[00:17:30:27]

The timer was ticking. Seventeen hours, thirty minutes, twenty-seven seconds.

Lauren was already awake, waiting for her 'guest' to wake up. She must have been tired. Usually, they would both be awake around 5:00 AM to hit the gym. With this impending doom, Lauren decided to work on the essentials.

Her survival.

She needed to study up on a decent number of things. Already reading several articles about cooking, what you need for an apocalypse, things you should buy, and brushing up on a bit of mythology, Lauren did not want to be ill-prepared. Pandora dropped a huge hint on what they may be fighting against. Being a Greek being of the past, minotaurs, gorgons, harpies, sirens, and other things will invade this world. Lauren was not sure if all of those specific creatures will come, but it was better to be prepared than being ignorant. There was a slight problem with what Lauren should do the moment shit hits the fan. This was no nuclear attack, scratching out the need to go into a fallout shelter. It was no zombie apocalypse, but there could be smaller versions of it if zombies do pop up.

The question was should she stay here or get out?

Looking around the small one-story house, she looked at the relatively simple interior. No walls were separating the different sections of the house except the bathroom and the garage. It was one huge room where the living room, bedroom, dining room, kitchen, and computer room are joined together. This was her adoptive parent uncle's house. Noticing where it was located, her parents gave Lauren this house when she told them that she wanted to attend ZSEU. Smiling softly at their actions, Lauren texted her adoptive parents about the incoming danger. They would not believe her if she told them without any proof. Luckily, the XIC suit had a few handy features. AMFs had a sending device that could not be traced back to her location. If Lauren sent the information on her smartphone, there was a high chance that the military will be knocking on her door... Even though someone saw her with Pandora, she wanted to repay her adoptive parents for all they've done.

Her adoptive parents were confused about how she got her hands on the info, and why they had to use secret means to reveal the info. By attending this university, Lauren easily said that she had friends and contacts in the military. Accepting the lie, her adoptive parents were concerned with her wellbeing.

It surprised Lauren to the point that they called her, asking her if they want them to pick her up.

Remembering a bit of their genuine concern, she felt a bit touched by it. They talked about a lot of things, but what surprised her was their confession. They were worried about her because they loved her. Even if Lauren didn't love them fully, it warmed her heart though. She declined their offer, asking for some money. Her excuse for not going with her adoptive parents was generic, "I have friends here, and I don't want to leave them." They did not press any further, finally letting go of Lauren. She heard crying on the other end, but they were ready for this moment. They said their farewells, Lauren ending the call.

The blonde sighed loudly. If she could, she would leave with them.

But she can't, Pandora has her eyes on her, and with these powers, there will be no peace. She would bring danger to others. And she did not want her adoptive parents in the crossfire.

Checking her bank account now, Lauren was surprised at how much money they gave her. With the incoming doom, it would make sense that money might become useless. Still, it might be best to have some on hand. This means she has to go to the bank, but she has no ride. Then again. she also needed to restock on a lot of things. Food, clothes, survival gear, stuff that she'll need when Pandora unleashes her demons in this world. Scratching her head, she sighed at the sudden workload she had to do now.

"Hey... Where am I?" Alayna got up from the bed, stretching her arms out. She stopped, pulling the blanket off of her to stare at the magical ankle shackles. She stared at Lauren, trying to figure out why the blonde was in front of her. Blinking a few times, she suddenly screamed. Another sigh escaped Lauren's mouth.

"My house. You're at my house."

"Y-Yes... I-I- Oh yeah! You! What did Pandora tell you? W-Why were you in an XIC?! What happened with that monster?! A-And can you get this off of me?! I-I can't believe you-"

"I still don't trust you." Lauren did not look at Alayna, watching a video, "You had handcuffs, threatened to kick my door in, and you know about this. You, for all I know, might go back to your bosses, turn me in, and they might end up capturing me and dissect me. I, for one, do not want to be in that position."

"I-I think you're exaggerating-"

"Maybe, but I know that they will arrest me and question me till they get everything out of me. Your people want to know what Pandora is doing. Right now, I cannot waste any valuable time on trivial matters. Homework, classes, playing politics, working out, it will not save us when Pandora unleashes her box. Tomorrow will be doomsday." There was silence between the two of them.

"Doomsday?" Alayna's voice trembled at the information. "W-What do you mean?"

"As I said, Pandora plans to release her box onto the world by tomorrow-" Lauren eyed at the timer, scratching her head, "Why the bloody hell is she doing it at midnight though? No one will be awake- Hold on. There are time zones and whatnot. Great... This complicates things. I just hope that Pandora will make her announcement a bit later than that. I might need to sleep before the timer hits zero."

"T-Timer? What timer?" Confused by Lauren's blabbering, the blonde explained the countdown she can see.

"The countdown is counting down the remaining time until Pandora unleashes utter mayhem onto our world. If I explain everything to you, you must promise me not to turn me in, not to tell anyone else unless I permit you, and you must help me with a few things- nothing bad, I can assure you." Alayna, already seeing her talk with Pandora, agreed without any hesitation.

"Yes, I will agree with this. Tell me... EVERYTHING."

Undoing the shackles, Lauren revealed all of Pandora's plans. A lot of different emotions appeared on Alayna's face. Sadness, anger, shock, a bit of happiness, but fear was the last emotion that remained on her face. She took in everything, checking the house. She eyed at the food, water, the garage, the closets, weapons, clothes, supplies, she took note of every item Lauren has. Taking everything into account, she says, "I will go and fetch a bunch of items that we'll need. Do you have a spare key?"

"I do? Why do you ask?"

"Don't you want me to help you? I will be staying here, right?" Lauren shook her head.

"You are not staying at my place. You have a bit more protection and power if you stayed on campus." Alayna looked at Lauren. It was like her brain stopped for a second.

"E-Excuse me?"

"I wouldn't mind some items or things to help me with maintaining the XIC suit, having a bit of material to clean my guns, having more bullets, some armor, and other items, but you will not be staying here."

"Why not?!" It was a desperate shout that surprised both of them. Lauren ignored it though, declining her intentions.

"I don't want you to die." She said this on purpose to motivate, and hopefully, appeal to Alayna. Knowing that the girl may have a crush on her, it would be better if she kept her distance. And honestly, she doesn't want this redhead to die. It would hurt Lauren if something bad happened to Alayna. Seeing the effects of her words, Alayna had a troubled expression. A blush can be seen, but her eyebrows are moving up and down.

"I-I'll... just get some equipment that you will need. Do you even have a car to go to the city?"

"The only thing I have is the XIC suit. I don't know if I can take that through the streets though."

"You can." This surprised Lauren. "I will have to teach you on getting it out of its emergency mode though. You don't want some random person hijacking your XIC suit. And don't worry, some military personnel just walk into the city with their vehicles because they needed to get something. If anyone bothers you, just show them the military card you received along with your XIC key. Those two are acceptable forms of identification for military personnel. There are other papers and IDs you need, but you're not trying to get into a military facility. If you try to use that military card off-campus, it will not work. I highly advise you not to use it in the city." Alayna leaned into the XIC, examining its condition and fuel. As she does this, Lauren averted her gaze from a certain female body part that was sticking out. After her thorough inspection, Alayna pressed the emergency button, closing the suit. 

"On the back here, there is an ID reader and a key slot. By scanning the military card, you just need to insert the key and twist it." Alayna addressed the two items to unlock the emergency mode. Following her procedures, Lauren scanned the card and placed the key in the slot. Giving it a twist, the emergency mode was deactivated, revealing the cockpit once more. "And that's it."

"So I can use this as a form of transportation?" Lauren asked.

"Yep. Now, before I go, I will need that spare key." Lauren did not want to give her a spare house key, but it was only temporary.

"Follow me. Know that this key is just for today. Afterward, you will give it back." Heading back into the house, she opened up a drawer and handed Alayna the spare key, "Don't lose it."

"I-I won't!" So much excitement for one key... 

Heading out first, Alayna left Lauren's place in a jeep. Watching her leave, Lauren prayed that she wasn't tracked back to her place. Entering back into her house-

"Hello mortal." There was a shady female figure sitting on Lauren's kitchen counter. Legs crossed, the being had a nice body. Curves, nice assets, and a dangerous aura. She had a very tight suit on, reminding Lauren of some assassin characters in video games, yet the outfit has modern and magical materials woven into it. The material might have incorporated Kevlar and other present-day fabric. The design and appearance had an aesthetic dark fantasy design to them. Her face was covered by a mask and hood, seeing her sharpen a knife with a whetstone.

No doubt about it, this was one of Pandora's minions. The woman did say she would send someone to answer any further questions. This agent waited for Alayna to leave Lauren's house before revealing herself. Staring at her, a sudden box popped up.

Karen [Lvl. 100 Pandora's Assassin] - These individuals are loyal to their dark mistress. Being offered with power and redemption from their past mistakes, they serve to kill, assassin, and corrupt. Karen, one of the oldest assassins, is a trusted individual Pandora will send out to make sure the job is done. Karen has served the dark mistress ever since her rebirth, not failing the dark mistress in any way. She has executed many important individuals to ensure that chaos can spread throughout the world. She, unlike most creatures or beings under Pandora, does not kill for the fun of it. She only follows the command of her highness, doing what needs to be done. If you were to engage her, be at least lvl 150+.  

