The marketplace bustled with life as players bartered with merchants, bought supplies, and traded gear. The air was thick with the noise of haggling, the clinking of coins, and the sharp, metallic sounds of weapons being repaired or sold. For most players, this was a routine—earn time in dungeons, spend it on gear, and repeat the cycle to keep their clocks ticking.
But underneath the surface, the brutality of ALBEKO's system lurked. There was no mercy here—only survival. And for some players, survival meant exploiting others.
"Be careful in the city," Betsy warned as they made their way through the crowded streets, her eyes scanning the alleyways and hidden corners. "Not everyone here plays fair. There are PKs—**Player Killers**—who prey on weaker players. They steal time from those who can't fight back."
Alex frowned, his thoughts drifting to the dungeon they had just completed and the stark reality that had been presented to him. In this world, time was everything. And the more you had, the more powerful you became. But if you lost it... you died.
"I've heard about PKs," Alex said, keeping his voice low. "They can take time from players they kill, right?"
Betsy nodded. "Exactly. And when a player dies, the killer takes a portion of their time. If the victim has time left on their clock, they get revived, but it comes at a cost. You lose time, and you're forced out of the game for three hours. If your clock is close to zero, though..." She didn't finish the sentence, but the implication hung in the air.
Death in ALBEKO wasn't permanent, but it was a setback—one that could mean the difference between life and death in the real world.
"Brutal system," Alex muttered, his stomach twisting.
"Welcome to ALBEKO," Drax said with a grin. "Where you either win or get wiped out. It's just like the real world, only bloodier. Speaking of which, let's find something to do. Standing around here makes me feel too... safe." He wiggled his fingers for emphasis, his expression too cheerful given the gravity of the conversation.
Betsy shook her head. "There's nothing safe about this place."
They were passing a narrow alley when Alex's ears caught the sound of raised voices. He slowed, his attention drawn to a group of players clustered around a single figure in the alleyway. The figure was hunched, his back against the wall as the other players surrounded him, taunting and jeering.
"What's going on there?" Alex asked, his eyes narrowing.
Betsy followed his gaze and frowned. "PKs. Looks like they've found someone to bully."
Drax's grin faded as he stepped forward, his eyes narrowing in anger. "I hate these kinds of scum," he muttered.
Without waiting for a response, Drax moved toward the group, his massive sword already in his hands. Alex and Betsy exchanged a quick glance before following him.
As they approached, Alex could hear the words of the bullies more . The victim—a young man dressed in paladin armor—was cornered against the wall, his face pale but calm. The group of PKs laughed and shoved him, their weapons drawn, though they hadn't attacked him yet.
"Verum, verum, verum," the paladin whispered repeatedly, his voice steady despite the situation. His eyes were distant, as if he was somewhere else entirely, unbothered by the insults and threats being thrown at him.
One of the PKs, a rogue with a scar running down his cheek, sneered at him. "Look at this freak. All he says is 'verum.' You broken or something?"
"Yeah, can't even fight back," another one chimed in, a tall warrior with a wicked grin. "Let's take his time. It's not like he needs it anyway."
The third PK, a mage with glowing red runes etched into her staff, chuckled darkly. "He's too dumb to even run. This is going to be easy."
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Alex felt a surge of anger rise in his chest. The paladin—Luke, judging by the name hovering above his head—wasn't fighting back. He just stood there, repeating the word "verum" over and over. It was clear he wasn't going to defend himself, and the PKs were about to steal his time.
"We're not letting this happen," Drax growled, stepping forward. "Oi! Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"
The PKs turned, their eyes narrowing as they saw the approaching party. The rogue sneered, his hand tightening around the dagger at his side. "Stay out of this, or you'll lose your time too."
Betsy already had her bow in hand, an arrow notched and ready. "Back off," she said coldly. "Now."
Alex felt the tension in the air thicken as both sides squared off. His pulse quickened, his instincts telling him that this was about to turn into a fight. He could feel the same strange energy stirring within him, the glitch ready to be unleashed.
The rogue PK grinned, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Looks like we've got ourselves some heroes. Let's see how long your clocks last."
With a swift motion, he lunged at Drax, his dagger flashing through the air. Drax blocked the attack with his sword, the clang of metal echoing through the alleyway. The other PKs sprang into action, the warrior charging at Betsy while the mage began casting a spell.
The fight was on.
---
Drax fought with his usual reckless abandon, swinging his massive sword with powerful, sweeping strikes. The rogue danced around him, trying to land a quick blow with his dagger, but Drax's size and strength made it difficult to get close. Even so, the rogue was fast, darting in and out of Drax's reach like a shadow.
