Seung-hoo and the others steadied themselves, the tension in the chamber growing heavier by the second. The glow from the pedestal dimmed, and the jagged cave walls seemed to close in around them as the mechanical voice of the woman echoed once more.
"Players," the voice announced, smooth and emotionless, "the next game will be… Battle Royale."
Hyun-wu's eyes widened. "Battle Royale? You mean… against each other?"
Seo-yeon clicked her tongue. "Of course it had to be something like this."
The pedestal in the center of the room slowly sank into the stone floor, disappearing with a deep grinding sound. The light that had filled the chamber faded, replaced by a colder, sharper glow coming from the walls themselves.
"Players will be split into two groups," the mechanical voice continued. "Selecting groups now."
Lines of glowing text appeared in the air, hovering between them.
Player 1 – Seung-hoo
Player 4 – Seo-yeon
--------------------------------------
Player 3 – Hyun-wu
Player 2 – Kim Bak-un
Seo-yeon glanced sideways at Seung-hoo. "Looks like it's you and me."
Seung-hoo forced a small smile. "Guess we're groupmates… for now."
Hyun-wu scratched his head nervously. "Why do I feel like this is going to end badly?"
Kim adjusted his grip on his staff, though his expression was calm. "At least we know each other. It's not like we're fighting strangers."
The mechanical voice spoke again.
"All skills will be locked for fair fighting."
A faint ripple passed through the air, like an invisible wave washing over them. Seung-hoo felt a strange emptiness in his chest, as if something had been shut off. His senses dulled slightly—the familiar presence of the system and his abilities suddenly distant.
"…I can't feel my mana," Seo-yeon muttered, flexing her fingers.
Hyun-wu tapped his shield. "Same. It's like everything just got turned off."
Kim exhaled slowly. "So this really is pure combat."
"Players, please step into your designated spots."
From opposite ends of the chamber, rectangular platforms rose from the stone walls with a low rumble. They extended outward like stages, facing each other across the wide, open space of the room.
The tower shook once, then settled into silence.
Seung-hoo and Seo-yeon walked toward the platform on the left side. Across from them, Hyun-wu and Kim moved to the opposite rectangle. The distance between the two teams felt much larger now that they were separated, the empty space between them like a battlefield waiting to be filled.
For a moment, no one spoke.
The air felt thick. Even their breathing sounded loud.
Seung-hoo glanced at Seo-yeon. She rolled her shoulders, loosening up, but her eyes were serious.
"Don't hold back too much," she said quietly. "If we hesitate, we'll lose."
"I know," Seung-hoo replied. "But still… they're our teammates."
Across the room, Hyun-wu shifted his stance, planting his feet firmly. Kim stood beside him, calm but alert, eyes scanning the space between the platforms.
The chamber remained silent for several seconds.
Five seconds felt like a minute.
Then Seung-hoo broke the tension, raising his voice.
"If someone gets hurt," he shouted, trying to sound lighthearted, "it's not all of our fault, okay?!"
Hyun-wu blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "O-Okay!"
Kim nodded. "Agreed. This is just a game… I think."
Seo-yeon smirked. "You better not cry when I knock you down."
Hyun-wu groaned. "You're scary when you say it like that."
The mechanical voice returned, cutting through their nervous exchange.
"Battle will commence in thirty seconds."
A glowing countdown appeared above the center of the room.
30…
29…
Seo-yeon stepped forward slightly, raising her hands into a ready stance. "Alright, Seung-hoo. Let's make this quick."
Seung-hoo tightened the straps of his backpack, feeling strangely exposed without his skills. "Yeah. Just don't aim for the face."
Across from them, Hyun-wu lifted his shield and Kim adjusted his footing, both of them preparing as if this were a real fight rather than a trial.
The numbers continued to fall.
20…
19…
The jagged cave walls reflected the glowing countdown, throwing sharp shadows across the floor. The silence between the teams grew heavier with every passing second.
Seo-yeon leaned closer to Seung-hoo and whispered, "No matter what happens… don't freeze up."
"I won't," he said. "You either."
The countdown burned brighter.
10…
9…
All four of them locked eyes across the battlefield, the tension between teammates and opponents blurring together as the moment of impact drew closer.
8…
7…
6…
The glowing numbers hovered above the center of the chamber, casting sharp light across the jagged stone floor. Everyone tensed, muscles coiling in anticipation.
