"So far, it is estimated that about seventy percent of the world has completed the World Raid. Unfortunately, there have been mass casualties across both hemispheres, with numbers up into the thousands among those called Players."

It was mostly quiet within the lobby of the GPA as the others and I watched the news on the televisions above. The other Players that had fought alongside us were more or less also watching, or trying to recover from the invasion that most weren't prepared for.

"Despite the loss in forces, there seems to be a new hope- at least for the eastern hemisphere," the reporter continued, her voice echoing through the lobby. "The sudden emergence of a new player, Cadence Young, better known as the Leviathan, has turned the tide of the battle in their favor."

[Leviathan...? Another Beast King has emerged?]

"What are you talking about?" I muttered to Sephera's message.

[Oh. Well, with the exception of you, there's been quite a couple of powerful individuals throughout history that have had exceptional Titles. In my lifetime, though, I've never witnessed so many of them so quickly. I wonder why...]

I mulled over Sephera's words, trying to place myself in her shoes. In my perspective, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary with another strong Player, especially one that had a Title related to Seth's. But if Sephera was saying that this was stranger than usual, then I couldn't help but wonder what the average strength of the Players were in previous Matches.

"The global population continues to be dragged into what is known as Towers, with many coming back alive. The Leviathan seems to be the latest miracle to come out of that place, surprising the world by ranking a bit higher than the second strongest player, Izu Shen. Better known as the Abyss Walker, Izu Shen is a resident of the western hemisphere, and the vice guildmaster of the Noble guild. With the emergence of the Leviathan, the world rankings have adjusted- the top five Players are now the top six," the news reporter said, the image switching to a young girl with long silver hair.

"If you keep grinding dungeons and levels, maybe you'll make it into the top rankings, too," Tommy quietly joked to me. I could only give him a strained smile.

While Gigi and Aurora conversed with each other, Celine came up to Tommy and I. I couldn't tell how she was feeling, since her expression was unreadable even though I was somewhat getting more used to it. She sat down next to me and fidgeted a bit before taking a deep breath.

"How... how was the fight against the second boss?" Celine's voice was low, and she avoided my eyes.

I blinked, slightly unprepared for her question. "Er... well, like I said. Ophelia, Seth, and I managed to handle Lodian until Izu came and shut him down. Why, were you worried?"

Celine shook her head. "Yes, but I'm more concerned with the fact that it seems like we're- or at least I, am always counting on you and the other Players to protect us."

Oh. I wasn't dense enough to not know that Celine was probably feeling left behind. I could tell she had insecurities about being Ophelia's younger sister, so it didn't help that someone like me who returned from the towers after her was already so far ahead. During the invasion, she probably felt lacking seeing me easily push back the army and even join up with Seth and Ophelia to fight against Lodian.

I mean, the new Player with the Leviathan Title was reportedly stronger than me, than Izu, even. It was clear that Celine was feeling the pressure of being left behind and in our shadows, and I couldn't blame her. I had probably already surpassed Aurora, so it wasn't too far off to think that Celine was comparing herself to me.

"Don't worry, Celine," I said, trying to offer comfort. "Everyone's got their own path. You're doing great. Besides, we're all going to be fighting together soon enough."

"True... but what if I can't keep up?" Celine's voice wavered, her eyes finally reflecting the doubt that had been gnawing at her. "You've successfully utilized your Risk stat and it synergizes with your Title. Others have risen through their own strength and determination. Meanwhile, I'm just... stuck."

I didn't want to say out loud that she was definitely much stronger than Tommy, who was sitting right next to us pretending not to overhear. If anything, Celine was growing the fastest out of the current group, second to me. I guess the appearance of stronger enemies was skewing her perspective.

"Then, after the World Raid ends, I'm planning to reach the maximum limit the system will allow before the 50th floor," I began, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. "If you think you can keep up with how intense it's going to be, then by all means, tag along."

Celine nodded without hesitation. "I'll keep up, Immortal- Luquier."

