I traveled the wilderness for a few more hours. In those hours, I fought anything I thought was strong enough for the system to reward me and weak enough for me to defeat.

  The forest is a habitat for almost every dark species. And although the Chaos here might not affect me, I can still feel the darkness welling up inside of me and looking for where to settle and grow.

  Also, the Scholar of Time’s effects have made it easier for my already broken mind to grow even more broken. This makes it easier for the chaos to take over. I think.

  Luckily, my mental state was never in a good place to begin with. Between the constant lab experiments and the whispers from my sword, I have already lost a good portion of my sanity. Two negatives make a positive, and that positive is that Chaos is on the losing side for now.

  My sword skills have improved after countless fights. I practice through memory, following Sasha’s quick footwork. The way she swings her sword is quite interesting. I am no sword specialist, but after exchanging swords with her, I can tell that she’s no master. She relies a lot on brute strength and has so many exposed areas. This is why she was cut in the previous return.

  If I am to face her in an exchange and win, I have to notice those exposed areas in her swordsmanship and use them just like how Nico did.

  Therefore, in each battle against these mindless creatures, I don’t just attack. I find openings and make deadly strikes that finish them off quickly. The further I venture, the more it feels like I am getting the hang of it. The Ether energy in my swings becomes more refined, and soon I can cut down trees without having to directly use my sword. Though the concentration will still need more practice, as I can only do two complete ones.

  My search for creatures to kill eventually leads me to an alien swamp that we haven’t come across until now, since Tessia isn’t leading me. The air is thick, too thick. Each breath tastes like damp metal and rot.

  I’m cautious about going forward, but what if this is my ticket to a new magic item that can help me in the fight waiting for me ahead?

  My boots sink into the violet sludge with every step, releasing bubbles that pop with a hiss, letting our fumes that sting my eyes. The ground quivers beneath me, as if something enormous sleeps just below the surface. This would make the perfect home for the two-headed serpent I was told to avoid.

  Strange fungi the size of trees rise all around, their caps glowing with slow pulses of green light that ripple through the fog.

  This is my first time seeing fungi this big, although we’ve been told that some fungi species on some planets grow to this size. Streams of phosphorescent liquid crawl between the roots, weaving veins of pale fire through the twilight darkness that we wanted to call Night.

  I hear low croak sounds that echo from somewhere further, followed by the faint clicking of unseen creatures shifting in the murk.

  I lift my bloody sword. Although the system is supposed to warn me, it has one dumb flaw: it cannot sense creatures without bloodlust. I noticed it hours ago when I fought some plant that tried to turn me into a midnight snack. That insight has made me more alert and more aware of my surroundings.

  The air hums faintly. The swamp feels alive. Insects with transparent wings float by. They circle me for a moment before drifting off towards the larger glow ahead.

  Curious, I follow them further into the swamp. The scenery is amazing for a moment until I find myself entering what was supposed to be a normal field with disfigured trees.

  Here, the glow of the fungi fades. Everything is quiet. Too quiet. The glowing insects land onto something and scatter instantly when something moves in the silence. That’s when I see it, half sunken in the mire.

  At first, I think it's another carcass of a swamp creature that lost to the law of nature. But I step closer, and I start to recognize a few distinct features.

  It's a human. Or at least something that was once human. The skin is bloated, torn open by translucent worms that are probably a stage in the life cycle of the same glowing insects. They writhe through the flesh, feasting in slow, deliberate motions. His or her armor has a hole where their rib cage juts out like a broken crown, wrapped in strands of moss and something that looks like veins.

  From the looks of it, he’s been dead for a long time. What’s left of his face is twisted backward.

  I take one step to get a better look, but my sword doesn’t allow that. It reacts, and the Whispers increase drastically. They get so loud that my entire brain starts to feel like it's on fire. It doesn’t want me to see what’s there. All the more reason for me to go and see what’s there.

  I grit my teeth and take another step. I feel my head split from the whispers. They grow more defined. Louder.

  A few more steps later, I can see the corpse clearly. It belongs to a woman. The smell coming off her burns my nostrils so much that I wish I had lost my sense of smell. Her jaw is unhinged and stuffed with swamp reeds. Like she had been eaten by the swamp.

  This is my first time seeing a corpse like this one. Judging from the hold in her chest, this was a brutal end. Her enemy must have either struck her from behind. Or something burst out of her chest.

  ‘She must’ve been a Nexus Being if she’s ready to venture into a world like this. Her armor is an earlier model compared to what Sasha’s using, so she was here ten to fifteen years ago.’

  As I get a better look at what she looks like, the rot under her grey skin shifts. That’s when I realize she’s not alone. Smaller organisms—half-formed, half-decayed—crawl under the surface. I sense no danger coming from them, so I ignore and continue to scan the woman’s suit.