"This is why I hate showing myself to mortals... Or should I say testers... I told Pandora that this was a waste of time. Why would she want a couple of meatbags getting a head start? Why not unleash the chaos and have everyone struggle at the same time? If there were an army of minotaurs, not one mortal would gain her grace..." It sounded like she was a young woman in her twenties or mid-twenties, but there was a harshness and dislike towards Lauren.

Or to humanity. Curious about her, Lauren leaned against the wall.

"And you aren't one of us? Surely, you used to be a human." She stopped her movements. She placed the whetstone away, staring at Lauren.

"I was, but humans are weak. When cities were ravaged and pillaged by barbarians, do you think a woman had a chance to resist their invaders? No, they didn't. Why? Because humanity, males, did not see the need to train their other sex. Why? Because they wanted tools. I see humans as a weak link to their true forms. A form that can be gifted by our benevolent Pandora. She saved me from my despair. She showed me the weakness that you, humans, have." She threw the knife at Lauren. 

Unable to dodge it, the knife landed right beside her head. Using some ability, Karen was before her. For a brief second, a gray smoke wisped through the air the moment her knife slammed into the wall. The smoke quickly transformed into Karen, standing in front of the blonde. She cornered Lauren against the wall, looking down on her. Seeing her red eyes, Karen whispered into Lauren's ear, her tone leaking her malice. "YoU sickEn me. YoU deCLineD Pandora's GiFt."

Pulling her knife from the wall, she walked over to her previous spot. Lauren would have been frightened by this, yet her anger was rising to a boiling point. There was a reason why Pandora was treating her differently, and it was hinted through her stupid kiss. The blonde never asked for her mercy or love. She did not even want this special treatment, remaining neutral despite Karen's aggression to her. Unable to control her tongue, Lauren said, "I don't care about your lust or stupid love for your mistress, I just want to prepare for the end of the world. You should confess your love if you're jealous of ours-"

"You are testing me, human!" A dark purple aura coated Karen's body, giving off a dreadful sensation. Lauren, flinching from this because her body could not resist it, countered with, "You might anger Pandora. For a high being, you're letting my words cut you so easily. Isn't that a sign of weakness?" Karen immediately silenced her fury, folding her arms.

"And Pandora was telling me that I was dealing with a very simple person. She does not see your true colors-"

"I bet she does, but she doesn't care. Anyways, I have a tight schedule, and I want to ask my questions. Once I do, you can leave." 

"I leave when I want. I must watch over you, protect you if the military tries to do something to you." Lauren blinked at the last part. "She KNEW someone would investigate your little mess from last night. If you didn't stop that redhead, I would have-" Before Karen finished her words, a blade was caught between her fingers. The assassin crushed the mana dagger, looking at Lauren. 

"You harm her, I will not forgive you or Pandora." Lauren glared at Karen. The assassin laughed at this, noting the strange behavior.

"You love her? Really-"

"Not love. Just a friend." A lie, but Lauren did not want Alayna to die because of association and a slight misunderstanding. Karen did not press any further, waiting for Lauren's questions. "Are there any rules for exposing or warning other people about doomsday?"

"Nope." This was met with confusion, Karen explaining Lauren's unique position. "Understand that Pandora would not care much about the military attacking any lucky [Alpha] or [Beta] who exposed the information. They are on their own. You, on the other hand, will be protected if the military were to attack you. Other than the redhead, I took care of the people that followed her. Don't worry, I just implanted lies into their heads. I did not kill them." Lauren took out her phone, seeing if she can find a thread on the internet about doomsday.

There were several of them. She clicked on one, skimming through the messages. It seemed like some of these threads have proof of the incoming doomsday as the other threads barely have any proof. This got mixed reviews, some people agreeing with them while the majority mocked them. With such info though, the military will search for them.

That answered one of her questions. 

"Is there any rule preventing friendly fire?" This earned a small laugh from Karen.

"Friendly fire? Nonsense, there is no such thing in the living. You're asking me if the other contestants will be protected from each other?" Lauren nodded. Karen laughed in earnest, mocking her question. "There is no such thing as friendly fire. There is no safety between those with powers and those who have none. If you wanted to, you can hunt down other [Alpha] or [Beta] winners or go on a massacre." Lauren thought as much, wanting some clarity on the grim situation. She suspected as much, but this confirmed the chaos that might be unleashed for today. If she goes to the city, she had to be armed and ready for a confrontation of sorts.

Thank god Alayna told her that it was fine to bring her XIC suit. The blonde suddenly cursed at one small thing she did not plan on. The distance of her house to the city. There was no way for her to get there in a day with the XIC. Even though it is a vehicle, it's not like a car. It would take twice as long to move from point A to B. 

"I didn't think this out thoroughly..." Lauren rubbed her forehead, irritated at this one mistake. 

"What's the matter? You forgot something?" Lauren ignored the sneer or mockery in Karen's tone.

"I didn't think about the time it'll take for me to get into the city and back."

"Ah, that is a problem," Karen said in a very troubled manner. The tone was an act, having a pinch of worry, but it has a bit of sarcasm in it. "Pandora saw this coming, giving a solution to your dilemma. But before I tell you, do you have any other questions?" Lauren was a bit wary of Karen's aid. She ignored it, for now, going back to her questions.

"Can an [Alpha] or [Beta] help a contestant pass their trial?"

"Yes, however, our testers are strong enough to deal with them. If an [Alpha] or [Beta] does engage against a tester and help the contestants, then it's fine. And if the tester engages against an [Alpha] or [Beta], they have some perks and skills to increase the difficulty. It might not be hard for the [Alpha] or [Beta], but it does kill off the contestants if they cannot keep up."

"Are there any dungeons or creatures I can fight against before doomsday?"

"There are a couple within this area, but I will recommend something that might be to your liking."

"A quest?" Unable to see her expression, Karen looked like she nodded.

"Yes... Looks like you were going to ask about it, or you knew it would be a thing. Pandora's Game has a lot of the mechanics you would find in a roleplaying game. I will say that you asked important questions that our display screen did not mention. I will inform her of these things later. I will not go into the details of your quest until you asked all of your questions." Lauren accepted this, continuing.

"Skills are leveled up by using them, right?"

"Correct."

"And they do not play a huge role in leveling the overall level."

"Correct."

"Defeating an enemy or accomplishing a quest will give me the experience to the overall level?"

"Yes. Know that the total levels of your jobs do not add up to your overall level."

"To gain titles and perks, I will have to do an action that meets their requirements? The same can be said with jobs as well?"

"Yes. Another thing you can do is to level up your skills and job levels. There will be a chance that something will pop up. When you level up your overall level, you can also have a selection of the things you could acquire. Maybe display-senpai has a lot more things to add in her introduction box."

"What are the lover, dungeon, and monster boxes?"

"That will be unlocked when the game officially begins. Same with the guild function."

"Can you show someone else your info screen?"

"Yes."

"Can you hide certain things on your info screen?"

"Normally, no, yet you can do so." Puzzled, Lauren was going to ask, but Karen gave a simple answer. "Pandora will find it troubling if other people see the title she bestowed upon you. [Pandora's Love] is a very special one that will raise a lot of questions. A lot of beings under Pandora have this title."

"Can you see the info screen of your enemies?"

"You have a lot of questions. No, you cannot see the info screen of your opponent unless you have a certain skill for it. The only thing you can see from the enemy would be their health gauge, their name, level, if possible, and a small description box." If possible? So there might be a chance that an enemy will be too strong to reveal their level.

"How do I unlock the hidden details of a perk, title, job, or skill?" This question made the assassin pause in her quick responses. She tapped her left cheek, thinking.

"...it will reveal itself in due time. I cannot say how exactly, but it does." A very vague, open answer, but Lauren accepted it. 

"And lastly, is there another form of currency."

"Yes. Pandora, don't know how she forgot about it, did not give you your coins. Here you go. Everyone starts with this much- enjoy." A screen popped up before Lauren.

You have earned 3000 ©!

Because this is your first time earning these coins, know that they will always be with you as long as you're alive! There are several different types of currencies used by Pandora's Services.

Coins © - Used for most transactions and the main reward for completing a quest.

Blood Coins (BC) - Are gained by killing other people with skills and whatnot.

Tear Drops (TD) - A currency shaped like a tear. You can gain these by doing a 'good' quest.

Skull Coins (SC) - A currency shaped like a human skull. You can gain these by doing an 'evil' quest.

Pandora Coins (PC) - Special coins that Pandora can award.  

Know that if you die, your money will be transferred to your killer. Even if it is a monster, they will hold onto your cash until someone successfully kills them. To access Pandora's Services, please consult with me, display-senpai, or a nonhostile agent of Pandora. 

Note: Nonhostile agents of Pandora can still kill you if you do not show your respect.

Pushing the notification away, Lauren told Karen, "I am done with my questions. What is this offer that you have?"

"Not mine, but Pandora is giving you one. If you do not take it, you won't be able to use my services to get into the city easily. Here it is." Opening up a screen of her own, she pushed the empty air towards Lauren. A different colored notification box blinded Lauren.

♡First Quest for Lauren♡

From: Pandora Quest Rank: ★★ (Below Normal) Alignment: Evil

Rewards:

1000 Exp

10000 ©

10 SC

5 TD

2 PC

Description: By obtaining new powers, Pandora decided to give Lauren Hook the first quest that will reward her with more power and money before doomsday. Sensing three other [Alpha] players in Zulu city, Pandora wants them dead. They have created a bunch of issues for the military and the normal lives of civilians.