I had to admit, despite the strange and rocky start we had, I was getting used to her quirks and behavior. Plus, there were a lot of things we had in common, though they all stemmed from some sort of trauma or complex. Either way, it was nice to have another friend.

I looked back at Tommy, who was giving me a side-eye, probably feeling a bit left out of the conversation. "You wanna tag along too, bro?"

"Hell yeah," he grinned, flexing his arm. "I might not be as strong as you and Celine, but I can still pack a punch!"

I couldn't help but grin back at his energy. At least he wasn't being gloomy anymore. "Alright, then after this, we'll go into a dungeon resonance and grind a lot."

"...In other news, the rise of syndicates has been concerning. With the start of the World Raid, these syndicates that are composed of unregistered Players and criminals have been taking advantage of the chaos," the news reporter spoke as images of various syndicate crests flashed across the screens. "The addition of the system's faction choices have also contributed to the rise in tension between these groups and the registered Players. What is come to be known as 'faction wars' have already broken out in sectors finished with the World Raid, as these syndicates seek to claim territory and resources..."

I felt an energy shift nearby and turned to see Aurora glaring at the screens intently. Her hand clenched around the hilt of her sword. "Those bastards," she murmured, her eyes narrowing at the crests. "They're using this chaos to push their own agendas."

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

I wasn't sure if Celine and Tommy knew, but I recalled how my sister had told me that the criminals that had tormented my family were now Players that had joined syndicates. I clenched my jaw tightly, feeling an irrational anger towards the scum that had driven my sister and I apart back then.

"...One of the more prominent syndicates, Squall, has been reportedly recruiting heavily from the Players frustrated with the lack of support from the world governments. Offering them refuge and power, it seems they're forming an alliance of sorts," the reporter continued, displaying the black crest of Squall. "It is also stated that lesser syndicates were assimilated by Squall, which is now a force to be reckoned with."

"Shit... what has the world come to?" Tommy muttered, his eyes glued to the screens.

I couldn't blame him. The chaos outside was a stark reminder that things had gone haywire. The game had evolved, and we were now in a much larger arena than we had anticipated.

"I've got a bit of good news for you guys," Gigi announced as she joined up with us. She placed a comforting hand on Aurora's shoulder. "I just got off the phone with the higher ups from Enigma. The new Player in the eastern hemisphere is quickly making short work of the World Raid while Nephilim takes care of things here. It shouldn't be long before the entire event is cleared."

While it was comforting to hear, it still didn't make the gravity of the situation any lighter. A bunch of new things had been added, with our world expanding to include other realms with their own Players.

A part of me wondered what would have happened if I managed to make it past Levius back when I played the virtual game. Would I have encountered these same events? Or would I have been stuck in the early game, grinding through floors without any of the cool shit we were experiencing now?

Whatever the possibilities would've been, I was here now, with a playstyle I never would've imagined using in the virtual predecessor. The prior knowledge was helpful right up until Levius, so everything from here on out would be new. The only problem was, my Admin wasn't much help either...

"Hey, Sephera?" I quietly asked under my breath.

[Yes, Player?]

"The World Raid is complete, right? At least in this sector?"

[Yes. There are no further surprises, if that's what you were expecting.]

I grunted. "That's good to hear. So I can go ahead and do other things without worrying about a hidden quest or anything, right?"

[If my memory serves right, yes. I haven't seen any Matches where there were more things after the second boss was defeated.]

"Nice. That's a relief," I murmured, turning to the large windows and watching the city come back to life before our eyes. The blue lines weaving through the buildings grew more prominent as the reconstruction sped up, almost as if the world was being painted back into existence.

----------------------------------------

A couple hours later, the World Raid was officially over. We didn't have as many casualties as I expected, losing only about a quarter of Players and over 1 million non-Players worldwide. It was a sobering number, but everyone agreed it could've been much worse.

The others and I joined up with Tessa and informed her about the revelations we learned during the event. She promptly issued increased GPA security throughout the Lambda Sector and went to contact the other GPA branches.

