Endless Evolution As A Skeleton In A Game-Like World

The wave of light clashed into Tristan, causing the entire hotel to tremble from the impact alone.

A shockwave cut through the space, blowing everything apart and demolishing what was left of the top floor.

If not for Mountain being there to protect Thalia and Olivia, even they would have been caught up in the blast.

But Tristan, who had been the target, stood firm, unshaken by the attack.

The light fizzled away, and driven by exhaustion, Ark fell to his knees, his vision filling up with dark spots.

Tristan adjusted his suit, watching as his needle crumbled to dust.

"This is an S-Rank weapon... Well, it’s not as durable as most S-ranks, but not bad." He said plainly as he walked up to Ark.

"But it seems you have failed our wager." He raised his hand up above his head. "Don’t worry, this won’t kill you. I can’t have you watch as I kill your friend now, can I?"

Ark tried to move, but his body had locked up from pure exhaustion and mana stress. He had put everything into that attack, and yet, he had failed.

Tristan’s hand came down with a sharp whistling sound, but just before it could split Ark’s head apart, he felt someone grab onto him and pull him out of the way...

Bang!

The floor where he had been exploded, steam and wet soil blasting up into the air.

Ark stared up at the person who had saved him, only to grow even more confused. "Who a-are you?"

The woman seemed to be in her early twenties. She had long, silky black hair that had clumped to her sides due to the rain, and eyes the colour of frozen ice.

The white part of her eyes was oddly grey, and at the top of her head, two black horns stuck out.

"A phantom?"

The strangest thing about the woman now standing protectively in front of him was that she was in a maid’s uniform...

Tristan clenched his fingers and turned around to face her. "What is it now? Are you also going to try to stop me?"

The woman stared at him coldly, one arm raised in front of Ark.

"Forgive my impertinence, Vice Commander, but I cannot allow you to kill him." The woman said. "The penalty for death will hamper his growth, which I absolutely cannot allow."

"Not to sound ungrateful." Ark stumbled to his feet and was about to fall when she held him, slinging his arm above her shoulder.

Ark raised his head to meet her gaze. "But who are you, and why do you care about me?"

The woman’s expression faltered. For whatever reason, she did not seem too keen on introducing herself. But she did so anyway.

"I am... Satella. Soo-Jin’s personal aide."

’Soo-Jin?’ Ark mused. ’Why was her maid here at the exact time he needed her?’

"Wait. Have you been... spying on me, like a creep?"

A drop of sweat slid down the woman’s face, or perhaps it was rain, it was hard to tell. But she certainly seemed nervous.

Knowing Soo-Jin, it was not all that surprising that she would send someone to keep track of him, but how had he not sensed her all this time?

"I was simply doing my job, Master Ark." She sighed and stared at Tristan. "Master Ark is under Lady Soo-Jin’s protection, as such, I cannot allow you to do him more harm than thi—"

Satella suddenly coughed blood and stumbled forward, nearly falling to her knees.

Ark could feel a prickly sensation all over his body. It was as though he was being stung by needles on all sides, the pain so intense that he gritted his teeth.

’Is this his killing intent?!’ Ark had seen him use it before, but never had it been so strong that he was this affected.

Tristan’s face remained cold and emotionless as he stared at Satella.

"Fable?" He spat. "What makes you think Fable can interfere in my business?"

Ark remembered how Tristan seemed to have a deep-rooted hatred for the top guilds. Satella getting in his way had likely pushed his rage past a boiling point.

Satella gritted her blood-stained teeth, and disappeared from where she had been, appearing in front of Tristan a second later.

Clang!

A thick dagger slipped out of her sleeve, meeting Tristan’s needle with a loud shrill.

The second clash sent a shockwave rippling through the area, and then they both vanished, appearing at another part of the hotel to continue their brawl.

It was then that Ark realised...

"They are both phantoms." He muttered to himself in disbelief.

Both Tristan and Satella seemed to have similar methods of fighting. The way they phased was seamless, and neither of them seemed to have any presence whatsoever.

’That was how she was able to follow me for so long...!’

Even now as he stared at them, he could feel the shockwaves from their clashes, but he could barely sense anything else.

Their arms moved like mirages, and their bodies blurred out of space like a wisp of smoke, only to reappear seconds after.

They were both of the Phantom race, but—

"Don’t!" Ark screamed out to her.

He had no idea how Tristan could do it, but he could rip someone right out of a phased state.

Using that ability against him was a grave mistake.

But Satella did not seem to hear his warning, and even if she did, what could she realistically do against a player several levels above her?

Tristan snatched her out of nothing, and lifted her up by her throat, his fingers tightening around it.

She held his arm tightly, her eyes wide in shock. Somehow, she could no longer phase out of his grip—

The whites of Tristan’s eyes grew dark, and then two grey horns sprang out of his head, curving backwards.

They were far longer than Satella’s, and pulsed with dim light.

"You have overstepped your boundaries, Fable." He said in a bitter tone.

Tristan seemed to look past Satella, at something neither of them could see. "How much more will you take from me?"

If Ark did nothing, he would without a doubt kill her.

"Wait!" He suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, causing him to pause.

Satella was likely in Iron rank or perhaps higher, it would take her far too long to get back to that level if she died.

Despite being a stalker, Ark did not want her to die just because she had decided to help him out.

"Let’s make a deal, Tristan!" Sparks appeared in Ark’s hand as he lifted an object into the air.

Lightning flashed in the sky above, illuminating the object.

"Their lives... for this."

Tristan cocked his head to the side as he watched the strange object in Ark’s hands. His eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

"A key?"

Ark laughed darkly. "Not just any key. A key... to the abyss..."