Time Limit: By the end of today.

Location: Zulu City

Mission:

Kill all three [Alpha].

Cathy Luis

Callum Hardin

Anthony Galloway 

There are no consequences for declining or failing this quest. Karen will deal with it if Lauren cannot complete it or declines it. 

Yes No

"You got to be shitting me...?" Lauren read the quest mission over and over again. Does this have to be some sick joke? She did not... 

"You kidding? She wants me to kill three other [Alpha] players? I barely know how to use my powers."

"By accepting this, you can get some training out of it. You are resourceful. Besides, if you do not accept it, I will not be teleporting you to the city. You'll have to walk there." Lauren did not want to waste any time getting to the city. This alone persuaded Lauren to the job, but the issue was the action she must commit.

She had to kill random individuals who barely survived their tests against a monster of some kind. Even with this, knowing the horrors of being overpowered greatly against an abomination, Lauren was not entirely bothered by it. The thought of killing people did not trouble her. What troubled her was the lack of... humanity.

Weird.

She would have some complaints about it, but- Her [Apathetic] perk must be influencing her. Lauren thought about the lack of sympathy or empathy in her body.

It... disturbed her.

Reflecting on the deaths of the previous soldiers, she... felt no guilt or remorse about their deaths. She tried her hardest to feel guilty about it, trying to remember the same feelings she had when Pandora brought it up.

Nothing.

Lauren could not replicate the same feelings she had before getting the [Apathetic] perk. She knew how she felt and why, but her body just could not replicate it. When she thought about other things, like Alayna and her adoptive parents, she was able to feel an array of emotions.

She made a note of this.

The perk was like a double-edged sword, giving her pros and cons. And even with this perk, she can still judge an action for being humane or inhumane. The only thing is, even if it's inhumane, she can easily ignore any guilt or remorse that came with it. As long as the individual had no strong connections to her.

She rubbed her forehead, hating how this toyed with her emotions. She did not linger on it for too long, understanding that the world will change in a couple of days. She had to be ready for it or she will die... Correction, she will be enslaved by Pandora if she fails.

"I have no time to figure out if there are any other options for me. Let's do this." Karen raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh? And you said you aren't evil... A bit of a hypocrite-"

"It's not like I am doing it on purpose. Time is ticking and you can blame Pandora for my lack of humanity-"

"Our gracious ruler is giving you the benefits of being a true entity in this world... One that goes beyond humanity. You will become one of us." Lauren did not give her a response, hitting the [Yes] on the quest panel. 

"Let me get ready. I need to arm myself." Lauren walked away from Karen, disgusted by the slight revelation of how strong the [Apathetic] perk was. She should have known how strong it was, but she dismissed it. No, she was not aware of it since... she barely cared about people in the first place. She did have an apathetic attitude with a bunch of individuals.

Lauren threw these thoughts aside, focusing on the quest at hand.

"Let me know when you're ready then." The assassin headed to the garage. Going through her clothes, Lauren picked a tight black sweater, covering her from the neck down along with some baggy dark green pants and some old worn-out boots. On her belt was a pistol along with two pistol magazines, a knife, and two flashbangs. She stared at her reflection, looking like a military recruit without a jacket over her. This will provide a decent cover-up if she bumped into any soldiers during her visit. Lauren went into the garage and entered her XIC suit. She did not bring the giant XIC rifle, planning to grab one from... somewhere. 

"Ready." Karen snapped her fingers, teleporting them right into an empty garage. Feeling woozy for a second, Lauren wobbled in place, uneasy about the quick teleportation. She got over it after shaking her head for a few seconds. It might be because of her skills or levels that made her feel okay. If she was a normal human without any powers, she might have reacted a bit more to that teleportation. Testing out her movements, she was fine. Before Lauren headed out, she asked Karen, "You can teleport whatever I have with me, right?"

"Yes, so if you brought a ton of junk here, I can teleport it back to your place."

"Can you help me with my shopping?" The assassin did not answer her question, unsure of what she just had.

"Excuse me?"

"Can you help me with my shopping? I plan on doing it, but I might get interrupted if those three [Alpha] players show up... so can you help me?" Lauren just asked this out of sheer randomness. It is true that if she had to fight against the three players, she would not have time to shop for her supplies.

"Why would I help you with YOUR shopping? Let alone expose me to the public?"

"I could tell Pandora that you were a mean agent who didn't help her favorite [Alpha] on a small task like shopping." Lauren decided to blackmail the agent. Dumb move, but Lauren was doing something she wasn't comfortable with. Well, mentally, she knew it was not right, yet she had no issues with it. Also, she wanted to speed things up, so a helping hand wouldn't hurt. Karen did not take this lightly. She was angry at this foul play. She was shaking in place, ready to punch Lauren. Finally, she gave her answer.

"Fine. You have a stupid list?"Lauren blinked at the assassin, surprised she complied with her demands. Noticing her boiling temper, Lauren got out of her suit, handing her the written list. The assassin grabbed it, almost tearing it, and teleported away. 

"Jeez, you could have resisted and declined the offer." Lauren entered back into her suit, heading towards the city. Coming out of the garage, she noticed that the surrounding area was quiet. Venturing a bit further, she can hear the loud chatter and noises of a populated city.

Standing on the sidewalk, Lauren gazed at the tall buildings having five to eight-story floors or more. People pass by her wearing an array of clothes. Most were wearing business attire, browsing through their phones as they head to their destination. Some people were in regular clothing, hanging with friends, or enjoying their days off. Noticing a military AMF though, they distanced themselves from Lauren. Cars are crowded on the streets, honking, and waiting for the upcoming traffic to move. Thinking about where to go, her thoughts were interrupted by an explosion ringing through the air.

The peaceful atmosphere was destroyed as civilians ran past her.

Some people abandoned their cars, heading towards the nearest shelter. Sirens blared through the streets as civilians were heading towards evac shelters that popped up from the ground. Military personnel aided with the evacuation, guarding these spots. Lauren only heard the explosion, trying to see where it came from. Another explosion rang through the air. Lauren finally found where it was coming from after a minute.

Down the street, three XIC suits flew through the air, crashing on top of several abandoned cars. Next, a System was tossed into a building, shattering the glass wall and making a dent to its infrastructure. Several other XICs revealed themselves, evading incoming spheres from a levitating being. Zooming in on her, Lauren took notes on her appearance. She looks like a seventeen-year-old girl wearing casual clothes. Red and white sneakers, blue pants, and a yellow t-shirt. Her brown hair is tied in the ponytail, but she was unleashing her magic onto the military forces, defending herself.

Problem was, she was hurting a lot of non-combatants as well. Not everyone could evacuate in time. The girl, well aware of this, had a painful expression, yelling at two boys right below her.

A silver knight charged through the foot soldiers, hacking them down. With no shield, Lauren watched the knight cut down his foes, ignoring the bullets that shot at him from every angle. In the past, the knight's armor could not handle the introduction of gunpowder and the use of muskets. This person should not be standing, but the bullets are being deflected off of him. Unable to explain it with logical means, the man must have some skill to deflect the incoming shots. He ushered a fierce warcry that forced some soldiers to charge him, slicing them all down in one go. The armored man has the abilities of a tank, but it's a bit hard to protect the levitating girl from the ground. The last person was making a huge mess. With a round body and glasses, he pointed at the soldiers and civilians. A surge of electricity ripped through them, leaving no survivors. A legless being hovered near the child, having electricity swirl around his entire body and the child. The elemental has a head, two arms, and two hands with three fingers, scanning the area as his master gave another command. Executing it with no hesitation, an electric blast erupted around him, frying anyone within the circle.

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"Great. I have to take out some kids." Once again, it did not truly bother Lauren, but it was still a bitter realization. Then again, when Pandora releases her box, there will be hard choices to make.

This was just the beginning of it.

Yet why would Pandora offer her this quest to exterminate some kids? Couldn't she give a quest to hunt down some of her monsters? There might be a chance that Pandora purposely gave this quest for her benefits.

Maybe she thought Lauren would go to her side the moment she does something immoral. The sooner she tossed her humanity, the better. Sadly, Lauren will not fall that easily.

In the end, Pandora is an evil bitch.

Shaking these needless thoughts away from her mind, Lauren focused on the job at hand. Several other XIC suits passed her, firing at the floating girl. Noticing their approach, she placed a shield in front of her. The bullets could not penetrate her mana shield. With her free hand, she gathers mana for an attack. Understanding the gesture, Lauren ducked behind a building. Flinging her spell, the magical attack blasted through the ground towards the armored suits. The energy ball does not hit the soldier, going between them, but the moment it touched the ground, an explosion blew them away. Taking note of the girl's attack, most of these spells had a charging time. If she had some quick spells, she was not using them. There was a chance that her quick spells do not deal enough penetration damage against heavy armor.

And it seemed like her magic spells have a certain range.

She used her spell the moment they were 250 feet in front of her? Safe to say that she utilized her magic from medium to close range. Out of the three of them, the summoner and the girl had the most firepower. Picking up a giant rifle, Lauren continued to watch their fight against the military. Further away, beyond the range of the female mage, cars were tossed aside by two giant machines. Systems. Towering around three and a half stories, they pulled out long-range weapons to use on the teenagers. Deeming the threat level for three [Alpha] players, the military is utilizing the heavy weapons. One of the Systems balances a rocket launcher on its shoulder as the other machine held a large sniper rifle. It seemed like they understood the players' powers. Even if she could see them, there was nothing that she can do. Listening closely, Lauren could hear their conversation, "Anthony! We got two Systems aiming giant weapons at us! I need help!"

