NOVPUBAs Anthony opened his eyes, he realized he had returned to the island designated for Lieutenant ranked soldiers.
'They're likely trying to extract every last piece of information they can'
He mused silently, shaking his head in quiet amusement.
Without a word, he began making his way toward the building that housed his quarters, each step measured and soundless.
Upon entering his room, he gently shut the door behind him, then casually resumed browsing and chatting online, as if nothing had happened.
A few minutes later, a sharp knock echoed through the room.
With a quiet sigh, Anthony rose from his bed and walked to the door, swinging it open with little urgency.
Standing before him were four familiar figures, Kingsley, Seraphim, Dale, and Reynold. 𝖓𝔬𝔳𝖕𝖚𝖇.𝖈𝔬𝔪
However, both Dale and Reynold were drenched in sweat, their bodies soaked as though they had been sprinting beneath a merciless sun.
'The interrogation must have taken its toll'
Anthony thought, his gaze lingering on them for a moment before he silently stepped aside, allowing them to enter.
"Damn… I nearly died in that interrogation"
Reynold muttered, the first to break the silence as he collapsed onto the sofa with a groan.
"With the amount of sweat pouring off you, I'd say you're practically a corpse already"
Seraphim remarked dryly, her tone casual but cutting.
"Come on, you can't tell me you weren't at least a little shaken.They dissected every single move we made in that fractured world, down to the last detail"
Dale chimed in, wiping another bead of sweat from his brow.
"Let's not dwell on it. At least we're not sitting in a cell"
Reynold said, exhaling as he leaned back.
Anthony, Kingsley, and Seraphim merely observed as Dale and Reynold paced and perspired, panicking like headless chickens.
"At least you weren't accused of treason. Consider that a blessing"
Anthony said flatly.
At his words, a collective nod followed, subdued and solemn.
"Anthony… do you know what's going on?"
Kingsley asked, his gaze shifting from the anxious duo to Anthony, searching for clarity in the one who always seemed to know more than he let on.
Anthony paused for a brief moment, just long enough to let the weight of the question settle, before responding.
"Let's just say… a war is coming. And we're the reason it's about to start"
Silence fell over the room like a heavy curtain, thick with realization and dread.
"War? How the hell did we cause a war?"
Dale burst out, his voice sharp with disbelief.
"You remember the crown the Executioner entrusted to us?"
Anthony replied, his tone calm and deliberate.
"Let's just say… the demons have no intention of letting it slip through their grasp"
Their expressions tightened, brows furrowing in confusion and unease.
With another weary sigh, Anthony stepped forward, realizing there was no more room for half-truths.
"It's time you knew"
He said, his voice low.
"About the Severed Crown of Echoes… and the power it holds"
Anthony began detailing the true nature of the artifact they had recovered.
As he spoke, it became clear that only Kingsley and Seraphim were beginning to grasp the depth of what he was revealing.
Realizing the others still lingered in confusion, he shifted his tone, speaking with greater clarity and weight.
He painted a grim picture, of the devastation that would unfold should the crown fall into demonic hands: a cascade of death, chaos, and irreversible imbalance across realms.
The room fell into a heavy stillness. For a few long seconds, no one spoke. No one even breathed.
Then Seraphim broke the silence, her voice firm and resolute.
"What should we do?"
The question hung in the air, directed at Anthony, who sat with unnerving composure, like someone who had seen the storm long before the clouds gathered.
"My advice?"
Anthony said, his voice calm and measured.
"Prepare yourselves. Spend every military point you've earned, burn through it like it's your last chance. Because, if you're lucky, you might actually live long enough to earn more. A full-scale war is brewing. We don't know when it will begin... the demons could strike at any moment"
His words settled over them like a thundercloud, their expressions darkening further.
They had points, yes, but was it enough?
They hadn't even been credited yet for the Bleeding Hollow Zone mission.
"Unlike in the fractured world, I may not be there to save you... or heal your wounds... or issue commands"
Anthony continued, legs crossed with unnerving composure.
He leaned forward slightly, eyes steady.
"So prepare, like it's your last day alive"
Then, as if in answer to their silent prayers, their military point cards began to vibrate within their space rings.
With a practiced wave of their hands, each summoned their cards.
Seraphim, Dale, and Reynold's eyes widened in astonishment as their gazes locked onto the latest transaction.
Two hundred thousand military points.
The military had credited them an enormous sum, more than enough to acquire whatever supplies or equipment they might require, without concern for dwindling balances.
Instantly, their anxieties seemed to dissolve, replaced by a newfound surge of confidence and determination.
Anthony and Kingsley remained composed, their expressions betraying no excitement.
After all, the points held little significance for them.
Although Anthony had no system points to spend, but it mattered little, after all, the month was nearly over, just a few hours from now.
"Well, the generous allocation of points makes sense, given the magnitude of what we've accomplished"
Anthony remarked thoughtfully,
With that, his military point card vanished back into the depths of his space ring, the faint glow fading into silence.
Seraphim rose from her seat, determination etched into her features.
"I need to prepare a few things before whatever's coming arrives"
She said firmly, moving toward the door.
But as she reached it, she suddenly paused and turned back, her gaze locking onto Anthony's.
"Do you know how much time we have before the demons strike?"
Anthony met her steady look with a calm look.
"I'm not an all knowing being Seraphim"
He replied evenly.
Yet her unwavering stare seemed to silently demand more, prompting a reluctant sigh from him.
"But if I had to guess"
He continued,
"We have at most two days. That's based on how quickly news of the demons' losses will reach their highest echelons, and the intelligence that the military has taken possession of the Crown"
"One day"
Seraphim muttered under her breath, steeling herself as she stepped out to make her preparations.
Dale and Reynold rose from their seats, trailing silently behind her.
In their minds, the chilling truth settled: they had no more than a single day before chaos and carnage would engulf them all.
Anthony's gaze shifted to Kingsley, who remained seated, motionless and composed.
"You've grown stronger again, haven't you?"
Anthony remarked quietly, his expression unreadable as he studied him.
Kingsley's lips curved into a broad, genuine smile.
"You noticed, huh? I shouldn't be surprised"
He replied with a hint of pride.
Yet, he made no move to question how Anthony had discerned the change.
Anthony shook his head with a weary sigh.
Kingsley had been defeated by an existence far beyond his reach, yet after only a few hours of silent meditation, he had emerged stronger.
Anthony's thoughts drifted to Aaaninja, the Time Celestial, a broken character in his own right, who had suffered his first loss at Anthony's hands.
Like Kingsley, Aaaninja too had grown in strength after that defeat.
Then there was Lucian, whom Anthony was certain had reached staggering new heights of power following his own loss to Aaaninja.
It seemed these individuals found resilience and strength through the crucible of their first true defeat.
And yet, here Anthony sat, unchanged in battle prowess, stagnant.
'So much for being the protagonist'
He mused silently.
