Han Yuseong wandered for another thirty minutes with Gabriel.

He could tell how much time had passed thanks to the timer displayed below the remaining survivor count. The decreasing numbers made it clear this battle royale had a time limit.

02:21:42

The number above Han Yuseong’s head had increased from 2 to 5.

They were currently inside an empty structure. He continued sweeping the building with an intact metal club, but no one showed up.

Above Gabriel’s head floated the number 1.

Ever since their summoning, Gabriel had killed two right away. Then another team had been eliminated by Han Yuseong.

They had just taken out yet another team.

“Huff, huff...”

Han Yuseong looked down at Gabriel, who had collapsed onto a chair, gasping for breath.

“We’re almost there. Keep your head straight.”

Gabriel raised his right hand hastily, waving it in protest.

“Don’t worry. Huh? I’m not backing down, not backing down.”

Han Yuseong hadn’t really been worried, but he gave a nod anyway.

He looked up at the sky.

[Survivors: 18]

Six teams were still alive.

Compared to the six who died right at the beginning, it was a surprising number of survivors.

I might still be ranked first or second in kills.

Han Yuseong planned to kill anyone he came across, but he wasn’t aiming to be the top killer. As long as he was the last team standing, he’d be ranked first.

A crimson flash burst from beyond the building, lighting up even the vacant windows.

A floating speaker had appeared again.

[Now! The locations of the top three players by kill count are being revealed! Just like when dealing with a named monster, we recommend teaming up to take them down!]

Right after the announcement ended, golden light rained down from the sky.

The golden beam pierced through the structure and impaled Han Yuseong’s body.

Han Yuseong stared at the system window that appeared just before his eyes.

[Your location has been revealed.]

Gabriel looked blankly at the light.

“...Well, we’re fucked.”

If Han Yuseong’s location was revealed, that meant Gabriel’s was too.

“Why are you scared?”

Han Yuseong continued.

“There’s still time for you to run off on your own. That way, if I die, you won’t get caught up in it.”

“...Nah. I figure if I go too far from you, my chances of dying go up anyway.”

Gabriel, arriving at that objective judgment, clutched his brown hair in frustration.

“I mean, yeah. Now that our location’s known, maybe no one will want to mess with us. I overreacted a little.”

Han Yuseong didn’t think it was a meaningless reaction.

Having his location exposed meant something was definitely about to happen.

“Let’s move.”

At Han Yuseong’s words, Gabriel nodded so hard his whole body shook.

“Good idea. It’s kind of scary, though...”

Even so, getting out of this building that had just been pierced by a beam of golden light was something Gabriel welcomed.

Gabriel still couldn’t fully trust Han Yuseong.

To this guy in a rabbit mask, he was just extra baggage.

Even if I die and he survives... nothing would change.

Trust only forms between people who need each other.

And while Gabriel needed Han Yuseong, Han Yuseong didn’t need him at all.

So Gabriel tried to earn even a little of Han Yuseong’s trust.

Clang!

That’s why he was trying to open the closed metal door himself.

Even if he opened it carefully, it was bound to make noise.

“...!”

Gabriel’s face scrunched up immediately.

He had expected something to happen eventually—but not right now.

A streak of red aura cut through the air in a straight line.

Gabriel swung his sword sideways, trying to deflect the slash.

KANG!

But the sword spinning in midair was his own.

Shit.

Why did it turn out like this?

The number floating above the enemy’s head answered that question.

6

It was someone who had killed even more than the rabbit behind him.

SLASH!

A deep gash split open just beneath Gabriel’s shoulder.

The searing pain shot through his brain.

“Get back.”

Han Yuseong grabbed Gabriel by the shoulder and shoved him behind.

The one marked 6—a brawny man—grinned upon seeing the rabbit mask.

“So we finally meet... bunny bastard!”

The corners of Andrew’s mouth twisted upward, a rush of excitement surging from his toes.

Hard Mode, 18th floor.

Andrew didn’t like this Exchange Meeting.

A gathering where you didn’t even have to risk your life?

That did nothing for him.

So he’d been searching—for someone who could at least give him a thrill.

From the beginning.

The rabbit mask that appeared on-screen alongside him.

An opponent who could go toe-to-toe with someone like him, who had leveled exceptionally well even among Hard Mode’s 18th floor climbers.

That was the kind of enemy he wanted.

“Come at me!”

Andrew shouted, thrusting his sword forward.

SHAAANG!!