"Got it, Cathy! Come on Zerit!" He regrouped with the knight, who should be Callum, pointing his finger at the two Systems. "Fry those suckers Zerit."

"As you command!" The elemental places his hands together to have electricity flow between them. A ball started to form, growing in shape and size. Once the elemental has the right amount of energy, he unleashed the destructive ball towards the two Systems. The two Systems noticed the incoming projectile. They fired a missile and bullet at it, hoping that it would disperse the electric ball. Destroying their shots, the ball of energy appeared before them. Upon impact, a huge electric explosion burst out of the energy ball, consuming the two Systems. Once it pulled the two Systems into it, the burst of energy disappeared, leaving a clean round cut on the building and floor. Lauren estimated that the attack range of Zerit was half of a mile. Or close to. Zerit wobbled a bit from his attack, telling his master, "That sapped most of my energy. I won't be able to do that again." 

"We should retreat. We can't hold them back if they start pulling out the big guns." Callum pointed out.

"And where the hell are we going to retreat to!?" Anthony exclaimed, "Look at the destruction we did! There is no way that they will let us leave!"

"We have to! Even I am running low on my mana. I rather fight another day than fight to the death." Cathy stated, breathing heavily.

"I think the area over there is empty. They won't be able to catch us. Let's go!" As they made their way to where Lauren came from, the blonde decided to tail them. The three [Alpha] players were being cautious, attacking any military opposition that came in their sights. They destroyed any helicopters that would linger too close to them.

Planning two steps ahead of them, Lauren sprinted towards the general area that they might go through. Ignoring the curiosity of why these houses are empty, Lauren examined the house that she'll ambush her first target. The houses, for some odd reason, have their windows and doors opened. Next, examining the thickness and material of the house's walls, she could burst through them with the XIC suit. She can shoot through the wall if need be. Looking back at the three [Alpha] players, they were still heading in her general direction. They were cutting through these houses, hiding from their pursuers. Lauren went into a hiding spot, waiting right between two houses. She was positioned in front of the wall, waiting for the summoner.

Patiently, she waited. The amount of combat has died down, hearing their voices.

"I-I think we lost them." Cathy started. 

"Hope so." Their voices were going through the house Lauren just examined. "Come on Anthony!" Hearing those two leave the house, Anthony panted heavily, taking a breather in the house.

"H-Hold on guys... I need-" Lauren took the opportunity to attack. She charged through the house, ramming the boy across the room. With his elemental nearby, it tried to stop Lauren. Lightning swirled through his arm, planning to unleash a shockwave at Lauren. Activating her [Suppression], her skill stunned the being in place, freezing his movements. Anthony was in no condition to move from his spot. The [Suppression] immobilized him.

"Anthony!" Callum noticed the disturbance, rushing back to the house. Zerit strained against the [Suppression], trying to unleash a quick electrical discharge, but Lauren manifested her [Mana Armor] around her XIC suit. Aiming her gun right at Zerit's head, she unloads the entire clip. If Zerit had more mana, it would have deflected those shots or stopped them, but the elemental was drained. Unable to stop the bullets, he took the damage, his body evaporating into the air. 

"M-Master..." 

"Zerit!" Lauren would have felt a bit of pity towards their relationship if she could. She felt nothing, pulling her sword off the XIC's back. Anthony was in no position to run. His arms and legs were crushed from the initial impact on the wall. His back was dislocated to the point where he could not stand or push himself off the wall. Blood ran down his face, looking at his killer. Tears flowed down his face, crying at his unfortunate demise. With a quick stab to his chest, Lauren ended the boy's life. 

"NO!" Using a skill, Callum forced Lauren to face him. He was a second too late, ramming his two-handed sword against the tough XIC suit. "How dare you!? Don't you have any shame?! You killed a young boy!" Lauren kicked him away, sending him out of the house. The knight was standing upright until he bent forward, feeling pain from an unknown attack. Looking up at his ally, Cathy buckled at the unknown pain, suppressing a yell.

Pulling her blade out of Anthony's body, Lauren slowly stepped out of the house. She waited for the two to move, remembering Callum's question. She replied with an emotionless response. "I am only doing what I need to do."

"Killing innocents?!" Cathy was up in the air, conjuring a powerful spell. A surge of electricity rain down on Lauren, destroying the area around her. The XIC suit manifests a [Mana Armor], giving twice the protection against Cathy's lightning spell. The two teenagers realized the threat before them. They were fighting against another [Alpha] player, one who was tasked to kill them.

Waiting, Lauren silently observed the two teenagers. Callum got into a fighting stance, understanding the danger they were in.

"Get out of her Cathy. You won't survive if we stuck together."

"W-What? N-No, I can't do that! We have to-"

"Not with this person. Whoever she is, they have a lot more skills than us. We just got ours yesterday night. We were lucky to obtain it, but this person... She will indirectly kill you. Didn't you lose a good chunk of your HP? Like 5% of it?" Cathy's face turned pale. She swiped her hand in front of her, slowly nodding at Callum. "Run. If you are not around me, you won't take that unknown damage. Don't worry, I'll be right behind you." 

"B-But... I-I-"

"Go!" Callum bravely charged at Lauren, her blade meeting his, "Go before reinforcements arrive!" Tears ran down her face, flying deeper into the abandoned sector. Lauren did not make any move on Callum, waiting for the knight to focus his attention back on her. She could strike him, make him pay attention to her, but she was in no rush. This knight certainly displayed a noble and chivalrous heart. He backed away, apologizing. "Sorry about that, shall we continue our fight?"

"A noble soul. I apologize for my actions, but I have my orders." Lauren admired his sacrifice for his comrades, saying, "Let me fight you without the suit." He contemplated on it, weighing his options. Lowering his stance for a bit, he allowed Lauren to exit out of the suit. She hopped out, pressing the emergency button so the suit can be sealed. She stood beside her suit, staring at Callum. The knight held his breath, staring at Lauren's real body. She had no armor and no weapon, puzzling the knight.

"Where are your weapons? Your armor?"

"Come to me. You'll see." The knight hesitated. He couldn't fight against an unarmed target. Especially a girl. Sensing this, Lauren crouched against the ground, confusing the knight. "Then I'll come to you."

Sending a bit of mana to the tips of her feet, she launched herself at the knight. Coating her bare hands with energy, she grabbed Callum's helmet and slammed him into the ground. Backing away from him, she evaded a swing from his sword. He quickly rolled back into a fighting stance, charging at Lauren. She evaded the swing, blocking his body tackle. It was a quick one, trying to throw Lauren off her footing. Sliding against the ground though, she stepped forward, punching him at his open side. Taking it, he swung his two-handed horizontally at her. She ducked, aiming for his vulnerable side again. A sudden coat of light morphed around his body, absorbing her punch.

It was only a brief second, giving Callum the time to back away. He ushered out a warcry, powering his blade as he swung at Lauren. A burst of light flew at her. Lauren coated her mana around her arm, unleashing a [Mana Slash]. Their attacks clashed in the air, canceling each other. Another surge of mana covered his blade, unleashing the same attack on Lauren. Running at him, Lauren returned his attack with another [Mana Slash], sliding against the ground as the two attacks canceled each other again. The knight held his blade behind him, charging for an attack. Sadly, he did not expect Lauren to be right before him. Sliding beneath the slashes, she quickly gave him a strong uppercut, a hit to his neck, several quick jabs at his chest, and a strong punch that forced him back. 

Whatever she was doing with those punches, they felt like metal. Each strike did a bit of damage against Callum's HP, but it interrupted his focus. Even if his armor and mana can deter the actual damage of her mana punches, his body had to move along with her strikes. He was losing his strength, feeling blood drip from his mouth. He already lost 10% of his health point (HP) from their fight against the military, but he lost 8% more from Lauren's [Destruction] skill earlier and lost another 4% from her melee strikes. Staggering from her assault, Lauren conjured up a shotgun. Firing two times, twelve bullets slammed against Callum's armor. There was no visible damage to his armor, but he took a considerable amount of damage to his HP. The shotgun was an effective weapon, but it cost a decent amount of mana per second. It consumes 15 mana per second to use a medium firearm. 5 mana to fire a shot. In total, she used up 40 mana out of 170. She did lose a bit of mana before using the shotgun.

Calculating, Lauren could end this, but at the same time, she will not gain the most experience by ending the fight too soon. In a way, it might be cruel to extend a one-sided fight, but this fight will help Lauren work on her skill proficiency. By killing Anthony, it only leveled her main level and job class. There was a small display screen above his head, revealing itself every time Lauren successfully landed a hit.

Callum Hardin [149/300 HP]

After a few seconds, 149 turned to 146, taking the passive damage from Lauren's [Destruction]. Doing some quick math, Callum would have 142 HP, but his STR might be higher than Lauren's STR stat. Regardless, Lauren will slowly chip away at his HP directly and indirectly. Once Callum hit 50% of his overall HP, he started to emit a thick glow around his body.

The previous glow around his body activated on his command. This one seemed to be a passive skill, activating when Callum has 50% HP or less.

