I maintained my balance, gripping the Soultaker tightly as the others readied their weapons. The cracking of portals was deafening as other Players around us turned to face the new potential threats with a mix of fear and excitement. In some spots, I saw GPA personnel guarding designated shelters for regular civilians, their weapons and abilities already drawn.

Up above, multiple white system messages were flashing before our eyes.

[The World Raid has commenced. All Players, please choose the faction you wish to join for the first invasion. Note, your choice is permanent. Once your faction is chosen, you will remain in the faction indefinitely. However, there are certain requirements if you wish to defect.]

I swallowed hard, my eyes darting around the chaotic scene before me. The sudden appearance of the portals was overwhelming, but I felt a slight eagerness underneath my nervousness. This was it. The moment we had all been preparing for, whether we knew it or not.

[Forcibly changing factions out of your own volition will incur a harsh faction penalty which cannot be removed. There are only three ways to change factions without incurring penalties:]

[1. If you are caught by a different faction, you are vulnerable to conversion/corruption and can be assimilated.]

[2. Higher ranked members in your faction may banish you from their faction with the help of their patron's favor.]

[3. Slaying any of your faction's patrons.]

"What the fuck...?" Tommy's voice echoed my own thoughts as we stared at the swirling portals. Each one was a gateway to somewhere unknown, the center a mass of living shadows. "We have to choose a faction?"

Our questions were answered as system screens flashed before us.

[All Players, choose your faction. You will have 1 hour remaining until the invasion begins.]

I narrowed my eyes, reading over the choices presented in front of me.

[1. Demons, the most wicked. Favoring strength above all else, the demons believe that it is the right of the strong to rule over the weak. They thrive in chaos and destruction, embracing the ideal that power is all that is needed. The one who stands above all deserves the right to dictate how the world should be.]

[2. Angels, the most rigid. Upholders of order and justice, the angels aim to protect the world and its inhabitants from all threats. By forcibly unifying all other factions, they believe that abolishing all differences will create a harmonious, equal world. Even if they have to rule with an iron fist.]

[3. Monsters, the most populous. Not entirely human, nor fully demon or angel, these beings praise that a lawless land is a land of true freedom. Without restrictions, there will be no disputes- as they believe nature always intended. Ruling over others is second only to survival of the fittest.]

[4. Prime Sapien, the most elite. Self-proclaimed demigods, these beings were once human, until they stumbled upon an ancient power that allowed them to transcend their limitations, technological and supernatural. Fewest in numbers, they believe that evolution is the next step, that to become perfect is to continue growing and improving. Eventually, all will submit to change.]

"That's... a lot of reading," I mumbled, my eyes scanning over the faction descriptions. It was like choosing a side in a game of cosmic chess, each with their own twisted motives and ideologies. Honestly speaking, I didn't like any of the choices. If I had to choose, I'd go with the Monsters. At least their motto of 'survival of the fittest' didn't involve screwing over everyone else for the sake of 'harmony'.

I could sense the stress from the others as they read over the options. Tommy was the first to break the silence. "So, we're just picking sides in some war now?"

"It's not just a war," Gigi corrected him, her eyes still glued to the screen. "It's a battle for our very reality."

"Well, if anything, sounds like we should go with either the Angels or the Prime Sapiens, right?" Aurora suggested, her eyes flicking over to me. "They're the ones who seem to have our best interests at heart."

I recalled Lucinda's words earlier, figuring that her warning was probably meant for now. "Maybe... we shouldn't be so quick to choose right now."

"What? What point is there in waiting? We need to choose now," Aurora protested, her hand hovering over the Angelic faction option.

"Just- hold on a sec, will you?" I scowled, raising a hand to stop Aurora from making a hasty decision. "We have almost an hour to think about this."

Tommy looked at us, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Okay, but wait... should we all be in the same faction?"

I considered his question, realizing that it could be a potential issue. "If we split up, we might end up fighting each other. But if we all go with one faction, we might miss out on opportunities to get stronger by seeing how the others operate."

My sister closed her mouth, as if that thought just now occurred to her.

Celine, ever the levelheaded, spoke up calmly. "We should probably stick together, but keep our options open. We can't predict what's going to happen. We should choose the faction that seems the least dangerous for us."

As the others gave their reasons for picking certain factions, I was deep in thought, Lucinda's warning in the back of my mind. All she said was for me not to be too quick to choose a faction, but she didn't say why. Was it because she knew something about the factions that we didn't? Or was it because she had her own motives? But then again, she was on my side, and she hadn't done anything to make me suspicious of her. In fact, she was more helpful than anything, giving me Items and cryptic clues.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

I scratched the back of my head, reading the descriptions for each faction several times. There was nothing else there, and I was afraid of tapping on the screen out of fear that it would go ahead and choose whatever I pressed.

"Guys," I spoke up, breaking the tension, "What if we... don't choose a faction?"

They all stared at me as if I had just suggested we walk through the portals naked. "What do you mean?" Gigi was the first to voice her confusion.

"Okay, just... hear me out," I began, seeing their puzzled expressions. "I can't exactly explain it, but I do know from experience that there's always something hidden when it comes to things like this. Obviously, the system wants us to choose a faction, right? But, there's nothing about what would happen if we didn't choose."

They exchanged glances, contemplating my words. Aurora spoke up, "But if we don't choose, won't we be left vulnerable to whatever's coming through those portals?"

"No... I can see where Luke's going with this," Tommy interjected, looking deep in thought. "It only said to choose a faction. It never said it would give us anything else, or that we'd be penalized if we didn't choose one."

"Plus, what if later, after the World Raid, we get another chance at joining a faction? Or that more will be available?" I pressed, looking at their skeptical faces.

