The streets of **Starter City** seemed quieter after the scuffle with the Player Killers, but Alex knew better. The calm that hung in the air was deceptive. This world was brutal, and every player was a ticking clock waiting for their time to run out. He glanced at Drax, who was still cracking jokes despite his brush with death, and couldn't help but admire his resilience.

Betsy led the group through the narrow streets, her sharp eyes scanning the crowds. "PKs tend to group up," she muttered, notching an arrow loosely on her bowstring as they moved. "We should avoid them for now. They'll be looking for revenge."

Drax snorted. "Let them come. I'm ready this time." Despite his bravado, his eyes flicked nervously to his timer, which now had a more comfortable cushion of time, thanks to the paladin, Luke.

"Don't push your luck," Betsy said, her voice firm. "We barely made it out of that fight, and if you run out of time, there's no coming back."

Alex walked in silence, lost in his thoughts. Luke's mysterious power and the word he kept repeating—**"Verum"**—had left an impression on him. The paladin was clearly more than he seemed, and Alex had a nagging feeling that Luke's role in their journey wasn't over. There was something about the way Luke had appeared, almost as if he had been waiting for them.

But that was a mystery for later. For now, Alex's thoughts were consumed by the harsh reality of ALBEKO's world: time, death, and survival.

---

They reached the edge of the marketplace, where the crowds thinned, and the bustling activity gave way to quieter streets. Alex was still thinking about the **death penalty**. When a player was killed, they lost time, and the victor gained a portion of that time for themselves. It was a cruel system, one that encouraged brutality and greed.

"If you die with no time left, that's it, right?" Alex asked, breaking the silence as they walked.

"Yep," Betsy replied without missing a beat. "Your real-world clock hits zero. Game over."

Drax looked over his shoulder with a grin. "That's why you've got to fight for every second. No time, no life."

"Some players rely on the dungeons to keep their clocks filled," Betsy added, glancing at Alex. "But the PKs... they prey on the weak. They'll take your time if they can't earn their own."

Alex felt a cold knot form in his stomach. The system was ruthless. He had known this world wouldn't be easy, but the idea that people were actively hunting others for their time made it feel even darker. It wasn't just about leveling up or defeating monsters—it was about survival, and anyone could be a target.

"And when you lose time, you've got a cooldown, right?" Alex asked.

"Three hours," Betsy confirmed. "If you've got time left when you die, you're locked out of the game for three hours. Gives you time to think about how you messed up."

"Like a nice little punishment," Drax said, chuckling. "But hey, if you die too much, you won't be back at all."

Alex nodded, processing the information. Death in this world wasn't permanent, but it was a steep price to pay. Time was everything here, just as it was in the real world. And the more you fought, the more time you could accumulate—but it also meant risking everything.

"Verum, verum, verum."

The soft chant made Alex turn his head. Luke was walking beside them, his eyes distant but peaceful. The paladin was quiet and reserved, but his presence was calming in a way Alex couldn't quite explain.

"You saved me back there, mate," Drax said, turning to Luke with a grin. "I owe you one."

Luke glanced at him, his lips curling into a faint smile. "Verum."

Drax laughed, clapping the paladin on the shoulder. "This guy's a real mystery. But I'll take a healer who can bring me back from the brink any day."

Betsy smiled faintly. "I think he's saying 'truth' in Latin. But that's all he says."

"Verum means 'truth,'" Alex said quietly, nodding. "It's like he knows something the rest of us don't."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Luke didn't respond, but his soft chant of "verum" continued as they walked.

The group moved forward together, passing through the streets of Starter City until they reached the **guild district**. The buildings here were larger, more ornate, with banners of various guilds hanging from the windows and doorways. Adventurers moved in and out of the buildings, their armor gleaming in the late afternoon light, and their levels displayed proudly above their heads.

"This is where things get interesting," Betsy said, glancing at Alex. "Guilds run the show in ALBEKO. They control the floors, the economy, everything. If you want power, you join a guild."

Alex nodded, though the thought of joining a guild felt premature. He was still figuring out his place in this world, and with his glitched stats, he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself. The last thing he needed was for someone to realize how broken his character really was.

"Do we need to worry about guilds coming after us?" Alex asked.

"Depends," Betsy said with a shrug. "Some guilds look for trouble, others mind their own business. But if you're strong enough, they'll want to recruit you."

"Or kill you," Drax added cheerfully. "Nothing like a little competition to keep things exciting."

"Great," Alex muttered, shaking his head.

As they walked through the district, Alex couldn't help but notice how organized everything seemed. The guilds clearly had a firm grip on the city's operations, and there was a sense of order in the chaos. It was like a political machine, and Alex could see how easy it would be to get caught up in the power struggles that were no doubt happening behind the scenes.

"Not all guilds are bad," Betsy said, as if reading his thoughts. "Some genuinely want to help players progress. But others... they're in it for themselves. They'll do whatever it takes to stay on top."

"Sounds familiar," Alex said bitterly. The real world had been much the same—people climbing over each other to survive, to get ahead, with no regard for the lives they ruined along the way. It seemed ALBEKO was just another version of the same game.