But the gallantly swung blade shattered like glass in the air.

Andrew’s eyes went wide as he watched a fist fly straight toward his face.

A direct punch.

A literal, straightforward fist strike.

Yet Andrew failed to dodge.

CRAAACK!

His face crumpled inward and he flew backward.

Just one blow.

The number [N O V E L I G H T] above Han Yuseong’s head changed from 5 to 6.

Gabriel had assumed the fight would be long and hard, even if the rabbit won—but it ended in an instant. He was left speechless.

Han Yuseong lunged at the man beside Andrew.

The number above his head read 2.

The man—Hayato—charged back at him.

A faint navy aura shimmered around Hayato’s body.

He held two short swords, one in each hand, closing in fast.

SWISSSHHH!

Han Yuseong swung his metal club upward between the two blades coming at him.

KANG!

The short sword in Hayato’s left hand flew through the air.

Gripping the remaining sword in his right hand, Hayato lunged for Han Yuseong’s neck.

But—

“Ghhkk!”

A suffocating shock.

Han Yuseong’s left hand shot out like lightning and gripped Hayato’s neck.

Aura flashed from his tightly clenched fingers, and in an instant, it severed both consciousness and breath.

The number above the rabbit mask updated again.

7

Step.

He spotted a pair—a man and a woman—backing away, along with another man beside them.

They had come to kill him, led here by the beam of light that pierced this place.

“...Ah.”

The three started retreating at the sight of the rabbit who had just annihilated his enemies with overwhelming force.

They thought they could win if they attacked together.

Just like the announcement said—treat him like a named monster and fight as one.

But the gap was too much. Too crushing.

“Run. Let’s run.”

The man among the pair spoke up.

The woman nodded awkwardly.

But Han Yuseong had no intention of letting anyone go once they’d shown their teeth.

“Once you make a decision—don’t back down.”

The rabbit charged in with savage speed.

CLANG!

KANG!

CRACK!

10

***

I looked at Gabriel.

01:09:10

About an hour had passed since my location had been exposed and I took down five more opponents.

Not much had changed in that time—aside from the number above my head increasing to 12.

“Go to the window in the next room and check outside.”

As expected, Gabriel stood up without complaint.

“If, uh, anything happens that might get my head blown off, you’re coming, right?”

“Yeah.”

Gabriel raised his shield and slowly walked into the next room.

Only 4 survivors remained.

Which meant, excluding Gabriel and me, only two players were left.

Either one remaining team—or two separate solo survivors.

I scanned the surrounding buildings with the magical telescope I’d found in the previous building, but didn’t detect any movement.

With so few left, making a careless move and exposing your position first would just hand the advantage to your enemy.

Either way, nobody would move easily now.

It was clear we were entering a prolonged game of patience and nerves.

I pulled out the Binding Scroll, activated the Veil of Secrets to cover the front, then took out the Transcendent Gallery terminal.

I switched to the recording function and flipped the camera to selfie mode.

I made sure to film the blood-stained rabbit mask clearly.

Title: What a peaceful exchange meeting.

Author: anon*

Attachment: 9567891457.jpg

(A blood-stained rabbit mask)

It’s a battle royale format, sure. But no real danger. Among exchange events, this one’s super chill. Oh right—since it’s a sparring-themed event, you don’t actually die here even if you die in the match.

ㄴ lol what even is this.

ㄴ Admin: lol, really enjoying it this time huh. Is it... cute?

ㄴ Climber: “Killing other people is the easiest.”

ㄴ Compared to Pandemonium, this must be heaven.

ㄴ No video this time, right?

ㄴ No way there is. What, unless we had like 20 recording chances—how many are left? 4?

ㄴ anon: Yep, 4 left.

ㄴ Archmage: Better conserve them. But seriously, stop wearing that thing. It sucks.

ㄴ Hoeheee~ Is Archmage-chan... scaaary? I don’t think it suuucks~

ㄴ If it’s a sparring-themed kill, it’s not really murder.

ㄴ Pioneer: Fr, lol. They just revive.

ㄴ Heavenly Demon: Fool! One must accept that killing is killing!

ㄴ Gutter Swordsman: Why not? Keeping a positive mindset helps protect your mentality.

ㄴ Shrine Maiden: Hawawawa~ they’re still alive, how is it murder~

ㄴ Shrine Maiden: Hawawa! Bunny fairy! She’s wiping them all out!