He yelled into the air, showing renewed vigor in his movements. Striking downwards, Lauren empowered her hands with chi, slapping the blade away. She punched his vulnerable side, realizing a change in his body and stance. Earlier, when she punched him, he would slide against the ground, being forced back. Now, he was firmly in place. He quickly adjusted his blade, swinging it horizontally at Lauren. Retreating, Lauren glared at Callum as she covered her body with a bit more mana. Her empowered fist attached small spikes on her knuckles. Waiting for him, Callum swung his blade in an unexpected style. Holding his two-handed sword with one hand, he aggressively pressed forward, trying to hit Lauren. The blonde evaded his wild swings, blocking an incoming elbow, kick, or punch he threw her way. With his powerup, he was able to push Lauren back, giving him some breathing space from Lauren's aggressive push.

Not only that, but he also damaged her a bit. Even though she coated her body in mana, his punches, and kicks penetrated through those protections. She could physically feel the impact and weight of those attacks, chipping away at her own HP. It did not stop the blonde. Even if she took a hard punch to her body, she stood her ground and countered him. Every time he made her back up, she would immediately appear before him, hammering more punches at him. Despite his efforts, he could not stop her fast jabs. She did not aim for his sides anymore. She took advantage of any openings Callum had. 

When she evaded his sword, punch, and kick, she would twirl around him and backhand his back. Trying to jab with the blunt end of his blade, he swung his blade in a full circle, trying to stomp on her. She slid away from his jab, ducked under him, and slid between his legs to avoid his stomp.

As their fight wage on, Lauren's [Destruction] skill ate away at his life. Not just his HP, his concentration was fading as the internal explosions gnaw at him. On the outside, he could withstand Lauren's assault, meeting her attacks head-on. The problem was the blasted magical explosion that ignored his physical defense. Granted that his STR and INT were not allowing the full damage of Lauren's [Destruction] skill, he could not ease the internal pain or damage. If there was a skill to do so, he would want to have it right now. Deciding to use another skill, his mana around him explodes outward. Sensing this, Lauren thickens her [Mana Armor], remaining in place.

She did not advance though, allowing Callum to power his blade. Releasing a [Holy Slash] in front of her, he watched his attack push Lauren into a building. Collapsing upon impact, the house crumbled as dust and smoke engulf Lauren. Taking advantage of this, Callum positioned his blade beside him, gripping it with both hands. His entire body is oozing with a yellow light. He squinted at Lauren's position which was covered in smoke. He braced himself for a counterattack, sensing her presence in the clouds. As the seconds ticked by, Lauren burst out of the smoke. Callum unleashed another blast of energy from his body to prevent her from getting any closer. Successfully, she was pushed back, allowing Callum to activate his strongest skill.

"[Sixfold Holy Slash]!" His arms moved at an incredible speed, unleashing six slashes of light at Lauren. Compared to his [Holy Slash], this move had twice the amount of firepower, having the ability to penetrate through magical defenses and thick materials like rocks or bricks. Callum was confident of his skill, knowing that Lauren could not respond to it.

He was right.

Lauren could not meet it head-on without sacrificing a good amount of her mana. That was why Callum felt cheated when she evaded his [Sixfold Holy Slash]. The move was pretty fast, giving a second pause before it can hit its target. It was an impressive skill, a good trump card to have against her. Yet the blonde was able to dodge it with ease because, she too, had magical powers.

Especially with skills that gave her a lot of flexibility.

Lauren knew that he had a trick under his sleeve. He tried to use it a few minutes ago, failing to activate it properly. Playing video games, Lauren understood the concept of charged attacks. He had one. There was no proper way to meet it head-on unless she risked a ton of mana to create a suitable weapon to counter it. Her [Mana Slash] does not have enough power to cancel Callum's [Sixfold Holy Slash]. With these factors, Lauren used an indirect method to bypass his strongest skill.

Manipulating her mana to her soles, she exploded it, sending her into the air. Next, Lauren manifested wings on her back, staying in midair. Callum was fooled for a second that his attack worked. While he celebrated for a brief moment, Lauren conjured more mana around her hands, turning them into thick demonic hands. With sharp fingers, Lauren added more mana around her body to reinforce her dive. Realizing that Lauren evaded his skill, he looks around. The moment he looked up, Lauren descended on him.

It was a fast dive, giving the man no time to react. If she did, he would make her waste more mana. She grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground. Right after that, Lauren clawed at his body, moving her hands in quick succession. Already undoing her wings, she picked him up and slammed him into the ground again. Wrapping a thick mana rope around his arm, she dragged him through the air and into several houses. She tugged at the rope, having his body fly right at her. Creating a bigger demonic hand for her right hand, she slammed Callum into the ground for the final time. With so much mana in her demonic hand, she tested out a theory of hers. Pouring her mana violently into him, spikes explode around them. Since it was her mana, they did not hurt Lauren. Callum, on the other hand, received the full damage of them. With so much mana, the spikes penetrated through his [Mana Armor] and physical armor. Letting go, Lauren evaded a swing of his blade.

"I... I-I..." He used his two-handed sword as a crutch, pulling his body off of the ground. His knightly image was destroyed. The armor was battered, revealing dents and huge tears through the plating. Blood poured out of the open tears of his armor. He was missing some chunks of his flesh, seeing a few of his internal organs or his bare bones. Breathing heavily, he tried to finish his sentence, but he coughed violently, falling onto one knee. Still attempting to get up, Lauren calmly explained his defeat.  

"Armor can hinder your true speed. You should have prevented me from getting out of my suit. You would have had an edge against me." Lauren did not boast about her victory, disliking her task from the beginning. "You should not be a knight in this era. There is no honor for this corrupt world. This blasted place. Still, I admire your courage and bravery Callum Hardin. You did well." The knight heard his name, finding some peace. He dropped his blade, looking at Lauren. Already beside him, Lauren held a dark purple scythe in her hands. The blade was positioned over Callum's neck, ready to end his life. 

"Thank you-" Lauren gracefully hacked his head off of his body, watching the two pieces of Callum Hardin hit the ground. Dispersing the scythe, she turned away.

She fell onto her knees, breathing heavily at her loss of mana.

It was not as bad as making a railgun from her imagination, but it drained her immensely to the point of exhaustion. She merged and used too many things to finish off Callum. The claw weapons, enlarging it and shrinking it, was fine. It took 11 mana to maintain those empowered claws per minute. Doing the math, she had to use 22 mana since she had two of them. What exhausted her the most was her wings. Conjuring them up, flying, it took a lot more mana than she thought. A lot more. It consumed a whopping 135 mana. And that was just for a minute. If she just conjured up her wings, it would have been 55 mana, but getting them to fly and move, it added 80 more mana to it. She lowered the actual costs since some of her skills leveled through this fight, but it was a dangerous gamble. She knew that wings might consume a lot of her mana. She should have tested it when she was not fighting.

At least she got rid of them when she dived Callum. If she used those wings for another minute, it could have sealed her fate. She exceeding pass her maximum mana usage, exerting more mana from... somewhere. She was unable to figure out how or where she pulled the extra mana from, but she knew that she overdid it. She shouldn't have created a scythe to hack off Callum's head. Either way, she had to regenerate her lost mana. She pushed it... pushed it towards the point of exhaustion. She could have fainted during their fight. She wasted a lot of mana on him.

Lauren sighed at her predicament. Meditating, she slowly regained her mana, closing her eyes as she calmed her nerves. She needed to kill the female teenager before someone else does it.

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

Why was this happening?

How did it come to this?

She was just an average teenage girl who got caught up in this hectic mess. She was on her way from school with her friends until something teleported them into an abandoned town. This creature had summoned several other random groups of people and made them play his sick game. A game where they had to fight against him with whatever they can use inside the town. Escaping meant forfeiting your life.

Death.

It sounded easy, it should have been easy if it wasn't some giant, sneaky abomination that ignored the basic logic of many things. This creature was huge, but not big. It was like a snake combined with a tree, slithering in the shadows, watching their every move with many, many eyes. When someone rallied hope, gathered their spirits, encouraged them, that creature would take them out. Kill them right before their eyes and installed fear and dread throughout the rest of their game. Her friends died right in front of Cathy, making her want to commit suicide. She wanted to escape this living nightmare

The other survivors stopped her though. Especially Callum and Anthony, giving her the hope and comfort to live on. Even when they were just simple words, she hung onto them. They lost their friends in the same way, vowing to protect her and figure out a way to slay the beast. They had the numbers. A hundred humans versus one monster. They had the numerical advantage, yet he killed everyone except three lucky survivors.

Callum, Anthony, and herself. It was dumb luck. The other survivors made a trap where they would set off a huge explosion. Ten other people were supposed to live, but they were killed. All ten of these people were the adults that sacrificed themselves to protect them. Three young teenagers. They cried at their noble sacrifice, planning to live in earnest and press on. Then, she appeared.

Pandora.

She gifted them with their new powers, but all three of them did not want it. They did not like her, sensing the evil in her heart. Callum, being the knight that he was, remained silent. He could not say anything, fearing that he will endanger them. With two speakers, Anthony and Cathy asked many questions as to why they had to do this. The moment Pandora revealed her sick game, it made them sick.

What's worse, she saw everything and laughed at how they were lucky to live through it all. She did not praise the sacrifices of all the other contestants. Instead, she mocked them. Insulted them. Asking a few questions to send Pandora away, she teleported them back to Zulu City. The three teenagers could not coup with the dire news. They could not accept it. 

