As we cleared the last of the dungeon resonances, Aurora collapsed onto the ground of the simulation room, panting heavily.

"What... the fuck... Lu?" Aurora managed to gasp out between breaths, staring at me incredulously as I remained standing, not even out of breath. "How...? You cheated..."

I had to fight a smile. "Hey, we didn't make any rules about not using summons and clones."

Of course, I didn't completely rely on my clone and specters. I did most of the slaying myself, using my unrestricted Speed to rush down monsters and the Soultaker's Linked damage to cut them down in one hit. I gathered a bit of added damage for the sword as well, somewhat placating its earlier tantrums.

To her credit, Aurora was definitely deserving of her status, able to almost reach my shackled state using her Avarice Title's stealing abilities. It was actually a little terrifying, knowing that her Title could potentially surpass even my strength. I was suddenly glad I had the Neutralize Skill.

"Immortal- Luquier, there's roughly two hours left before the World Raid," Celine informed me, checking her own phone. "What should we do, now that we've exhausted all of the stones?"

"Regroup and prepare," I said, opening my Status Window and trying to stop myself from drooling. Within the given remaining time, I had leveled up 20 more times, bringing my total level up to 3051. Right before I started the contest with Aurora, I figured it'd be worthwhile to use another 400 million points to round out my Risk to 1 billion. The payoff was more than I expected as I greedily eyed the 20 billion extra Stat Points.

Other than the points, I didn't gain much else from the dungeon resonances save for monster materials and occasional weapon drops. Since the Soultaker was a bit sensitive as of now, I decided to give the weapons to the others; a majority of the blades were given to Tommy, who had the same devious expression I had. Celine received some necklaces while Gigi managed to score a rare cloak that buffed Magic. Aurora promptly subsumed all her obtained items to bolster her Title’s strength.

"With the rewards we got from grinding, we should use the rest of the time to understand it and ready up for the World Raid," I continued, clearing the screens in front of me as my sister quietly grumbled about my cheating, "Redistribute our Stat Points, exchange or upgrade gear, gather any consumables and such."

Tommy nodded eagerly, "Fuck yeah, with the weapons you gave me, it's the perfect time to test out my upgraded Title's abilities and specific Skills."

I gave him an encouraging smile, secretly relieved that he was now in a better mood than before. It was a little depressing to see him so listless after hearing about his sister and breakup, but at least he was in better spirits now.

We made our way out of the simulation room and back into the GPA's lobby, where we were greeted with the sight of Players bustling about, preparing for the impending World Raid. Some were in heated discussions, others were quietly strategizing, and a few were even testing their gear and abilities in designated areas. The tension was thick, saturated by fear, anxiety, and excitement.

I fell into the latter category as the potential of the upcoming event thrummed through my veins. I knew that the Safe Zones in the Towers across the globe would be packed with Players as well, trying to stock up on as much as they could before time was up.

"I'll meet back up with you guys here after I check in with Inanis," Aurora said, peeling away from the group. Her voice was slightly softer than usual, the competitive edge replaced with a hint of nerves. She stopped before me, a concerned look etched on her face.

"I know you're practically unstoppable, but that doesn't make me any less worried," she murmured, giving me a quick hug to my surprise. "Take care of yourself later, little bro."

"You too, Aurora," I responded, patting her back awkwardly.

The lobby was a cacophony of clanging weapons and hushed whispers as Players from various guilds converged. The grandeur of the lobby was lost to the chaotic preparations. The once gleaming marble floor was now scuffed and dirtied by the constant shuffling of boots and armor.

It reminded me of the big in-game events I'd used to play in back when gaming was strictly virtual, except the stakes here were real and the adrenaline pumping through my veins was not just pixels on a screen.

"I'm gonna go test out some Blade Skills," Tommy said, clapping his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "See you guys in an hour or so."

"I'll be on the 30th floor Safe Zone to grab some potions and gear," Gigi chimed in, already turning to leave. "We're going to need all the buffs we can get."

Finally, it was just Celine and I left, standing in the now less crowded lobby. She looked at me with an unreadable expression. "You're looking forward to this, aren't you?"

I smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. "That obvious, huh?"

