As autumn made way for winter, gold and red colors had turned to brown and gray. Though of course, the weather had little influence on Layne’s footsteps. Although his enemies were close and the world hostile, to him it was just another day.

“So, why are you still here anyways?” Though Layne talked to Alana, his eyes focused on his weapon. As he picked at the frayed edges, some more of the old metal blade crumbled and fell to the ground. After centuries of use, even the magic metal wouldn't hold out much longer under his power. Soon, it would be time to exchange for something sturdier, though Layne had no idea where he should be looking for it.

“Don't you want me here?” Alana replied in a chipper voice.

“No, I'm glad you’re around. If you didn't come by from time to time, I probably would have forgotten how to talk by now.” Ever since their first meeting in the forest, Alana had kept showing up on occasion. Although he had been cold at first, some company was better than none at all. For centuries, the administrator had been his only companion... apart from the occasional scaled prisoners. Still, even their new friendship would change nothing about his determination.

“I wonder... why didn’t you ever ask me this before? We've been together for so long now. weren’t you a little bit curious about me?” As always when she was having fun, Alana's feet left the ground and she began to circle around Layne like a butterfly.

“What's the point in asking?” Layne shrugged. “Since you wouldn't answer any of my questions about the system, I thought you wouldn't answer anything personal either.”

“So why ask now?”

“It was rhetorical. I was more talking to myself.”

“About why such a beauty would stay with some dirty, grunty guy for so long?”

“Sure.” Layne laughed at her audacious boast, even though he already knew that the administrator had only chosen her form because it would be easier to communicate with the last human like this.

“I can still answer, you know?” Her hands crossed beneath her chin, she floated in front of his face. Although Layne was suspicious, he still nodded. He was curious, after all.

“Go ahead.”

“Normally, the administrators aren't allowed to interfere in the first two rounds. Not only are there way too many worlds to take care of, too much interference is also detrimental to the purpose of the system.”

“Which you won't talk about,” Layne replied dryly.

“I can't. Sorry about that.” For a moment she looked like she meant it, but her previous casual vigor returned right away and covered up the truth. “A projection like mine is rarely allowed in the first place, so be happy with what you get. I wouldn't even be here if there hadn't been an exception on earth.”

“The exception is me, huh?” he stated.

“That's right. I'm here to resolve an issue in the first round proceedings, that issue being you. Humanity has lost, and you know it.”

“I don't know anything.” Layne had really wanted to avoid this topic. It always led straight into arguments between them.

“When did you last see another human?” she probed.

“Maybe they're all hiding somewhere. The world's a big place.”

“Did I ever lie to you?”

This time, Layne had nothing to say in reply. He knew that she was right, but how could he give up based on just a few words? He had fought for humanity all his life. If he gave up now, what would all the suffering have been for?

“Why are you so stubborn? Do you even remember who you're fighting for at this point?” As Alana spoke, she once again showed that sadness he had seen the first time they had met. But being pitied didn't make him feel any better, so Layne only snorted in response and sped up his footsteps.

“Why continue to fight?” she asked again, sorrow in her voice. “Why continue to suffer?”

“Even if I’m the only one left, we can still win if I kill all of them,” a grim Layne replied.

“In the last second, seven Troari eggs hatched. And again. And again.” Alana snapped her finger with every passing second. “Even if they were lined up in a row in front of you and you never stopped, you still couldn't kill them faster than they are reproducing. To them, the common cold is a worse killer than you are. The war is over, and the humans lost.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“So you just expect me to just lie down and die?” he repeated his mantra from the past.

For a while they continued to march through the hills in silence. There was an uncomfortable tension between them as Alana only ever stared at his face, while he only ever stared forward, away from the administrator. In the end, the human broke first. Layne sighed and made his first concession for as long as he could remember.

“Actually, I don't need to kill all of them, if that’s impossible. That way, the birth rates aren't a problem anymore. There's just one guy I need to take care of, no matter what. Only one left.”

“The king of hunters,” she guessed. “Why?”