  Gravity suits are very popular. They are strong enough to handle intense pressures and can adjust to gravitational fields on different planets. These suits tend to have the same technology because it was already the most advanced technology when it was introduced; therefore, they don’t jump so far when they reveal an upgrade. Before Gravity Suits, humans had to first send down data-collecting drones before descending.

  I squint my eyes. There is something on her arm. It isn’t the mark of Bloodhaul. It is a mark I know and have seen in many history lessons. A blackhole with a diagonal slash running through it.

  “I know this cooperation. It's one of the Planetary Alliance's main companies…its Paradox.” I whisper. The pain doesn’t stop my thoughts from running. “What is a Paradox member doing in a realm that’s supposed to be unexplored?”

  Tessia said her group was the first expedition attempt on Nether. We are supposed to be the second. But judging from how this corpse looks and the armor it's wearing, her claim is not accurate.

  I endure the whispers and the pain until my nose starts dripping red. This discovery makes things even more interesting. Aside from the cooperation Sasha is already working under, Paradox was already here. This means that there are ways of getting into the Nether Realm.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  We are just the first ones to prove that this place can also house a Nexus Event.

  After my discovery, I return to the cave and get about thirty minutes of rest before we begin our journey to the Spire. I know the path, so I don’t call Tessia. She will be of more use to me when we’re inside the Spire than outside it.

  “What do you know about Paradox?” I randomly ask.

  “As much as you know. That it's a company in the planetary alliance in charge of geo transformation of foreign worlds,” he explains what I already know.

  There are many companies in the Planetary Alliance. Many of them manage Nexus Beings and things like weapon manufacturers, and a small portion of those handle planet terraforming.

  Paradox is one of those companies. And it does make sense that they are here. However, what doesn’t make sense is why they would tell us that this is an actual expedition.

  ‘Maybe they were tired of losing ‘Humans’ so they resorted to clones. We are the first clones in this type of expedition.’

  I stop walking. “Nico.” After seeing him die twice, I can’t help but feel a little bad for not telling him. “When we reach the Spire, we might face an enemy. I need you to use your lightning ring on the enemy.”

  “What kind of enemy are you talking about?” he asks. He doesn’t look concerned. He’s interested. “And how do you know about the ring?”

  “I just do.” I hiss. “The enemy is just as skilled as us…and I will make the first move. Do you trust me?”

  “Of course not,” he says coldly, flexing his gauntlet.

  “Then you'd better trust me if you want to live,” I whisper, my hand trembling on the hilt of my own sword. The memories are as clear as glass in my mind. He will die if he doesn’t listen.

  It doesn’t take long for Sasha to find us. This time, I don’t even give her the chance to speak. I’m tired. Tired of her face, tired of watching this scene repeat.

  I lunge first, and my blade grazes her armor. Sparks explode between us before she leaps back, her expression twisting into something colder, deadlier.

  This is the real her.

  Her plasma sword manifests fully in seconds, the blade hissing with energy. She attacks with a vicious swing, but I meet it head-on. Our swords clash, and I don’t even bother to hold my breath as I push her back.

  “You’ve grown strong in such a short time,” she laughs, her tone mocking. “Adam would be proud.”

  I fake a gasp. “Really? What an honor.”

  Ether floods my sword, and I strike. A burst of raw energy tears through the air.

  Boom!

  Her energy sword stretches, fed by her own Ether, and bends like a whip to deflect my slash. That’s fine because I’ve already bought Nico enough time.

  He raises his hand. The bronze ring on his finger glows, and lightning uncoils from him like a living serpent. It streaks past me and slams into Sasha’s chest with a crack that shakes the air. Her rig sputters and dies, sparks bursting across her armor.

  Perfect. Without that, she’ll rely on her wind ability. But I’m ready for it this time. Her sword ignites again. I can just barely keep up with her movements—her footwork, her speed, her precise swings. I’ve studied them. They’re nothing special, not really. But I’m not special either. I’m surviving only because I’ve fought her twice before.

  When I’m too winded to move, Nico charges in. His attack meets her plasma sword with god-tier precision, and the impact sends Sasha stumbling back several paces.

  “How the hell did you know it was her?” he yells.

  I don’t answer. Sasha’s already lunging again, a wild grin stretching across her face. Her eyes flash with electric light.

  [The Ability…]

  She swings. The arc of her sword unleashes an Ether blast laced with wind. It rips through the terrain and hurls both Nico and me into the jagged rocks behind us.

  I don’t pass out this time. The pain screams through my nerves. Like someone has decided to set all of them on fire.

  “You insects really think you can beat someone like me?” Sasha’s voice cuts through the dust like a perfect knife. “I was chosen by god!”

  Her words clear the air as the dust drifts away. She stands in the center, and Nico is somewhere to the far right. I’m closer—on her left. Her head tilts toward me, and that same smile appears.