5…
4…
Seo-yeon bent her knees slightly, eyes locked on Hyun-wu and Kim across the room. Seung-hoo stood beside her, heart pounding so loudly he thought the others might hear it.
3…
2…
1…
"Players may now fight," the mechanical voice announced.
The moment the words left her mouth, both teams launched forward at the same time.
Seung-hoo and Seo-yeon pushed off the ground together, their bodies lifting into the air. Across from them, Hyun-wu charged with his shield raised while Kim sprinted beside him, gripping his staff like a spear.
For an instant, all four of them were airborne, silhouettes crossing in the glowing light.
Then—
Everything froze.
Seo-yeon was mid-kick.
Hyun-wu's shield was halfway through a swing.
Kim's staff hovered inches from Seung-hoo's shoulder.
Seung-hoo felt like time itself had been grabbed and held still.
"…What?" Seo-yeon muttered, her voice strained as if pushing against invisible glass.
A faint hum filled the chamber, and the mechanical voice of the woman spoke again.
"Additional rules must be explained."
The air shimmered, and a translucent panel of light appeared above them, filled with numbers and symbols that slowly rearranged themselves.
"Every hit a player lands on another player will grant one point," the voice said calmly.
"Each partner you have will be given 250 points
"Your points and your teammate's points are combined, which makes a total of 500"
Seung-hoo's eyes widened slightly. "Points… from hitting each other?"
The voice continued, unbothered by their reactions.
"However, if a player is struck while possessing points, one point will be deducted from their total and transferred to the player who landed the hit."
Seo-yeon frowned. "So if I get hit after scoring… I lose a point?"
"Correct," the voice replied "however, you can't hit your teammate to gain a point"
Hyun-wu blinked in confusion. "So… it's not just about attacking. It's about not getting hit."
Kim exhaled slowly. "That means defense matters just as much as offense."
The chamber remained frozen in time while the explanation went on. The glowing numbers above the arena shifted, forming two separate tallies—one for Seung-hoo and Seo-yeon, and another for Hyun-wu and Kim.
"Team scores will be calculated as a combined value," the voice said. "Individual recklessness will affect the whole team."
Seo-yeon clicked her tongue. "Great. So if one of us messes up, we both suffer."
Seung-hoo swallowed. "We have to move carefully."
Hyun-wu tried to turn his head, but his body wouldn't budge. "Hey… I can't move at all."
"That is because time is temporarily suspended," the mechanical voice replied. "This is to ensure all players understand the rules before continuing."
Kim's eyes narrowed. "You really like explaining things at the worst moments."
There was a brief pause, as if the voice were considering his comment.
"Mockery is unnecessary," it replied flatly.
Seo-yeon almost laughed. "It talks back."
The tension of the moment didn't disappear, but it twisted into something stranger—part nervousness, part disbelief. They were literally frozen in the middle of attacking each other, suspended like statues.
Seung-hoo glanced at Seo-yeon, who was stuck mid-kick beside him. "When this resumes… you're really aiming for Hyun-wu, right?"
"Obviously," she said. "Unless Kim gets in the way."
Across the arena, Hyun-wu stared straight ahead. "Why do I feel like I'm the main target here?"
Kim sighed. "Because you're the biggest."
The glowing panel above them flashed again.
"Reminder," the mechanical voice added, "players who lose all accumulated points will place their team at a disadvantage."
"So it's like stealing points," Seo-yeon muttered. "Hit them, take their score."
"And don't get hit back," Seung-hoo said quietly. "Or we lose what we gained."
The light in the chamber brightened slightly, and the hum in the air grew louder.
"Rule explanation complete," the mechanical voice announced.
"Battle will resume shortly."
Seo-yeon's eyes sharpened. "Alright… now it's not just a fight. It's a game of timing."
Hyun-wu took a slow breath, bracing himself. "Please don't aim for my face."
Kim smirked faintly. "No promises."
Seung-hoo felt his heartbeat quicken as the invisible pressure holding them in place began to loosen. The frozen tension in his muscles turned into a burning readiness, as if the air itself were counting down again without numbers.
The chamber's light flickered once, shadows stretching along the jagged walls.
"Resuming combat in three…" the mechanical voice began.
All four of them focused forward, eyes locked on their opponents, bodies poised to explode into motion the instant time was released.