Anthony and Callum were determined to prevent such another disaster. They did not want humanity to fight against the nightmares they had to go through. By telling the world about the incoming doomsday, and seeing the timer, they decided to put a thread up on the internet. They found several articles and threads explaining the situation, agreeing with these other players. Sadly, the internet has mixed opinions about such news. Most of the replies mocked them, calling bullshit to their sob stories. The three of them took it hard, not used to such insults, but they were doing something. Anything than selfishly keeping such news to themselves. They informed the world about it, even if people didn't believe them. They found hope when some people were concerned about it, asking what to do. Or thanking them. That made them happy, praying that some people can prepare for the inevitable. Catching the attention of several other players, they were supposed to meet up with them. Find them before the timer hits zero and band together. They happily agreed to it.

If only they knew better.

The military found it suspicious, zoning in on their position, questioning them. Anthony had a dark history with bullying, disliking the hostile confrontation the soldiers were taking. The soldiers were not backing off, being forceful against him. Not only that, the military knew it was them because of the fake users they made. One of these names was a username that interacted with Callum, Cathy, and Anthony. One that they would meet up in real life. By hearing this, Callum started to show his displeasure.

He hated liars. If the military lied to them, making a fake user and pretending to sympathize and even empathize with their tragic story, he did not want to talk to them. Cathy, the only one trying to calm the two sides, failed to do so. Eventually, the confrontation ended with blood. The three teenagers had to defend themselves, fighting the military ever since 0100. They knew that they were in the wrong, killing innocents along the way, but they wanted to live.

But now she was the only survivor.

The sudden [Alpha] player who exterminated Anthony meant that they were being hunted. And Callum... He is most likely dead. Cathy felt rain droplets hit her head. Looking up, she headed to an empty parking garage. Panting, she slid against a wall, feeling cold, hungry, and tired. Fighting against a decent chunk of trained military personnel exhausted her mana. She needed to meditate-

"There you are!" An armored soldier appeared around a corner, firing at her. On instinct, Cathy raised a shield. She was a bit too late. A bullet shot her in her left side.

Crying out in pain, she loosened her tight magic shield.

The soldier was blasting a full clip at her, shouting for his comrades. "She's here!" Flinging her finger, a small rock slashed across his unprotected neck, making him fall to his knees. He might bleed to death, but he was still alive. Struggling to walk, she took the ramp down to the next level. Two soldiers revealed themselves, shooting right at her. Mustering up another shield, she stopped the incoming bullets.

Suddenly, the two of them stopped firing.

Confused by this, Cathy was going to conjure an attack until something whacked her from behind. Screaming, she fell onto the ground, a soldier twisting her arm behind her. Pulling a bit more, he was rewarded with another scream. Crying, Cathy watched the soldiers surround her, laughing.

"Got cocky? Thought so. Not so strong without your two buddies now, huh?"

"She wasn't that dangerous once we surrounded her."

"She's a kid still. What the hell do you expect?" Three of the armored soldiers glared at the one who just spoke. Scoffing, the one on top of Cathy says, "And? She killed a lot of people."

"In her defense. You know our protocols. We should-"

"Hey, rookie," A soldier wrapped an arm around him, "You should go and get reinforcements. You know, the specialists who can detain this girl. Don't worry, we won't do anything." The young man debated about it. Cathy tried to look into his eyes, pleading for help. The other soldiers were going to do something to her. The way they glared at her, their fake smiles...

"Alright. I might as well. Promise me that you won't do anything."

"We promise." Hearing a couple of chuckles, "We don't want the higher-ups on our asses. You know that. Now, get going." Nodding at that, he left them. Cathy wanted to say something, try to stop him from leaving, but the man on her back was applying a lot of pressure. Once he was gone, having a soldier tail him to make sure he was gone for good, a soldier forced Cathy's hand away from her body. Laying it above her head, he fired his pistol. Screaming in agony, Cathy bucked against the soldier who was on top of her. 

"Yeah, doesn't that hurt? We're going to mess you up before they come here."

"You killed a lot of my buddies, you know." The man, who was on top, dragged her off the ground. With her left arm behind her back, a soldier walked up and punched her in the gut. Crying in pain, another punch was delivered to her stomach before the man lets go of her arm. Falling to her knees, she feels a whack across her face, feeling a knife stab into her left thigh. Aiming her left hand, a soldier slapped it to the ground, stepping on it. Another cry escaped her lips, feeling a terrible pain course through her body. Blood flowed down her face, her eyes looking at the soldiers. Unable to see their expression, she can tell that they were relishing in her demise. Her eyes displayed her genuine fear.

Terror. A weakness that these assholes will capitalize on. Applying more pressure to his foot, Cathy wiggled at the pain her left hand is enduring.

"Say, we could take out time crushing her pretty little hand. Without it, she won't be able to cast any magic." A soldier suggested.

"W-Why-"

"Ah shut it. Why? You know why. You can't guilt us since you're a fucking murderer."

"And I guess I won't feel bad about killing you assholes either." This was a female voice, not coming from Cathy. The soldiers were confused by this. Turning, they all turned to a young woman who has mana imbued in her right hand. In the shape of a demonic claw, she stabbed one of the soldiers, piercing through his armor. The other troopers tried to pull out their weapons, freezing at an unknown feeling. The moment they registered this, their bodies exploded. It was no pretty sight, making Cathy hold in her bile. She could see their guts littered on the floor.

They just exploded. Her fear went beyond normal, trembling, and panicking at Lauren's appearance. She was not in any condition to win or fight against the assassin. Unable to stop herself, Cathy wet herself.

"N-No... P-Please..." Trying to get up, she fell horribly on the ground. She started to cry, wanting this nightmare to end.

Feeling the hunter loomed over her, she closed her eyes, waiting for her painful death. She felt someone pick her up... But she did not feel any more pain. Opening her eyes slowly, she stared at the person who hunted them down. She moved Cathy's hair behind her ear, saying, "You're fine." It was hard to tell if she was mocking her, trying to get her to lower her guard, but Cathy could not take it anymore.

This world is a cruel one. It tossed her into hell, making them live through it only to repeat the cycle. She did not care if she was a mess before this random stranger. She did not care about her damaged body- she was going to die anyway. This person will see to it, yet...

Why did she save her? Why not kill her as well? Why not let those soldiers kill her?

She cannot hate her if she was this kind. It was some sick joke. She tried to wipe her tears, but the woman stopped her. She pulled Cathy into her chest, hugging her. A kind voice whispered into her ear.

"I'm sorry." 

"S-Sorry? What for? Hahaha, my bad state? What we had to go through? You killing my friends? W-Why-"

"I'm sorry." Hearing those words again, Cathy hugged the stranger. She could not understand why. Why are bad things happening to her? Why was she selected to know about this? Why did she survive? Why was the world going to end?

"Tell me... how did you acquire your powers. Tell me everything." And Cathy told this stranger everything. Told her about their struggles, her life, Callum's and Anthony's, what they tried to do, why they were being chased, she told them their sad tale. She listened attentively, never interrupting Cathy. Once she told her everything, she was losing her sight. Her breathing was... slow. Her body felt weak. There was a soft voice that reached Cathy's ear.

"I'm sorry." It was the same sentence she said when they met in this garage. It bothered her.

"S-S-Sorry for what?" Cathy was scared. She knew it, and maybe this stranger knew it too, but she felt a bit of peace. Her voice was shaky, stuttering to get words out, but she was calm, "T-That this world is cruel? That Pandora betrayed us? That we have to die so young?"

"Yes. All of it. I am sorry that Pandora is a being that cursed humanity with her twisted game. I am sorry for not giving you a quick death compared to the others. I am sorry for hunting your group down. I am sorry that you have to die young. I am sorry for accepting this quest, but it would have been better for a fellow human to hear your tale compared to a demon. I am sorry that I could not save you. If things were different, I would have liked to work with you three. Sadly, that was never an option. Please, find peace in the afterlife. At least you don't have to run anymore. You don't have to bloody your hands as well. Go." Kissing her forehead, Cathy closed her eyes.

"T-Thank you... For listening... For everything..." 

And Cathy Luis died.

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

Watching Cathy die before her, Lauren felt nothing. Once again, her stupid perk prevented any true remorse. Even if she learned about someone, even if she understood them, her perk will make her show indifference. She could not shed a tear for the three kids she murdered. She was glad to hear their tale, glad to be their murderer instead of Karen. The assassin would have wiped them out in an instant.

But it did not improve Lauren's overall mood.

There was no way that she can save everyone. She was no hero. She never wanted to be one. Many weaknesses came with being a hero, but many strengths as well. There will be more deaths. People who had lived normal lives will have their tale. For good or bad, this game will change the morality of people's actions.

But in the end, this is Pandora's fault. She made this happen. If she wasn't real...

"Congrats." Karen appeared out of nowhere, "You completed the quest." Lauren shoved the notifications aside, wanting an answer.

"Explain why Pandora is doing this? Why is she unleashing chaos onto this world? Was she damned? Is this revenge?" Karen frowned, shaking her head.

"Oh? Seeing some kids made you made mad? Sad? You want a tissue- Grow up. Our mistress wants to make the world as her game because she can. And we will gladly make it so. She will get what she wants. You don't like it, try to kill her. You aren't the first who tried. Hell, some of our elites had the same thoughts until we opened their eyes. You saw what happened before you saved her? Those soldiers were abusing her, treating her like shit. Those with strength will always bully the weak. It doesn't matter if Pandora caused it, it's in human nature to let emotions get the better of you. If you want to be surprised at every immoral thing that happens, then you should just hide like a pathetic coward. Or play the hero like Anthony and Callum. Look at what happened to them. Pandora wanted them dead because of that knightly attitude. She knew that he'll be a nuisance, sprouting justice and honor. As you said, such noble intentions, such honorable deeds are dead in this century. Suck it up and head back to your place. Those military reinforcements will arrive here in a bit." Walking away, Lauren looked back at Cathy's body. Shaking her head, Lauren followed the assassin back to the ground floor.