As they approached the edge of the guild district, the conversation shifted, and Drax's playful banter returned. He seemed to have fully recovered from his near-death experience, though his timer still hung over his head like a reminder of how close he had come to losing it all.

"So," Drax said, nudging Alex with his elbow. "You thinking about joining a guild, or are you planning to go solo?"

Alex hesitated. "I'm not sure yet. I think I need to figure some things out first."

Drax grinned. "Well, if you ever need a recommendation, just let me know. I'm kind of a big deal around here."

Betsy snorted. "Drax, you're in debt to half the guilds in this city."

"Details, details," Drax said, waving a hand dismissively. "But seriously, Alex, you've got potential. You've got that... mysterious power thing going on. Guilds love that kind of stuff."

Alex forced a smile, though his mind was racing. He couldn't let anyone know about the glitch. Not yet. Not until he understood it himself.

Luke, who had been silent for most of the walk, suddenly stopped in his tracks. His soft chant of "verum" paused, and his eyes locked onto something in the distance.

"Luke?" Betsy asked, following his gaze.

At the end of the street, a group of players had gathered, their weapons drawn. Alex recognized the rogue and warrior from earlier—the PKs who had attacked Luke. But now, they had backup—four more players, all heavily armed and ready for a fight.

"They found us," Alex muttered, his pulse quickening.

Drax cracked his knuckles. "About time. Let's finish what we started."

Betsy glanced at Alex. "Stay close. We'll take them together."

Luke stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the PKs as they advanced. His lips moved, and the familiar chant of "verum, verum, verum" began again.

The rogue, who had barely survived their last encounter, sneered as he approached. "You thought you could get away with that, huh? Well, we brought friends this time."

"Back off," Betsy warned, raising her bow. "You don't want this fight."

The rogue grinned, his dagger flashing in the light. "Oh, I think we do."

Before Alex could react, the PKs charged.

---

The fight erupted in an instant. Drax leaped forward, his massive sword swinging in wide arcs as he clashed with the warrior. Betsy unleashed a rapid volley of arrows, her movements precise and controlled, keeping the rogue at bay. The other PKs swarmed around them, their weapons gleaming as they closed in.

Alex felt the familiar surge of energy building inside him, the glitch stirring as his instincts took over. He dodged an incoming attack from one of the PK mages, then retali

ated with a blast of dark energy that sent the player flying back into the wall.

But the PKs were relentless. The mage quickly recovered, hurling fireballs and ice shards in rapid succession, forcing Alex to dodge and weave through the attacks. His heart raced, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he fought to stay ahead of the barrage.

Meanwhile, Drax was locked in a fierce duel with the warrior, his sword clanging against the other player's shield with each strike. Despite his earlier brush with death, Drax fought with the same reckless enthusiasm, a grin plastered on his face even as his timer flashed warningly above his head.

Betsy, ever the tactician, was holding her ground against the rogue, her arrows finding their mark with deadly accuracy. But the rogue was quick, and he danced around her shots, waiting for an opening.

The fight dragged on, and Alex could feel the tide turning against them. The PKs had numbers on their side, and even with their combined strength, it was clear that they were at a disadvantage. Drax's timer was dangerously low again, and Alex could see the exhaustion beginning to set in.

Then, just as the rogue moved in for a final blow against Betsy, Luke stepped forward.

"Verum, verum, verum," he whispered, his voice calm and steady.

The rogue froze mid-strike, his eyes widening as a soft golden light enveloped him. For a moment, the entire battlefield seemed to pause as Luke's power spread through the air.

With a single word, the tide of the battle shifted.

Luke raised his hand, and a pulse of energy radiated from his palm, washing over the party. Drax's wounds healed in an instant, his timer stabilizing as the golden light restored his strength. Betsy's arrows glowed with a soft brilliance, each shot now striking with even greater precision.

Alex felt the energy surge through him, his glitch responding to Luke's power in a way he hadn't expected. It was as if the two forces—his dark glitch and Luke's light—were connected somehow, intertwined in a delicate balance.

The PKs, realizing they were outmatched, scrambled to retreat, but it was too late. With renewed strength, the party pressed their advantage, overwhelming their attackers until the last of them fell.

The battle was over.

---

Breathing heavily, Alex watched as the PKs dissolved into the familiar black smoke of fallen players. His timer flashed with a small increase in time earned from the battle, but his mind was elsewhere.

Luke stood quietly, his eyes distant once more as the golden light faded from his hands. He muttered "verum" under his breath, his expression calm and unreadable.

Drax, ever the joker, grinned and clapped Luke on the back. "Looks like you've got more than just that word in your vocabulary, mate. You saved our hides again."

"Verum," Luke replied, offering a faint smile.

Betsy shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "I think we've found our healer."

Alex smiled, feeling a strange sense of relief. Their party was complete now—with Luke's mysterious power, Betsy's precision, Drax's strength, and Alex's growing abilities, they were ready for whatever came next.

But as they walked away from the battlefield, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was happening—something that involved Luke's strange power and the connection between their abilities. And in the shadows, **K's** presence loomed larger than ever.

Whatever came next, Alex knew one thing for sure: they were just getting started.