ㄴ Sword of Light: Cute rabbit.

ㄴ Ice Queen: Frozen! So! Very! Cute!

ㄴ Dragon King: Beltui~ I wanna keep it. The head—no, I mean the mask.

ㄴ Bruh that’s your real thoughts lol

ㄴ You go visit Dragon King’s lair and find people mounted on the wall or what??

ㄴ Dragon King: Beltui~ come visit me sometime~

ㄴ Hey Admin, if I disappear after someone dies, assume I was the one who got wrecked.

After checking the reactions, I shut down the gallery and put the terminal away.

[The enemy has used hidden item ‘Descenti Ignita.’]

[A bombardment will strike the area you and your teammate are in!]

The warning popped up out of nowhere.

“Uhhh!!”

Gabriel, who had been checking outside with the magical telescope, suddenly dashed back in.

“Some weird red glow is covering this whole building we’re in! And the flatlands outside too...! Even if we go out, we’ll still die!”

A simple thought came to mind.

They said the weak could defeat the strong using hidden mechanics in the stage.

The enemy must’ve found one of those.

I too could now see the crimson targeting zone blanketing the entire floor.

[Find your own way to avoid the attack!]

My brain kicked into overdrive.

Sure, I could probably survive if I just threw up some magic shield.

But if I survived alone, Gabriel would definitely die.

Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered if he’d died early on.

But I didn’t like the idea of Gabriel, who I’d gone out of my way to keep alive until now, dying like this.

He must’ve known it too. That he was only still alive because of me.

He was staring at me.

“Come here.”

The response came immediately.

“Yeah!”

I pulled a shield and the Mirror of Transformation from my inventory.

Alright. Let’s do this.

***

BOOM!

KRRRRASH! BOOM!

KABOOM! CRRRAAASSH!

The explosions and flames shook the ground.

“...That’s gotta have killed them.”

Wu Hao, the Chinese player, watched the chain of blasts with his arms crossed.

The number floating above his head was 3.

“Knew it. I made the right call.”

With a satisfied grin, Wu Hao looked at Surachai, the Thai player standing beside him.

“What do you think? Told you, right?”

“Yeah, turns out it’s better to find items that can kill strong opponents than to fight them head-on...”

Once the bombardment ended, only a thick gray smoke lingered over the ground.

Surachai looked up at the number over Wu Hao’s head.

“...Why didn’t the number change?”

Wu Hao’s lips curled.

Something felt off.

“No way...”

FWOOSH!

The smoke parted.

And the rabbit mask appeared.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Uhh... AAAARGHH!!”

Surachai clutched both cheeks and screamed.

“IT’S A CRAZY RABBIT!!”

Charging across the earth with brutal speed, the rabbit mask looked more like a slasher movie killer than anything else.

CRACK!

“Guh... URRGHH!”

Wu Hao couldn’t resist the rabbit’s hand crushing down on his face.

And the metal club slammed into the top of his skull.

CLANG!

KRAANG!

Surachai was already lying on the ground—stone cold dead.

[A first-place team has been determined in the sparring battle royale.]

[Congratulations. Your team is ranked 1st.]

[You have fulfilled the bonus condition: ‘Teammate Survival!’]

[Reward coin amount has increased.]

[Reward item grade has been upgraded.]

[‘Tower Exchange Meeting’ is now ending.]

[You receive 3,000 coins as a first-place reward.]

[You receive an item as a first-place reward.]

“Ughhh...”

Gabriel stumbled out of the lingering post-blast smoke, wobbling on his feet.

“We got first. Thanks, bunny.”

“Yeah. Go on.”

“Stay alive. This is Hard Mode, right...? Not that I’m in a position to be giving advice. Anyway—live long.”

Still scratching the back of his head, Gabriel’s body vanished in a shimmer of light.

“It actually worked.”

The skill Gabriel didn’t even realize I’d used—

Dekkan’s Valsenartz Style, Form Six: Heaven-Earth Suppression.

That was how we survived the chain bombardment of Descenti Ignita completely unscathed.

Using the shield and the Mirror of Transformation, I deployed Heaven-Earth Suppression, creating a temporary space that the explosion couldn’t penetrate.

A space that protected Gabriel too.

All thanks to a few days of studying the Absolute Monarch’s sword manual.

[Would you like to exit the exchange event and return to the floor stairwell?]

[Yes / No]

I also pressed [Yes].

[Entering 11th Floor Stairwell Waiting Room.]