Celine cracked a small smile. "It'd be weird if you weren't. Though, in this scenario, I'm not sure if I should be just as stressed as everyone else or excited like you are. My resurrections aren't infinite, after all."

Her words brought a brief moment of gravity to the conversation. In the back of my mind, I knew the risks we were facing. Despite my near-invincibility, the others didn't share the same luxury. They could die, and without death-defying abilities like mine, they wouldn't come back.

I grimaced, taking out the Soultaker. "Well, if anything, I can at least keep you from dying."

"That's reassuring," Celine replied with a forced chuckle, her eyes lingering on the sword for a moment before looking away. "I'll go check on my guild. I guess we'll all meet back here."

"Yeah, sure... I'm not going anywhere..." I said, watching Celine as she disappeared into the throng of Players. I went over to an open area, sitting on one of the chairs as I inspected the Soultaker.

"I don't know what you meant by what you said earlier, but it sounded like you were prepared to give me away to someone in the event they might be on the verge of dying," the sword accused, the edges of its blade quivering slightly. "As if it wasn't enough that you HAD to get two new swords."

I blinked, surprised by its accusation. "What? No, I didn't mean it like that," I replied, setting the sword down on my lap. "I just meant that if things get tough, I'll do everything I can to protect her- them."

[Uhh... I'm sensing a couples' spat...]

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I ignored Sephera's text box. "Listen, like I said, you're my main weapon, so obviously at no point would I ever consider giving you away," I assured the sword, feeling its vibrations cease. "But if my friends are in danger, I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. And yes, that includes you as well."

The Soultaker remained silent, but the tension in the air lifted slightly. It was still a weird sensation to have a sentient weapon, but I was getting used to it. After a moment, I decided to change the subject. "You know, I've been thinking about your request."

"What about it?" The blue runes on the blade glowed faintly. "Are you having second thoughts or doubts?"

"Nah, that's not it," I murmured, keeping my voice low. "It's just... you said you were a fragment of the former god Thanatos made a living weapon, right? Does that mean that there are other fragments of your original self out there somewhere?"

"I'm... not sure," the Soultaker replied, the blue runes dimming slightly. "It's been a very long time since the Great Calamity. Most of my kin are likely scattered across the lands, buried or forgotten in the ruins of the old world."

"Kin? As in, other gods like you?"

"Yes. My master... our master, was the one who shaped us. Made us rulers over life and death. We followed him, his will our command," the Soultaker spoke solemnly, the room seeming to darken around us.

"Seems like you owe him a lot. No wonder you're so eager to reunite with him," I muttered back, "But that's something I wanted to ask about. What happens when I give you back to him? I mean, my Title is related to your abilities. Most of the Items I have are related to him. What... what will happen if..."

The Soultaker's aura grew a tad colder. "You must understand that we are bound by a pact, not by choice. When we are reunited, your Title will remain with you, as it is part of your essence now. However, there is good reason to believe your abilities will change."

"Damn," I sighed, leaning back in the chair. "So the time we spent together was all for nothing?"

The blue runes on the sword's hilt pulsed once, a silent rebuttal to my question. "No," it finally said, glowing a bit brighter. "In a way, you've taught me much about the world, considering this is the first instance of my sentience. And I'm sure you've had your own growth in this too."

I remained silent, seeing some truth to the blade's words concerning my situation. Honestly, it did suck to think that I would eventually part with such a strong weapon, but at this point, I felt as if everything else in my arsenal could make up for the loss. I hoped that I'd still have the sword around when the world reached the 50th level.

"Well, thanks for the slight reassurance, I guess," I said, a hint of sadness in my voice. "I guess we'll figure that out whenever the time comes."

For the remainder of the time, I brought out my Items and went over my abilities and Skills, burning them into my mind. I double-checked to make sure I hadn't missed anything, since I had skipped over the other abilities of the Ring of Collected Souls.

When I was sure I was certain that I hadn't missed everything, I went over my arsenal one more time. Over 16 different Skills and Passives, two of which I hadn't tested out yet: Regretful Legion and Patron of the Dead's Blessing. The former required me to defeat my own specter to boost the strength of the army, but that was practically impossible at this point with the sheer amount of Risk points I had. As for the passive skill, I didn't think it was worth it to spend 1 million Risk for a memory that I wasn't sure I would need to know just yet. My Achievements were a strong bonus to my overwhelming stats, so I was good in that department.