Betsy loosed a volley of arrows at the warrior charging her, her movements precise and fluid. The arrows struck their mark, but the warrior kept coming, his shield raised to deflect the blows. He swung his sword in a wide arc, forcing Betsy to leap back to avoid the strike.
Alex focused on the mage, who was muttering incantations under her breath, her staff glowing with ominous red light. He could feel the glitch stirring within him, the strange energy coiling like a serpent, ready to strike. He raised his hand, hoping his instincts would guide him once again.
The mage unleashed a bolt of fire toward him, the flames crackling as they shot through the air. Alex reacted instinctively, sidestepping the attack and raising his hand. A blast of dark energy erupted from his palm, slamming into the mage and sending her sprawling to the ground.
The rogue, seeing his companion fall, cursed under his breath and leaped at Alex, his dagger aimed at Alex's throat. But before the rogue could land the blow, Drax slammed into him, knocking him to the ground with a powerful shoulder charge.
"Nice try, mate," Drax growled, swinging his sword down at the rogue. The blade connected with a sickening crunch, and the rogue's body crumpled, his time drained away in an instant.
**Time Earned: +2 Hours.**
Alex blinked as the notification flashed across his vision. He hadn't even been the one to land the killing blow, but he had earned time from the fight. The system rewarded them for killing other players just as it did for defeating dungeon monsters. The brutality of it hit him all over again.
Betsy, having finished off the warrior, joined them, her expression grim. "They won't be logging back in for a few hours," she said, glancing at the fallen PKs. "But we should move. PKs have a habit of coming back with friends."
Alex nodded, his heart still racing from the fight. But as he looked around, he realized someone was missing.
"Where's Drax?" he asked, panic rising in his chest.
Betsy turned sharply, her eyes scanning the alley. "He was right—"
A soft groan came from behind a stack of crates, and Alex rushed over, his stomach twisting. Drax was slumped against the wall, blood pooling beneath him. His timer was dangerously low, the numbers flashing in red:
**Time Remaining: 00:15:12.**
"Drax!" Alex shouted, dropping to his knees beside him.
Drax gave him a weak smile, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Looks like... I'm cutting it close, huh?" His voice was strained, but there was a hint of his usual humor in it.
"We need to get him some time," Alex said urgently, looking to Betsy. "He doesn't have long."
Betsy shook her head, her face pale. "We don't have any spare time left. He burned through his reserve in the fight."
Alex's heart raced as he frantically searched for a solution. They couldn't let Drax die. Not like this. But without time, there was nothing they could do.
"Verum, verum, verum," a soft voice muttered behind them.
Alex turned, his eyes widening in surprise. Luke, the paladin they had saved, stood there, his eyes calm and distant, his hands glowing with a soft golden light.
"Verum, verum, verum," Luke whispered again as he knelt beside Drax, his hand hovering over the wounds.
Before Alex could
ask what he was doing, the golden light flared, and Drax's body was enveloped in warmth. The wounds on his body began to close, the blood vanishing as though it had never been there. Drax's timer stopped flashing, the numbers stabilizing as his time increased by a few precious minutes.
**Time Remaining: 03:12:45.**
Drax blinked, his eyes widening as he sat up. "What the...?"
Luke stood, his expression unchanged, still muttering the word "verum" under his breath. He looked at Drax, nodded once, and turned to leave, his calm demeanor never faltering.
Drax, still in shock, looked at Alex and Betsy. "Did... did that guy just save me?"
Alex nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Looks like it."
Drax's grin returned, wider than ever. "Guess I owe him one. Who knew a guy who only says 'verum' could be such a badass?"
Betsy chuckled, her tension easing. "Seems like he's not as helpless as we thought."
Alex stood, watching as Luke disappeared into the crowd. Something about the paladin intrigued him—there was a mystery to the way he moved, the calmness in his actions, as though he was more aware of the world around him than anyone else. And the way he had healed Drax... there was power there, beyond what most players seemed capable of.
"Well," Drax said, standing up and stretching. "Looks like I'm back in the game. Let's go find something else to fight, eh?"
Betsy sighed, shaking her head. "You nearly died, Drax. Maybe we should take a break."
"Break? Please." Drax grinned. "I've got more time now. That means more fun."
Alex laughed, the tension finally leaving his body. With Luke's unexpected help, their party was now complete. They had the strength to face whatever was coming next, and Alex had the feeling they would need every advantage they could get.
Together, the group left the alley, ready to continue their journey. But in the back of Alex's mind, one thought lingered—this world was brutal, and if they weren't careful, time would slip away from them faster than they realized.
And in ALBEKO, time was the only thing that mattered.