The field was silent.
The Nightmare is dead.
The hymn had ended.
The moonlight faded.
Only the crackling of fire remained.
Then—
DING.
A notification appeared.
Then another.
And another.
Notifications flooded Kai's vision.
[Level Up!] New
Level 4 → Level 5 New
[Level Up!] New
Level 5 → Level 6 New
[Level Up!] New
Level 6 → Level 7 New
[Level Up!] New
Level 7 → Level 8 New
...
[Level Up!] New
Level 15 → Level 16 New
Kai stared.
Then blinked.
Then stared again.
"...Holy crap!"
More notifications appeared.
Reward Acquired:
+1,000 Experience
2x Beginner Wooden Box
1x Advance Silver Box
1x Moon Dust
2x Beginner Skill Enhancement
1x Advanced Skill ???
Kai jumped to his feet.
Ignoring every ache in his body.
Ignoring every wound.
Ignoring everything.
"Raze we did it!"
"We won!"
Kai voice echoed across the burnt field.
"We actually did it!"
Kai laughed.
Heartedly.
"I'm level sixteen!"
"Sixteen!"
"That's insane!"
Kai opened his status.
Then laughed again.
"My stats increased!"
"This is ridiculous!"
"Kai."
Raze's voice came from behind.
Kai didn't hear him.
Or perhaps he did.
But excitement drowned everything.
"We'll be unstoppable!"
"We got Moon Dust!"
"What even is Moon Dust?"
"And an Advanced Skill!?"
"Wait."
Kai opened another window.
"Please don't be garbage."
"Kai." Raze called.
Kai still chattering.
Still laughing.
Still excited.
[Advanced Skill: White Flame Lv. 1 New]
"THIS SOUNDS SICK!"
"Raze!"
"Lets go on a journey together."
"We survived!"
"We actually survived!"
"KAI!" Raze shouted.
His shout echoed through the field.
Kai flinched.
Finally turning around.
"Okay."
"I'm all ear."
"Did you get a useless skill or somethi-"
Kai unable to finish the sentence.
The smile vanished.
Raze was sitting against the burnt corpse.
Pale.
Raze breathing was uneven.
Raze clothes were soaked with sweat.
And black veins crawled from his shoulders.
Up his neck.
Across his cheeks.
Kai froze.
The excitement disappeared instantly.
The field suddenly felt cold.
Raze looked at him.
Then smiled weakly.
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Confused.
"Kai."
Raze voice was soft.
Almost gentle.
"Kill me."
______
Silence.
Kai stared.
Then laughed nervously.
"...Not funny."
Raze didn't laugh.
Kai's smile faltered.
"No!"
"Kai—"
"Stop!"
Kai shook his head immediately.
"There has to be a way!"
"There always is."
"We survived!"
"We killed a Nightmare!"
"We beat the impossible!"
"So stop talking nonsense."
Raze lowered his eyes.
"Kai—"
"No."
Kai pointed at Raze.
"You said if I survived you'd kill me."
"So look."
Kai forced a grin.
"I survived."
"Now it's your turn."
"I'll save you too."
Raze smiled sadly.
A smile that frightened Kai more than any Nightmare he'd encounter.
"Kai."
Raze keep calling Kai's name.
"There might be a potion."
Kai suddenly snapped his fingers.
"The boxes!"
"The reward boxes!"
"There might be a cure!"
"There has to be!"
Without waiting.
Kai immediately opened the first wooden box.
[Beginner Wooden Box Opened]
Reward:
Leather Gloves 1x
Canned beans ×5
Bottled water ×3
Kai blinked.
"...Okay."
"Second box."
[Beginner Wooden Box Opened]
Reward:
Leather Pants 1x
Cooked ham ×5
Bottled water ×3
Kai's smile twitched.
"...Silver box!"
"It has to be the silver box."
"It has to."
Kai fingers trembled as he open the box.
[Advanced Silver Box Opened]
Reward:
Explorer's Bag 1x
2/8 Map piece 1x
Potion of Purification 1x
Kai froze.
Then laughed.
A desperate laugh.
"A potion."
"A potion!"
Kai grabbed the bottle.
Clear liquid shimmered inside.
"Knew it."
"I knew it!"
Kai handed the potion toward Raze.
"Drink it."
His voice shook.
"Drink it and it'll save you!"
Raze stared at the potion.
Then slowly pushed Kai's hand away.
"You need it more than I do."
Kai blinked.
"...What?"
Raze looked away.
"Kai."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"I can't be saved anymore."
Kai fall from his knees.
"What do you mean?"
"My corruption rate is at 97%."