He thought back to the days when he had been happy, when there had still been hope where now only bitter resolve remained; he thought back to his parents, his teacher, his battle companions... her. He had forgotten the faces of even his closest friends centuries ago, but he still remembered their names, as well as the vague feeling of warmth they had brought him. His endless fight was for them, for all the people who had died under the attacks of the hunters.

“I need to get revenge for that eye of mine,” he said at last and hid half the truth away in his heart. “Today's the day.”

When he stepped over the last hill, his enemies were already in formation. Lined up before him stood an army of hunters, millions strong. These were the bravest and greatest warriors in the world. All of them - from various factions - had come together to take down a single monster, the greatest and most elusive prey the hunters had ever faced. And in their center, protected by an armor of shiny gold, stood the strongest of their race, their proud king. This was it, the greatest battle for the Troari ever since their victory over the humans. However, to Layne it was just another day. Today he would get his revenge, and destroy his old enemy.

As his grim face widened into a manic grin, the worried Alana spoke up again.

“We’ve also talked about that before. You can kill any one individual, but the king of hunters is taboo for the system. Without him, the tribes would fall into disunity, and the system needs the Troari united for the next stage.”

“That sounds like someone else’s problem.”

For a moment, Alana hesitated, before she continued in a sad voice.

“If you insist on going after him, the system will do everything to fight you. As a core figure of the Troare race, I am mandated to keep their king alive at all cost. You won’t be able to kill him. Not now, not ever.”

Unperturbed, Layne shouldered his weapon and took a step past the administrator. Although he hadn’t expected the king of hunters to be this hardy, it didn’t make much of a difference. His alternative plan would work just fine.

“You know, I've been thinking about some of the stuff you've said over the years. I get that you're supposed to stay quiet about the system, but centuries of talking and you'll let slip a thing or two. So here's my personal theory: If my XP are the energy of the planet, and the same energy is needed to form life itself, won't I be able to win if I just keep killing until I've sucked up all of the XP?”

“You would destroy your own world?” Alana rushed after him.

“So what? It's technically still a win,” he said with a shrug.

When the administrator caught back up, she appeared distressed, rather than sad or disappointed.

“Please don't do this. Tell me it's a joke. If you don't tell me right now, you won't give me a choice but to act against you. You know I don't want that.”

“I don't care,” Layne said in the coldest voice he could muster. Of course he cared, but once his words were said he had to go through with them. He had always been a man of his word, for as long as he could remember.

“Listen, I just negotiated a new deal with the higher-ups, that's why came here in the first place. If you stop now and surrender, I can guarantee that you're transformed into a Troare, just like them. That way, you won't be left alone on this world, and you could start a new life. With your strength, it would be easy for you to become a great hunter among them, maybe even a leader.”

“No thank you.”

“Why!?” she cried out. “You always say how much you respect the hunters! Why do this to yourself, to all of them? Whoever you're trying to avenge has been gone for so long, your actions help no one. Least of all you.”

“I do it because it's what the system doesn't want,” he grinned. His revenge had never been aimed at the king of hunters, or his species. Rather, he had always hated the system that had forced them to become enemies. A long time ago, he had disassociated Alana's name from his misery. He really didn't want to equate her with her employer, but now he hardly had a choice anymore.

[You have received the Title 'Enemy of the Gods']

Before he could even understand his new title, he saw Alana's tears.

“Why would you tell me that? Now I have to stop you. I now have the authority to directly interfere with the life force transfer on earth... and I am forced to use it against you.”

“But you're just a projection, so good luck with that.”

With a sad smile, Alana looked at him for a second, before she turned her back to him.

“Do your best, and fight hard.” With that, she disappeared. Only a moment later, Layne saw her form on the opposite side of the battlefield, next to his sworn foe. He could feel the enormous energy filter into the golden bastard's body as she loaded the king of hunters up with titles and special privileges.

His face a mask of indifference, Layne grabbed his sword tighter and stepped ahead. A few more morsels of magic metal fell off the decrepit thing, but it was still good for one last fight.

That day, the king of hunters and a third of his warriors managed to escape with their lives. From then on, the two would meet again and again, until the end of time.