Morning arrived quietly.
There was no dramatic sunrise, no sense of renewal. Broken Cloud Mountain looked exactly the same as it had the night before—cold stone, uneven paths, wind that carried sound too far. If anything had changed, it was the people.
They woke slowly.
Some sat up, then stopped, waiting for the dull ache in their bodies to settle. Others stayed lying down, staring at nothing, as if expecting a system screen to appear and wipe the soreness away.
It didn't.
Someone groaned.
"I logged out last night," he said. "Why do my legs still hurt?"
Another answered after a pause.
"Because this place doesn't forget."
It wasn't meant to sound deep. It was just true.
STRWH4T woke with his right arm still wrapped. He flexed his fingers carefully, one by one. The pain was better than yesterday, but it hadn't disappeared. When he thought about Armament Haki—the blackened skin, the heavy impact sound—his arm reacted before his mind did.
He stopped immediately.
Nearby, Unbroken was already awake. He sat with his elbows on his knees, hands relaxed, staring at them quietly. He flexed once, then let them rest.
No black color.
No lingering strength.
Just his body, stronger than before—but still tired.
Warbound walked the edge of the camp, counting people without making it obvious. He paused once, frowned, then nodded to himself.
Lin Yuan stood a short distance away, looking out toward the mountain paths. He hadn't said a word since morning. Anyone waiting for a speech was disappointed.
The system spoke instead.
It wasn't loud or dramatic.
A simple notification appeared.
[Revival Cooldown Complete]
Earth Disciple Revival Available
A moment passed.
Then Qi gathered near the edge of the camp.
GACHAGAMI appeared.
He stumbled forward slightly, hands pressing against his chest, breathing hard as if he had just sprinted. His eyes were wide, unfocused.
"Okay," he said shakily. "Okay… yeah."
He swallowed.
"That actually sucked."
No one laughed.
A few people looked at him, then quickly looked away. Others stared, unsure what to say. He was alive—but everyone remembered how quickly he had died.
Someone finally spoke.
"Welcome back."
Another added, quieter, "You alright?"
GACHAGAMI tried to smile. "Depends."
It didn't land.
He glanced around, waiting for jokes, teasing, someone calling him an idiot in a familiar way.
None came.
STRWH4T met his eyes briefly, then looked away.
Unbroken didn't look at him at all.
GACHAGAMI scratched his head, voice lower now.
"I thought it'd feel like lag," he said. "Like the screen freezes, then you're just… back."
He shook his head once.
"It didn't."
No one asked him to explain. They didn't need to.
Lin Yuan turned from the mountain.
"Revival is not permission," he said calmly.
The words carried in the thin air.
Some people straightened without realizing it.
"Recklessness will not be encouraged," Lin Yuan continued. "If I restrict it later, that will not be punishment. It will be containment."
Someone muttered, "Yeah… that makes sense."
Lin Yuan ignored it.
The system chimed again.
[Mode Event Activated]
Name: Fatigue Accumulation
Effects:
• Recovery time increases with repeated strain
• Overuse penalties are amplified
• Proper rest reduces long-term loss
The reactions came immediately.
"You've gotta be kidding."
"So resting actually matters now?"
"This mode really hates speedrunners."
Warbound exhaled slowly. "That explains yesterday."
STRWH4T nodded. "That explains everything."
Unbroken said quietly, "Good."
Someone glanced at him. "Good?"
"It means we can't pretend anymore," Unbroken replied. "If you're tired, you're tired."
No one argued.
GACHAGAMI sat down heavily on a rock, elbows on his knees, staring at the ground. He didn't joke again.
Later, Warbound gathered everyone—not formally, just close enough to hear.
"No solo fights," he said. "No experiments. Observers required. Retreat comes before kills."
A few people looked unhappy, but no one objected.
Ironroot added, "We slow the pace. Two or three targets max. Scout first."
Again, no arguments.
STRWH4T stood near Unbroken for a moment.
"You okay?" he asked.
Unbroken flexed his arms lightly. "Barely."
They understood each other without saying more. Armament Haki wasn't something to chase. It was something to survive.
The day's hunts reflected that.
They were slow. Careful. Sometimes frustratingly cautious. More lures failed than succeeded. Retreats happened often.
Two Warhogs fell before midday.
One more in the afternoon.
No one celebrated.
When the number increased, it felt less like progress and more like confirmation that patience still worked.
GACHAGAMI stayed at the back, hands loose at his sides. He didn't step forward once.
At one point, he caught STRWH4T watching him.
"About yesterday," GACHAGAMI said quietly.
STRWH4T shook his head. "You don't owe me anything."
GACHAGAMI nodded. "Still… I won't do that again."
STRWH4T believed him.
As evening came and shadows stretched across the mountain paths, Lin Yuan checked the system interface one last time.
Then he closed it.
They were still far from five hundred.
But no one pretended otherwise anymore.