Getting back into her XIC suit, Lauren eyed at the boxes of food, clothes, water, and other supplies. She was glad that she convinced Karen to get her supplies. It would be troublesome to get them due to the chaos those three teenagers created.

"I will teleport you back to your place." Karen stated, "I am not coming with you. I will be helping Pandora prepare for the end. You have anything else to ask? You will not see me for a long time."

"No. Thank you for everything Karen." The assassin nodded, snapping her finger. Lauren was back in her garage. Getting out of her suit, she decided to move her new supplies into her house. Carrying items to and fro, she decided to have a look at her stats.

Name: Lauren Hooks Age: 21 DOB: 12/24/1994 Level: 6 Species: Human Sex: Female General Information Attributes Job Information Guild   STR 54 (+) Name Level Progress Lover   DEX 50 (+) Alpha (+) 6 22% HP 320/320 (+0.4/sec) AGI 52 (+) Destroyer 8 12% MP 290/290 (+0.7/sec) END 56 (+)       EXP 22% INT 57 (+)       Title [Alpha Tester], [Pandora's Love], [Lone Wolf], [Alpha Killer]* WIS 46 (+)       Monster   LCK 12 (+)       Dungeon    Unused Points  +6      

Skill List Name Level Proficiency [Destruction] 6 20% [Mana Armor] 4 80% [Mana Manipulation] 6 44% [Mana Weapon] 6 5% [Mana Slash] 2 43% [Meditation] 3 12% [Suppression] 2 76% [Assassination]* 1 4% [Stealth]* 1 16% [Tracking]* 2 90%

Perk List [Pandora's Grace], [Lone Wolf], [Alpha Tester], [Apathetic], [Dead Rose], [Heartless]*

It seemed like she obtained new skills, a perk, a title, and a couple of other things. By the + signs, she could use her points on whatever attribute she wanted to increase. For now, she'll save them. There might be one stat that she may want to focus on down the road. Lauren knew that she forgot to ask what each attribute does, so she'll have to ask again some other time- or she can pull up display-senpai. Later though. Her three new skills are pretty straightforward. Tracking allows her to get a sense of where her opponent is moving or find a way to find them. Assassination is killing them secretly. And stealth is a fancy word for staying hidden. What caught Lauren's attention was the [Heartless] perk and [Alpha Killer] title. She's not happy about it, but she got them from her actions.

Title

[Alpha Killer] - By killing one or more [Alpha] players, you have earned this notorious title. This gives you a unique point for the death of a [Alpha] player. You have [3] points. Points can be used by consulting with an Agent of Pandora.

When fighting against [Alpha] players, you will gain a slight buff while the enemy [Alpha] will receive a slight debuff.

Perk

[Heartless] - For mercilessly executing your opponents, you have shown no reaction to their deaths. This perk will prevent any mind control or any emotional influence (in the form of an attack or skill) to affect you. This will also null any emotions or feelings against any grotesque or gruesome sights before you. Must have [Apathetic] and [Alpha Killer]. 

Good benefits, bad names. Even if Lauren could hide certain things on her info card, she would refuse to hide these two. The only thing she'll hide will be [Pandora's Love] because of what Karen stated. She will not hide her notorious titles like [Alpha Killer].

She killed them, and she will regret it. But she will not shy away from her actions.

[Heartless] wasn't too bad though.

Just the name of it may sound bad, but the benefits are really good. With this, there was no way a monster could control her. The same can be said with her emotions. Any being with mind magic is a deadly opponent. They can tamper around with one's memory and use them to their advantage. Protection against those mental assaults will give Lauren an easier time focusing on an offensive plan against them. When the time comes. For now, Lauren moved most of her supplies in her house.

What she didn't expect was a visit from Pandora.

"Oh? This is your house... Rather plain. Too plain. I thought you would be in some fancy apartment-"

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Lauren glared at her, "I DO NOT want to see you here. Not after what you made me go through."

"But you gained levels. You got a very good perk, a nice title, and more skills and job levels. You should be thankful for my kind action. I gave you easy opponents as well."

"Easy? They were kids! You made me... It doesn't matter. I needed to get to the city, and I gave them a mercy killing compared to your agent. She would have wiped them in an instant." Pausing, Lauren asked, "But did you want them dead because of Callum? Because he disliked you?"

"Why would I be bothered by him? Many humans hate me. Do you think I care? No! Why should I? They will have their issues soon enough! Let them be holy, for they will fall. Anyways, I came for another reason. A very important one." Getting Lauren's attention, Pandora jumped onto Lauren's bed, rolling around in it before she laid on her stomach, facing the blonde. "All [Alpha] and [Beta] players will have to go to a populated area before I make my announcement. For you, you'll have to be at your university. And you have to be there around noon." This was weird...

"Why do I need to be in a populated area? And why noon?" It would be safer to be AWAY from a populated area once things hit the fan.

"Because I said so." She stretched out the because, acting like a kid, "If you do not comply, I can just snatch you up right here and keep you by my side-"

"Fine. I get it." Rolling her eyes, Lauren sighed, "Is that all?" 

"Is that all?! You're not going to ask how I am? How's my day? What am I up to?"

"You're kidding? Do you think I would ask that? No. Now, leave. Please." Hearing her say please, Pandora groaned out her sigh, grabbing one of Lauren's pillows. "W-Wh-"

"Alright, bye!" Teleporting, Lauren gawked at the damn entity. She just took one of her pillows!

"That blasted woman- I' ma-"

"Hey! I'm back!" Alayna stepped through the door with a cheery smile. "What have you- WHY IS THERE BLOOD!?" Blood? Looking down on-

"Oh."

"... What did you do?"

"What do you mean? I did nothing."

"Uh-huh." Taking the remote off of the table, she turned on Lauren's television. Switching through the channels, it landed on the news. 

"There have been reports of terrorists rampaging through Zulu City. They have killed several squadrons of military combatants consisting of Systems, AMFs, and foot soldiers. Witnesses say that these terrorists can conjure magic while others say that they have psychic abilities. There have been a couple of video footage on the internet,  showcasing other people with strange abilities. Sadly, the destruction of public roads, buildings, and other markets have placed the city on high alert. The military is searching for these terrorists, hoping to detain them and maintain peace within the city."

"Just because I went into the city doesn't prove anything. I did not go on a rampage."

"I know that you didn't do anything to the city," Alayna frowned at Lauren, "I bet you did something to those kids." Trying to act ignorant, Lauren was going to shrug off such an idea. Alayna took out her phone and revealed video footage that was up on the internet. "Your XIC suit was on the scene. Look." Watching the video, the person who took the video was cowering behind a wall. He zoomed in on alone XIC suit picking up a discarded rifle. A squad of AMFs ran past it, heading towards Cathy. This scene was when Lauren decided to take cover behind the wall as the squad was blown away from Cathy's magic. Waiting, the video taker was wondering why this XIC suit did nothing. The video taker was muttering it out loud, saying stupid things. The moment the kids retreated, it showed the XIC suit following them. Alayna had a troubled expression, putting away her phone. "I know that was you. Same color, number, you can't fool me. What did you do with those kids?"

Lauren was a bit shocked at her deduction skills. Granted that if she was a bit more careful, she wouldn't be in this confrontation. There were three ways out of this. Lie, tell the truth, or don't answer her. The first wasn't going to work through, earning her disfavor and distrust. Second would earn her trust but... The last one would be denying her question and closing her off. The obvious choice was the first one. There was no reason for Alayna to know the truth, let alone know her executions. She cannot let Alayna get too close to her either. 

"If you're in a military suit, you have to play along sometimes. Don't worry, this blood is from a soldier. They tried to give him first aid but failed to do so. I just... came back home-"

"How did you get to the city? And no, don't try to act dumb. You aren't telling me the truth." Folding her arms, she glared at Lauren, "Did-"

"I won't tell you the truth. You do not need to know about it. I already gave you a bunch of information for your safety. Soon enough, you will be able to tell the rest of your buddies about the incoming doom- better yet, there should be some reports online talking about the topic. And the military should have information on this already." Alayna hid her emotions well, not showing any response to Lauren when she moved away from her question. Deciding to drop it, Alayna leaned against the wall, nodding her head.

"Yes. The military has looked into it. From what I heard, the terrorists from Zulu City had vital information about that particular subject." She took a quick peek at Lauren, hoping to get some sort of reaction. Nothing. "There have been several other threads and articles that state the same thing. Pandora's Game, end of the world, an apocalypse, the military quickly looked into this. They did question this, at first, thinking it was some sort of joke. But another nation's military confirmed the speculations. They had one of their squads go through the tester's ordeal. Passing it, Pandora told them the same thing about her schemes. Some of them died trying to fight her, but you can guess what happened."

"And I can also guess that the military wants these players in their grasp? To have the power to combat the upcoming chaos?" Alayna remained silent, chewing on her lip.

"If it was that simple, then yes. But each nation's military has a different approach." Lauren would have asked for an explanation, but then she might be inclined to reveal her incident in Zulu City. Going about it indirectly, Lauren listed a couple of possibilities.