The world stopped.
"It keeps increasing as we speak."
Kai stared.
Waiting for him to laugh.
Waiting for him to say it was a joke.
Raze never did.
"No."
Kai shook his head.
"No."
"You're not fully corrupted yet."
"You can still be save."
"Kai—"
"No!"
Kai grabbed his shoulders.
"You can be save, so stop being stubborn and drink it."
Raze remained silent.
Then spoke.
"...Open your status."
Kai frowned.
"What?"
"Open it."
Slowly.
Kai obeyed.
A blue screen appeared.
Kai eyes browsed down.
Then stopped.
Corruption Rate: 78%
Kai froze.
The number burned into his vision.
Seventy-eight percent.
"Seventy-eight."
"I'm still fine."
"I don't need the potion."
Kai voice cracked.
"So drink this potion now."
Raze refused.
"The corruption from the congregation."
"The moon."
"The fight."
"It all accumulated."
Kai felt sick.
Then another realization struck.
"Open your reward Raze!"
"There might be something useful there."
Raze smiled weakly.
"No."
"What?"
"At ninety percent..."
Raze gaze lowered.
"I lost it."
Kai's eyes widened.
"What?"
"My status."
"Notifications."
"The System."
"All disappeared."
"What left is the corruption rate."
Silence.
The reality slowly settled.
Raze looked toward the burning remains of the Nightmare.
Then quietly laughed.
"Sorry."
Kai's throat tightened.
"Sorry I lied."
"What?"
"Sorry I never told you."
"Told me what?"
Raze's smile trembled.
(Corruption rate: 98.1%)
"When we first met."
"My corruption is at sixty-nine percent."
Kai's eyes widened.
"What?"
"I knew I wasn't going to survive long."
Raze voice shook.
"But I didn't tell you."
"Because..."
For the first time.
Fear appeared on Raze's face.
Human.
Terrified.
"I was afraid."
Tears formed in his eyes.
"I was afraid to die alone."
Kai couldn't speak.
Raze laughed bitterly.
"Pathetic, right?"
"No."
"I kept lying."
"Kept pretending."
"Kept acting like I was okay."
Raze shoulders trembled.
Then came the confession.
The one that shattered Kai completely.
"Actually..."
A tear slid down Raze's face.
"I don't want to die, Kai."
Kai's vision blurred.
"I don't want to."
"I'm scared."
"I'm really scared."
Raze voice broke.
"But I can feel it."
"The corruption."
"It's eating me."
(Corruption: 98.5%)
"Bit by bit."
"Piece by piece."
"And soon..."
Raze looked up.
Black veins now covered half Raze face.
"Kai."
"Kill me."
Silence.
Raze slowly picked up Kai's dagger.
The same dagger that killed the Nightmare.
Then he held it out.
Toward Kai.
"Kai."
Raze hand trembled.
"I want to die human."
Tears streamed down Kai's face.
"No."
"Kai."
"I won't."
"KAI."
"STOP!"
(Corruption: 98.9%)
Kai slapped the dagger away.
"I won't do it!"
"There has to be another way!"
"We'll find one!"
"We'll figure something out!"
"We always do!"
Raze smiled.
A sad smile.
Then suddenly Raze grabbed Kai's hand.
Before Kai realized.
Raze picked up the dagger.
Wrapped Kai's fingers around the handle.
And guided the knife toward his own heart.
"Kai—"
"No!"
"Stop!"
"RAZE!"
The blade pointed his heart.
Tears streamed from both of them.
Then—
STAB!
Raze leaned forward.
Resting his forehead against Kai's shoulder.
"Kai."
"I'm sorry."
Warm blood covered Kai's hands.
Time stopped.
Raze gasped.
A weak sound escaped him.
Then Raze smiled.
A small smile.
A peaceful smile.
"Kai..."
Blood dripped from his lips.
"...I'm overjoyed."
Kai couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't move.
Raze wrapped his arms around him.
Like a brother.
Like a friend.
Like someone saying goodbye.
"Thank you."
Raze voice was fading.
"For not letting me die alone."
Kai broke.
Completely.
"No."
"Please."
"Please don't."
Raze's breathing slowed.
His body grew heavier.
Raze grip weakened.
Then—
With his final breath.
"Survive."
(Corruption: 99.9%)
A whisper.
Barely audible.
Raze arms slipped.
His body went limp.
The fire crackled quietly.
Kai remained there.
Holding him.
Crying.
Begging.
Long after Raze stopped breathing.
Long after the warmth faded.
Long after the night ended.
Long before Kai finally found a companion.
Kai was left alone.
To Be Continued...