Gigi tapped her chin, her expression thoughtful. "It's a gamble, but it could be worth it. We've got each other's backs."

"As compared to the Players who would have the full support of a faction?" Aurora dryly remarked, but seemed to concede regardless. "Fine, I won't join one. Can't leave my little brother out to hang alone."

Celine nodded solemnly. "I agree with Avarice. If you think it's the right call, then we should stick together."

I smiled gratefully at them, though I couldn't help but feel a guilt creeping over me. I definitely wasn't sure if it was the right call, but I trusted Lucinda somewhat. Maybe she didn't mean for me not to choose a faction at all, but reading the descriptions for each, something about them all seemed... off. Like there was something we weren't being told.

"So... what do we do for the next forty-five minutes?" Gigi asked, looking around the streets. I could sense the others wondering about their decision to follow me, but we had made our choice, or lack thereof.

I tightened the grip on my Soultaker as I glanced at the worrying amount of idle portals humming quietly around us. "Rest and prepare for now. Plan out what potions, elixirs, or abilities to use and save. Then in the last five to ten minutes, we keep our guard up."

The group nodded in unison, dispersing to find spots nearby to sit down and think. As for me, I simply leaned against the side of a building, mulling over my thoughts. I wasn't particularly worried for my own well-being, since I had the Soultaker and a decent amount of Risk to keep me safe, among the other broken things in my arsenal. The real concern was for the others.

I was pretty set in facing the consequences of my actions, but the guilt that I'd have if it was the wrong choice for the others would haunt me. I sighed, pulling out my phone and discovering that the cellular services weren't working. Probably because of the World Raid happening across the globe.

"Looks like we won't be getting any more intel before the shit hits the fan," I grunted, pocketing my phone. "Let's just make sure we keep our heads on a swivel and don't get caught up in the chaos."

The others nodded in agreement, each one of them checking their own gear and weapons, ensuring everything was in order. Aurora's eyes never left her gleaming broadsword, her fingers tracing the intricate designs carved into the hilt. Tommy fidgeted with his blades, looking paler than usual. Celine and Gigi remained calm, their confidence in our decision apparent.

For the most part, we remained silent for the rest of the time, up until the last 10 minutes or so. The anticipation grew thick, the air around us feeling denser as if it was being squeezed by invisible hands. Players around us grew restless, their eyes darting around like wild animals anticipating a predator’s attack.

[System alert: The faction choices will close soon. All Players are advised to make their decisions promptly.]

I idly swung my Soultaker around, a little apprehensive about my refusal to choose a faction. I was nearly tempted to tell the others to disregard my lead and to pick a side, but I held my tongue. If there was anything I knew from playing 'Last Stand', it was that sticking to your guns was just as important as making the right choice. Plus, I had to admit, there was a thrill to going against the grain. I just hoped that thrill didn't get us killed.

During the last 5 minutes, I could see text boxes popping up in front of the other Players. I happened to glance over at one, noticing that it detailed buffs and weaknesses for the selected faction.

"Huh... so Angels have a five percent resistance to everything except for Demons, where they take double damage but also deal double damage..." I murmured, watching the other Players as they frantically discussed their newfound bonuses and disadvantages. "I'm guessing the other factions have their own bonuses and drawbacks too."

[Did you know that beforehand?] Sephera, who had been quiet till now, messaged me.

"Not exactly, but I had a feeling," I muttered back, watching the others stretching and preparing with only a minute left. "It's not that hard to figure out that joining a faction would grant various effects."

[Well... to be fair, you've had quite an extensive history with games, so not everyone would think like you...]

I ignored her comment, standing to join with the others as we faced the portals. From what I saw, there were only a handful of other Players who chose to remain neutral like us, but there were far more Players who had chosen a side. My worries shifted- instead of stressing over what would happen to us, I began to feel apprehensive about potentially clashing with the larger population.

Pushing the thought out of my mind for the moment, I focused on the giant system box in the sky that counted down the final 10 seconds. At one, a piercing siren shrieked in the air.

[The World Raid will now commence. All Players, please prepare for combat.]

Several forms zipped out from the portals, filling the streets with figures I couldn't make out right away. As my sight adjusted, I realized with a jolt that I had seen them before.

"Wait... hey Luke, aren't those–"

"Y-yeah," I said to Tommy, still a bit in shock. "They're the royal army from the Village dungeon..."

The five of us took a collective step back as the figures grew clearer. The royal knights and soldiers, the same ones we had slain in the dungeon, now stood before us in the real world, armed to the teeth and ready for battle. The difference was that they were now flanked by... angels and demons, coupled with a few strong monster species.

"What the hell, so are they trying to take revenge on us or whatever for what happened in the dungeon?" Tommy's voice was shaky, but he held his ground, his eyes darting around at the sudden influx of enemies.

"Somehow, I feel like this would've been the result even if we sided with the royal army," I dryly commented. "But for now, we've got to focus up. From here on out, we're going to be killing humans, even if they're not from this world. Everyone cool with that?"

Tommy, Gigi, Aurora, and Celine nodded gravely, their expressions a mix of determination and trepidation. Aside from Tommy and I, only Aurora seemed the most willing to kill the soldiers of the royal army, but I knew by now that Celine would follow me, and Gigi would stick by Aurora no matter what.

"Alright then," I took a deep breath, brandishing my Soultaker. I summoned my clone, Levius, and Skalyt, who immediately rushed the army closing around us. "Let's not make this our last stand."

****

[Updating…]

[Summon: Levius] -100,000

[Summon: Skalyt] -150,000

[Duplicate] -24