After all was done, I found myself in one of the training simulation rooms in the GPA building once again, waiting for my two guests to show up.

[Player... no, Luquier?]

"What's up?"

[Why are you... doing push-ups?]

"No particular reason," I grunted back, surprised at how easily I was able to keep the conversation going while doing push-ups. I had been at it for a solid hour and hadn't broken a sweat yet. I had to admit, it was still a little weird to get used to my Strength being over 21 billion. A part of me felt like I was cheating, jumping ahead just by dumping numbers into stats.

[What, are you feeling inadequate? You shouldn't be. I think you're one of the strongest Players so far :D]

"No, that's not why- never mind," I said, standing up and brushing off the dust from my hands. "I might be vastly strong, but I've got no technique. I just rely on my Speed and brute force my way through."

"Are you talking to yourself, or your Admin?"

I turned to see Tommy and Celine walking in, both looking exhausted but also oddly... alive. The energy of surviving a battle that intense did something to people, I guessed.

"You guys okay? I thought you both went to rest," I said, eyeing their disheveled state.

"I don't know about Celine, but my guild called several meetings," Tommy groaned, his eyes half-lidded. "They're trying to figure out our next move with the syndicates and the faction wars."

"Helianthus is also worried about the turn of events that transpired," Celine said, her eyes reflecting a mix of fatigue and concern. "They've asked for a meeting with the other guild leaders to discuss the implications of the World Raid and potential future threats."

"Oh, I see..." In the back of my mind, I wondered why Noble hadn't reached out to me regarding everything that happened. Maybe each member was like Nephilim or Izu- stupidly strong to the point that nothing would really phase them.

"Well, even though we might be a little tired, that still won't be enough to prevent us from joining you," Tommy managed a grin. "Right, Celine?"

"Indeed. I'm determined to catch up," Celine nodded firmly, the light of resolve shining in her eyes. Despite the weariness etched on her face, she looked more focused than ever.

"Alright then," I took out a dungeon resonance stone that Izu had given me. "Let's do this."

[System alert: Update patch is now being applied...]

"...Uh, what?" Tommy's smile faded as confusion painted his face. "What the fuck is an update patch?"

His questions were answered when another system message popped up in front of us.

[With the conclusion of the World Raid, the tower will now be expanded. From the 40th floor onwards, every 10 floors will span an 'Act'. Acts will serve as storylines that Players will clear, taking into consideration the factions that they have chosen prior.]

Wait, could this be why Lucinda advised me about making a choice? Or that Bathalt warned me not to become hostile towards him?

[As Players progress through Acts, their choices will have weight and consequence. These will affect Quests and objectives in many different ways, so take caution when proceeding.]

The message window remained in the air for a while, allowing the information to sink in. "So, it's like we're about to play through different chapters of the game," I summarized, trying to wrap my head around the new update. There was somewhat of a storyline in the virtual predecessor, but it was mainly centered on your character's growth and journey traversing through the world. With the expansion the World Raid brought, there seemed to be more lore tied to the world we were now living in- something that further incited my excitement.

"What does that mean for us?" Celine asked, her gaze still on the message. "Since we didn't choose a faction."

Oh crap. I was so focused on my own experience, I'd forgotten that the others had decided to follow me and refrain from choosing a faction. Guilt started to creep over me, but I stood firm on my stance. Each of the factions had advantages, yes, but they were also weak to certain others. If we went in unaligned, we'd have no immediate enemy, which could be beneficial.

"Hey, don't worry about it. There wasn't a penalty for not choosing one, so I'd say nothing bad is gonna happen. Hopefully," Tommy added with a shrug. "Besides, we're with the strongest guy in the room, right?" He gave me a nudge, his grin returning.

I couldn't help but smile back. Tommy had a knack for lightening the mood. "Alright, let's get this show on the road," I said, holding up the dungeon resonance stone. "We'll grind as much as we can and then check out the new mechanics of the tower."