Dust swirled within the stifling underground corridor. The copper tang of monster blood mingled with the stale sweat of the scavengers. Vedic wiped his perspiration-soaked brow with the back of a grimy hand. He kicked aside the worthless carcass of a goblin. Ahead of him, Hans was busy rummaging through the remains of the loot, his face twisted in a sour grimace."Damn it. We only managed to find small-fry mana crystals again," Hans grumbled, tossing a pebble against the cave wall. "If this keeps up, we'll starve to death before we can even pay the rent back in town. That guild boss is a total bloodsucker."Vedic remained silent. He was used to bad luck. For people like them, low-rank dungeons were nothing more than mass graves disguised as a livelihood. Vedic picked up a silver coin wedged under some rubble. His hand trembled slightly. He felt something strange about the air here. An unnatural silence."Stop complaining, Hans. Just focus on what is right in front of you. If we don’t

Vedic had no choice but to throw himself toward Sanan. The moment his palm made contact with the skin of her neck, a jolt of searing static electricity scorched his nerves. The blade of light the system shadow had swung shattered instantly, dissolving into a cloud of digital dust. Sanan let out a long, shuddering sigh, a sound that was unmistakably erotic amidst the thunder of the crumbling room.Her golden eyes widened, then softened as Vedic's glitch energy flooded into her, neutralizing the frigid curse that had been tormenting her for so long."Ah, so that is how it feels," Sanan whispered, closing her eyes. She pulled Vedic closer until their chests collided. "It is true then; you are the cure and the addiction I have been searching for among millions of pieces of trash."Vedic felt like his brain was short-circuiting. He was well aware they were on the brink of death, but the sensation of Sanan's dominant touch made him lose focus. "Wait, this is hardly the time for a romantic s

"This is the end," the Fixer repeated tonelessly. Her white blade pressed coldly against Vedic’s pulse.Vedic swallowed hard. The chill of the metal seeped into his nerves. He could feel Sanan holding his breath behind him. A heavy, suffocating silence settled over the ruined remains of the dungeon."The end of what?" Vedic asked, forcing a dry chuckle. "I was just starting to get comfortable with all this chaos. You’re a little late to the party, Lady in White."The woman didn't respond. Her vacant eyes didn't see Vedic as a person, but rather as a line of corrupted code that needed to be purged. Sanan slowly rose from the rubble, wiping a smudge of blood from the corner of his lip with his thumb. A strange flicker of fury and desire danced in his eyes as he stared at the Fixer."Let him go," Sanan ordered, his voice low and heavy with authority.The Fixer didn't even look at him. "Sanan, you have been infected by this anomaly. You have allowed yourself to be defiled by the low-level

The figure in the chair had a face identical to Vedic’s. The jawline was the same, the gaze was the same, and there was even the exact same small scar on his left eyebrow. The man crossed his legs casually, watching Vedic and Sanan with a smile that made their skin crawl. Sanan, usually fierce, stood frozen, her nails digging into Vedic's arm as she gripped him."What is the meaning of this?" Vedic asked, his voice trembling. He tried to step back, but his feet felt as though they were bolted to the cold marble floor. "I am Vedic. I'm the one standing here. So who are you? Are you some kind of clone from a system experiment?"The man laughed. His voice sounded like the smooth, grand friction of fine metal. He stood up slowly, smoothing out his black suit, an outfit that looked far too luxurious and out of place for such a chaotic world. "I'm no clone. I am the final result of everything you’ve been through. I am the Vedic from a timeline that successfully erased the boundaries between

Vedic tried to reach out into the empty air with trembling hands. The darkness surrounding him was so thick it felt as though reality had chewed him up and spat the remains into a cosmic gutter. But instead of feeling destruction, he felt a warm sensation spreading across the back of his hand. He opened his eyes to find Sanan gripping his fingers with incredible strength. She was not gone. She was right there beside him, even though her clothes were torn and her aura seemed dim, like a candle flickering in a storm."Vedic, do not let go!" Sanan screamed. Her voice echoed strangely, as if they were inside a giant cavern made of pure data.In front of them, the system notification flashing red was no longer counting down. The numbers had stopped exactly at one second. The screen was cracked, spitting out digital sparks that scorched the air around them. Suddenly, an ancient artifact shaped like an antique music box appeared between them. It spun slowly, playing a melody