  I’m not shaken by it. Not anymore. I may die here, but I’ll come back stronger each time. Maybe the next loop will be the last one. If I am undying, then I might as well use it to my full advantage,

  ‘Come on. Fight me.’

  I gasp, and my body surges with power. The Ether inside me stirs, answering my emotions, flooding through my system like a living current. It doesn’t burn this time. I’m in control.

  I rush her before she can swing again. The world narrows to the hiss of ether and the clash of our weapons. Her sword hums like a living beast, while mine whispers so loudly that it's all I can hear. I want to turn them off.

  The impact when our swords meet shakes my arm, but I do not stop. I push forward, teeth bared, every muscle screaming for her throat.

  She meets halfway, blade to blade, and I see my reflection in her eyes. Wide eyes, blood leaking from my nose, a smile that doesn’t belong to me.

  The Whispers rise again. My vision trembles. I blink once, and for a second, Sasha’s face isn’t Sasha’s. It's mine.

  I stumble back, losing my footing. She doesn’t waste the chance and drives her knee into my gut with brutal precision.

  I cough. There goes my Ether.

  “What’s wrong?” Sasha taunts.

  Before I can answer, Nico’s lightning crashes down behind her, splitting the ground and flooding the lifeless terrain with blinding blue light. The smell of ozone fills my lungs. Sasha screams. Not in pain, but in fury. And dives her sword into the ground.

  A pulse of wind erupts outward, forming a vacuum around us. Nico charges through it, but she flicks her wrist, and a razor-thin blade of wind severs one of his arms clean. He doesn’t scream. He keeps running. Their swords meet for a heartbeat before he laughs and spits blood across her face.

  Just like in my previous return, the poison reacts immediately. This time, it burns her skin like acid. She shrieks, and Nico, with his one remaining arm, drops his sword and slams his fist into her face with such force that I hear the crunch of bone.

  She collapses, writhing in pain. The divine arrogance drains from her eyes. What’s left is only a broken fifteen-year-old girl.

  “How is this possible?” she gasps. “They said I’d be like a god. They said I will become better than everyone else! How could I lose to insects?”

  I want to ask who they are, but the 3.5-second window has opened, and I am close enough.

  I will Ether into my legs and move. She reaches for her sword, but mine is already descending. Her reflexes are sharp, but not sharp enough.

  Slash!

  Horus’s Agony cleaves clean through her neck. The system’s voice follows almost immediately:

  [You have slain an Awakened Human]

  It is over. At least this part, I don’t have to die at Sasha’s hand this time.

  [You have received a magic item]

  I turn my gaze to Nico. His sword hand has survived, but he’s become a liability. One of his eyes is damaged, and bits of him look broken. Limbs can be regrown with today’s tech, so he’ll be fine—if he makes it out of this world alive.

  I don’t fare well either. My ribs are on the verge of shattering like ice. And I'm almost out of Ether. If we enter the spire now, we will die.

  Nico understands this. We work together, dragging Sasha’s corpse and hiding it under a cluster of large rocks. Before that, I strip her of her armor and start looking through the messages she received before coming to this place.

  “Do you know which cooperation is this?” I show Nico the Lion emblem.

  He gives it one long stare before shaking his head. “I don’t know it,” he says quietly. “Are they the ones who sent her?”

  “It looks that way. But don’t you think that it's strange that she had a full Gravity Suit?”

  "So you think this is more than just the Blood Monarch trying to get more control?"

  I shrug. " I am not interested in any of this...but if it affects me, I have to know."

  After some effort, I finally manage to access the messages between her and the people who sent her. The most recent one is from Dan himself.

  [Devon and I will proceed into the Spire. Kill anyone who isn't Astrid. Do this, and we will be freed by the hand of Ashmael himself.

  "So she was also searching for freedom," Nico mutters, eyes fixed on the projected messages we've extracted from her suit.

  I replay the same message I heard during my first death. It hasn't changed one bit. It's the same powerful voice, the same commanding tone. But now I notice something new. The message was sent the moment she entered the Nether. It was prerecorded and timed perfectly for that day.

  "So the Lion represents a cooperation in the alliance?"

  "It does."

  Another voice cuts through the silence. My body stiffens. I turn toward the source.

  Dark brown hair. Bronze, scaled skin. Brown eyes that hold no warmth. He feels entirely different from us. And carries the same air as Sasha.

  "He's a Nexus Being," Nico whispers. Ether flickers in his eyes. Even with one arm, he's not ready to give up.

  "Hello, Dan."

  He shifts his gaze to the Grav Suit on the ground. "Where is her body?"

  Nico steps forward and says, "Buried under some rocks."

  A crushing pressure suddenly falls over us. My stomach twists, and my chest tightens. Every instinct screams the same truth. Dan is going to kill us.

  "I command all of you to kill yourselves."