY.
Kaito’s eyes narrowed at the last line.
"I’ll trust him. But only as far as I can throw him."
The game had changed.
And now, it was time to play for real.
---
To Be Continue