"So a country like Japan would try to gather their players and have them become a special forces group? Make them heroes? While a country like Russia might force players to work for them or die? And what about the United States? Germany? England? Spain? Mexico? In the time of a crisis, people are still greedy and power-hungry." Rubbing her forehead, Lauren shook her head.

The biggest concern was how bad was this doomsday. Pandora said she will release her box, but how will that work? The woman might not reveal the information to Lauren, but it will surely annoy her. Was this going to be released in one country, then it will spread? Or will it be released all across the world? Will it be a small infestation and grow in size later?

The only important lessons were that every man for themselves and survival of the fittest.

Humanity is going to look uglier than before, allowing people to show their true nature in such an environment.   

"What do you plan to do when the time comes?" Alayna should know the answer to this question. She asked Lauren early in the morning. Giving her the same response, Lauren goes through her cabinets and shelves.

"Stay here. Defend my house, survive. I do not plan to be a hero. They never get a happy ending, and I won't join her side either. She's crazy." Too crazy. "And what about you?" 

"I will most likely defend the university and aid the military stationed there. I will see if I can ask my dad for some more Systems for our school." Lauren noticed her hand squeeze her arm, thinking about something. Ignoring it, Lauren moved to a different topic again.

"You got the supplies?"

"Ah. Yes, it's in the truck. Might want to change." Lauren decided to do that, changing her bloody clothes for another set of clothes. She still wore baggy pants, but she changed into a t-shirt. Heading outside, the two carried the many weapons, ammo crates, and other supplies that she brought over. Using the XIC suit to bring in a terminal into her garage and the repair station, it took them three hours to set everything up. Along with those items, there were spare armor parts for Lauren's XIC suit and a box full of AMF weapons. Alayna told Lauren that if she needed to load bullets into the AMF's magazines, they will need a giant reloading machine. Unable to bring this particular machine, she decided to give Lauren a box filled with loaded AMF magazines. Unlike the regular AMF repair stations, Alayna brought over an easy and custom made one. It weighs a lot less compared to most. It can be carried and placed anywhere (as long as you use an AMF to do it), and it has a very nice feature of turning into a box.

The only real problem is connecting it to a terminal, but this is optional.

Most AMF repair stations do not need a terminal to check the suit's diagnostics. Alayna's repair station needed a terminal to activate its automatic features. It will fix, tend, or replace any damaged body part on an AMF. There are a lot of drills, mechanical arms, and wielders, so there was no need to physically change the parts. Since Lauren will keep an AMF, Alayna went through the necessities and knowledge of AMF. She instructed her on how to check the AMF, what to look out for, how to repair it if possible, and how to change its parts. Well, the repair station she placed inside Lauren's garage will automatically handle any maintenance.  Still, Alayna explained it nonetheless. There might be a time when Lauren has to manually fix it herself. She also taught Lauren how to reload her guns, basic firearm safety, and how to properly aim with several weapons Lauren was not familiar with. Training with Alayna, Lauren knew that movies were not a good source of reference. She never trusted them as much, looking into certain things. Alayna also taught Lauren how to load bullets into a magazine. She laughed at Lauren for her inability to shove the bullets down properly.

Since it was noon, Lauren decided to cook some launch for the two of them. Well, she cooked for Alayna. Affected by her previous mission, she didn't feel like eating much. She made a sandwich for herself, cooking Alayna chicken cutlets and vegetables. When she said she was going to cook, Alayna wanted to see the blonde cook her meal. Discretely. The redhead was still moving various items from her truck into her house, giving Lauren a lot of ammo, weapons, and other things. Questioning the large quantities of items, Lauren dawned on her apron and placed her hair in a ponytail. Multitasking on cooking and reading, Alayna glanced at Lauren's appearance now and then. She secretly squealed inside of her head, seeing something that no one else has seen. Lauren was too preoccupied with her tasks to notice it. Once Lauren was done with the cooking, she sat down with Alayna and ate her sandwich. It was fairly subtle, making small conversations with each other. Lauren ignored the blushing redhead as she praised her cooking. It wasn't too grand though, following the instructions that her adoptive mom, books, and cooking videos showed her. The two talked about their grades, courses, and some small gossip on university rumors. They did bring up her nickname, making Lauren scoff at the stupidity of it all. After lunch, Alayna covered a few more topics on the items she brought over. Other than combat items, there are a lot of military-grade items Alayna brought over. Ropes, knives, tents, Camelbak, vest, military backpack, cot, stretcher, canteen, there were too many to list.         

Eventually, Alayna tested Lauren to see if she retained the information by asking a lot of questions. Answering her questions without any difficulties, Alayna was satisfied with her work. Suddenly, the redhead received a call from her higher-ups. She gave a lot of manuals and books for Lauren, hoping that they'll aid in her endeavors. Walking Alayna to her truck, Lauren says, "Thanks. How much do I owe you?"

"E-Eh? It's free."

"Huh? It can't be. You gave me a lot of-"

"It's free." She stopped Lauren, handing her spare key back, "And if you won't take that excuse, this is my way of saying thanks for today. I enjoyed our time together."

"Please. With the end of the world coming, there are better ways to bond with one another." Lauren shook her head at such a pitiful excuse, "Talking about AMFs, guns, and military-related stuff isn't exactly ideal. Especially for girls our age."

"Yeah... if only we were back to our routine." Alayna got depressed for a bit before she finally climbed into her truck, "Well... good luck. We won't be seeing each other again for a long time?" 

"Yeah. Something like that." Lauren replied, looking at her, "Good luck to you as well. Stay with your friends. You'll survive through it. You are Alayna Whitney after all." Hearing her name, a blush took over her face. "What? Do you think I wouldn't use your name? Get going before you're late." After a few more idle chatter, Alayna drove off. Lauren stayed outside until Alayna left her sights. There was a small smile on Lauren's face, enjoying Alayna's company. Maybe it would have been good to have a normal life. Maybe she should have chatted with Alayna at the beginning of her sophomore year. It would have been nice to have a friend. A best friend.

But she still had her internal problems. 

Making sure that she secured her own house, Lauren read up on several manuals on AMFs. At the same time, she loaded bullets into the magazines. After a while, she got tired of loading the blasted bullets into the small contraption. Heading off to the garage, she eyed at a bunch of spray paints on one of her shelves. Her gaze shifted to her XIC suit. It was in its emergency mode, revealing its outer appearance. The dark green XIC suit was quite wide, bulky, and blocky. The design of the armor made it hard to figure out if a male or female is inside, the interior is wide enough for both genders, with any build, to operate it. The only thing that wasn't quite blocky is the headpiece. The top part in particular. It has a round surface with its triangular black visor with a couple of white circles at the bottom of it. Examining it, Lauren headed over to the spray paint. Taking a black and white color, she sprayed her suit. Getting rid of the number as well, it took her at least three hours to fully repaint the XIC suit. 

Lauren went back inside to resume her studies. With no more interruptions from anyone, she wrote in great lengths on the various things she looked into. She took extensive notes on mythical creatures, listing weaknesses or other helpful snippets. She was writing this down in her notebooks, unsure of one unknown factor. With the incoming doomsday, there was no certainty that power will still work. Pandora might block, hinder, tamper, or control their access to modern technology. With such a possibility, it will be best to write this down just in case. As another hour passes by, Lauren took breaks now and then to do some physical activities. Doing push-ups, sit-ups, ab exercises, she realized her growing stress. It was a silly one, but it was due to the shit ton of monsters that could come into the world. Vampires, werewolves, Lycans, wraiths, banshees, ghouls, zombies, minotaurs, hydras, dragons, there are so many creatures. And what's worse, they have different variations. Some monsters may be a subspecies of the main creature... And etc.

There was no way for Lauren to write down all of the details about every single creature in a day. Well, less than that. She jotted down as much as she can, shorthanded the important bits. Calling it quits, she stopped writing to look at the time.

It was 1800. 

Cooking her dinner, Lauren watched various videos on various topics. Survival videos of someone out in the wilderness, survival video in an apocalypse or zombie scenario, martial art videos displaying different forms and techniques, and a few video games and anime. The latter of this selection will aid Lauren with her manipulation. She could try to imitate some of these attacks or get ideas from them. As the day slowly came to an end, Lauren decided to call it a day. After dinner, she continued to watch and read, do a couple more exercises before she brushed her teeth and head to bed.

Staring at the ceiling, her mind was at a blank. 

She didn't know how she should feel about the end of the world. Most people would be anxious, nervous, shaken by this disturbance. Alayna was worried. Reading the replies on the internet revealing doomsday, people have mixed responses. Most are just sneering and mocking the thread starters as others show general concern. Others are in the same predicament, trying to work together. Others will lie like how the military fooled the three teenagers. Thinking about it, Lauren noticed a few more articles that talked about terrorists attacking a town or city. Understanding the context of the title and the reports, other groups of [Alpha] and [Beta] players are being hunted by the military. That or they are purposely making a mess. Not everyone was good. Lauren didn't ask Alayna why the military called her, but they are most likely preparing for tomorrow's mess. They know that Pandora will make her move. She harassed the military to no end, mocking them with her hit and runs. Still, Lauren could not feel anything about the situation. Is she happy that her boring and normal life is coming to an end? Is she sad about it? Angry? Is she worried? Anxious? 

She could feel nothing. There was nothing.

She blankly stared at her ceiling until she fell asleep.