alex suddenly appeared in the start-up space in the vr momentarily confused before recalling what happened not long ago.

his determination to survive and then his final desperate move all flashed in his mind.

"systemic reconditioning is really something."

his eyes trembled slightly recalling all the experience he believed to be real.

"and if i''m here, then it means my final attempt somehow failed, but i don''t recall how.

"system, show me the last scene before i died."

a bit of silence settled in his private space before a display popped up before him. he watched with serious eyes as he exploded the remaining of his mana in a blazing glory that incinerated all the void creatures.

a small smile appeared on his lips before a moment later seeing himself fall to the ground completely passed out.

"i see... that shouldn''t be a last result if i ever wish to live."

an exasperated sigh escaped his lips before giving another command to the system.

"what are the rankings? who came out in first place and also showed me the ranks of julia and ross."

[order confirmed.]

[1. alexander gray]

[2. rex handlar]

[3. ....]

[16. julia knight]

[675. abigail reed]

[789. zen henjok]

[63,767. ross bangu]

[....]

"what...? what the hell happened to ross?!"

surprise was an understatement. he had absolute confidence in his friend''s capabilities. to see him ranked so low left alex shell-shocked.

"but thinking about it, it''s possible."

his right hand rubbed his chin in thought.

"with the cosmic mana waves, void creatures and veiled spaces, it''s not farfetched. in fact, that might have been what actually happened."

"no matter, i''m sure he''s fine."

looking at his name at the very top of the rankings, he felt nothing. no feeling of achievement, no pride, no nothing. it was simply a normal feeling.

what he appreciated was the feeling of fighting on the edge, thinking his life was on the line if he wasn''t careful.

"the blazing form i took during the first event didn''t trigger... just what exactly is the trigger?"

the problem eluded him even after trying many different things and even after mimicking a similar situation, it still didn''t appear.

"ha... let''s get out first. the competition isn''t over just yet."

"i''ll take my leave, first. see you guys tomorrow." ross stood and bid farewell.

his gaze lingered on julia for a bit before giving a curt nod in alex''s direction.

"sure. see you tomorrow."

he watched as ross walked out of his room, leaving him and julia as the only ones left.

with a tired sigh, he lowered his gaze on julia, the affection in his eyes burning deeply. then he lay on the sofa with julia on top of him, almost as if she was asleep.

"want to talk about it?"

his voice was gentle and soothing to her ears, eliciting a soft hum of comfort with a heart filled with warmth.

"i died, alex.

"the thought of not seeing you in that moment was the hardest thing for me."

she tightened her hold on him as she recalled the heavy injuries she sustained fighting those monsters. they weren''t as painful as the feeling of fighting without alex by her side.

the thoughts of her parents, siblings and even her favourite uncle did not come to mind at all. alex was the only being she thought of.

it made her realize how much she loved him, and it made her fear losing him, prompting her to hold on to him tighter.

"..."

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alex remained silent as he continued to draw soothing circles on her back. he could naturally understand that feeling as he felt the same.

the thought of not seeing your loved ones again was frightening. it was the reason he was driven into going all out just to have a chance at survival.

but now, he knew better.

"it''s okay, julia. i''m not going anywhere."

he consoled her with words and actions, holding onto her and then placing a gentle kiss on her head.

julia giggled in happiness feeling his love and a broad smile lit up her face. it was the best assurance she could ask for in that moment.

"will you be alright in the last event? you can choose to sit that one out and no one will hold it against you."

with the points she already had, alex had no doubt her place in class a1 wasn''t going to change, he and ross included.

however, the experienced he had was something valuable he wanted since the last event also required they undergo a reconditioning.

"yeah... i think i''ll do that."

she agreed after a few seconds of pondering. she didn''t even bother to ask alex the same as she knew he would partake in it despite everything he had gone through before.

"good,"

with that, the two remained quiet and just enjoyed their company.

........

hunter zol released a sigh of exasperation after hearing what the kids talked about.

he more than anyone knew what facing death was like. it was a humbling experience that humbled anyone who was willing to learn from it.

''it shows the kids are growing well and their resolve to grow strong will only push them further.''