For my Items, I gradually stopped using the Soultaker's lifeline ability, since I had enough Health to tank most attacks head-on. I never really needed the Realmwalker's intangibility either, nor the ring's specter substitution or the pendant's stat manipulation. All in all, I was set even if I had to give up the Soultaker.

As I had in the past, with less than an hour remaining, I passed the time by playing games on my phone, despite the fact that virtual games no longer held the same allure after experiencing the real deal. As far as my own guild went, the most I received was a text from Izu, asking me to be careful and hopefully that she’d see me soon. Tessa pretty much asked me to look out for others if I could. Eventually, the other four returned, and I could see the excitement and nervousness in their eyes as they recounted their own preparations.

Silently, I glanced at their stats to see where they were at. Aurora was by far the strongest of the four, already well over 100 million in all categories save for Risk, which sat around 20 million. Surprisingly, Celine was the next strongest, reaching near the 100 million mark with an impressive 50 million in Risk. Then came Gigi slightly under Celine with 10 million Risk and finally Tommy, sitting at 10 million average stats and only breaking 1 million Risk. Out of all of them, I was worried about Tommy the most, given that his mental state wasn't too good earlier and that he was definitely underpowered.

"Alright, let's get to the briefing," I said, cutting through the chatter. "We need to be prepared for anything."

"What do you suggest we do?" Celine asked, her gaze searching my face for guidance.

I glanced at Tommy, who nodded back. "Since we barely have any information on what the hell this 'World Raid' is, we can only go by the name. I'm thinking there's a good chance we're going to be invaded by something or another and we're gonna have to defend the world from them. That being said, while it is a global effort, don't forget that your priority is not trying to save the world or others, but yourself."

Everyone nodded solemnly, understanding the gravity of the situation. Most of us were aware that the 50th floor was the make or break scenario, so it was understood that the goal for now was self-preservation in anticipation for that day. It was grim and unfortunate, but it was the best choice at the moment considering we didn't truly know what was going to happen.

Gigi was the first to speak up. "Okay, so what's the plan? Do we stick together or split up?"

"Let's stick together, but put some distance between us and other groups," I suggested, glancing around the bustling lobby. "The less we stand out, the better. We can support each other and adapt to whatever comes our way."

Celine nodded thoughtfully, her eyes scanning the room. "That's a good plan. It's too crowded here. We need to find a spot that gives us enough space to fight."

"Outside, definitely," Gigi agreed, her eyes focused on the exit. "We'll have more space to maneuver and less chance of getting caught in someone else's crossfire. Or vice versa."

"Fine by me," Aurora chimed in, shifting her broadsword to the other shoulder. "I hate fighting in these crowded spaces anyway. Half of us are melee-oriented, too."

We headed out of the GPA building and into the bustling streets. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation and tension. Players from all walks of life, each with their own distinctive aura of power, were making their final preparations. Some were tightening their armor, others were muttering incantations, and a few were even sharing last-minute strategy tips with complete strangers.

I glanced up at the white system message hovering above the sector. There were 5 minutes left. In spite of the situation, I couldn't help but feel excited. It was a little sad to say, but having 'Last Stand' become reality was quite frankly the best thing to have happened to me.

The five of us huddled together, finalizing our strategy. The plan was simple: stick together, keep our distance from the other mob of Players, and try to adapt and survive whatever the hell was coming.

The ruckus outside sharply ceased as the timer ticked down the final minute. The air grew taut, almost as if it were scarce. Everyone held their breaths.

[Luquier... I know you'll be okay, but still, good luck.]

I silently thanked Sephera. For her to be worried about me despite overcoming multiple impossible obstacles told me a lot about this World Raid. I started to wonder if I had underestimated this.

[System alert: The World Raid will now begin.]

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, several multicolored portals ripped open everywhere.

****

[Updating…]

[Name: Luquier Vaunt | Level: 3051]

[Title: Infinite Immortal (S)]

[Health: 21.1+ | Strength: 21.1+]

[Speed: 21.1+ | Magic: 21.1+]

[Risk: 1,000,000,000 | Stat Points: 20,127,363,481]

[Experience: 78%]

[Items]

[Soultaker (10,126,183)] +112