A powerful cheat in the apocalypse

Stage

"What? There were players in there? I thought you said no one was left inside," the man in the suit said irritably.

"There was no one, I assure you," replied a man holding a stack of documents.

The man sighed before walking up to the pair.

"Please tell us your names. We'd like to understand what happened."

"Rin."

"Key."

The moment the man with the documents heard those names, his expression changed.

He suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said,

"Sir Richard, I remember now! According to the records, this woman disappeared during an expedition. Yes, it's the same name. And as for the boy... isn't he the one from the team that was wiped out on Floor Twenty? We even offered our condolences to his family."

The other Awakened behind them slowly approached, all wearing astonished expressions.

The man in the suit thought for a moment before asking Rin,

"How are you still alive? It's been three days since you were confirmed dead. As for the woman... she's been missing for an entire month."

"..."

"..."

Rin and the woman, who had introduced herself as Key, exchanged shocked glances.

Three days? And a whole month for her?

Damn! Not even thirty minutes had passed for us!

"It's a long story. Right now, though, we need some rest," Rin said before taking Key's hand and starting to walk.

"You were about to go in anyway, weren't you? Just continue as if nothing happened."

Richard immediately replied,

"Sorry. You're right—you need to rest. I can't even imagine what you had to go through in there."

Inside Zenith, monsters appeared twenty-four hours a day.

There was a reason it was also known as the Enemy's Refuge.

"However, we'll still need to examine you and understand exactly what happened."

Everyone around them nodded in agreement.

Seeing the puzzled expressions on Rin and Key's faces, Richard added,

"The portal behaved strangely before you appeared. We have to analyze you. It would be strange to simply let you leave after people believed you were dead."

"Besides... they've both become more attractive," the man with the documents whispered.

I understand.

Rin nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a young man in armor rushed forward, pushing everyone aside before stopping in front of Key.

"Big sister! You're finally... You have no idea how happy I am..."

Key sighed in annoyance.

"Cut it out. I was going to come back anyway."

She walked over and stopped in front of Richard.

"Shall we begin the examination?"

Richard quickly nodded.

[ First Mission Added: Kill the boss of Floor Twenty that traumatized you. ]

[ Time Limit: 3 Days ]

[ Failure Penalty: The host will lose all Skills and Resistances and must repeat the Five Trials in the Chaotic World. ]

"..."

Rin felt his scalp tingle.

That psychopath followed me? Damn it...

He had no idea what that voice wanted from him, and that worried him.

Well... I had questions for you anyway.

And honestly, killing that boss was already part of my plan.

He let out a sigh.

"Alright. We'll cooperate with your examination. Where do we start?"

Richard sighed in relief.

"Thank you for your understanding. We'll begin by checking your class."

___________________

Inside a large room filled with various machines...

Key stood in front of one with a flat scanning platform.

Several men and women watched from nearby.

"Go ahead," Richard said with a smile.

Without hesitation, Key placed her hand on the flat surface.

The machine immediately displayed countless changing letters before finally stopping on a single result.

"B...?"

A nearby woman stared in surprise.

The man holding the documents looked equally shocked.

"But wait... according to these records, she was a C-Class before she disappeared. How is she B-Class now? Is the machine malfunctioning?"

"No."

Richard shook his head.

"This is our most reliable machine. It has never made a mistake."

He frowned thoughtfully.

"Maybe... she simply evolved while surviving inside Zenith. After all, she must have fought constantly to stay alive."

Everyone thought about it before nodding in agreement.

Rin was just as surprised.

Did they make a mistake before she disappeared?

Or did they never properly verify her level?

Now that I think about it... what exactly was that 'Stage 5' displayed on my status screen?

Not Class... Stage?

Before he had time to think further, Richard turned toward him.

"Your turn."

Key stepped aside as Rin casually walked forward.

He placed his hand on the scanner.

Letters flashed across the screen... they disappeared. And then...

Boom!

The machine exploded.

_______________

Somewhere deep within the Chaotic World...

The place Rin and Key had just left, a cloak suddenly appeared.

Nothing but a floating cape.

Moments later, it began moving as though searching for something.

It drifted to the exact location where Rin had completed the Fifth Trial.

Then a surprised male voice echoed.

"I'm certain I sensed several presences here..."

The cloak remained motionless for several seconds.

Then another voice resounded, causing the entire Chaotic World to tremble slightly.

[ What are you doing here? ]

The cloak trembled faintly before replying,

"Oh... it's you, Charly. I just sensed several presences here. Have you had visitors?"

[ No. Mind your own business. ]

Charly answered coldly, making the Chaotic World shake even more violently.

The cloak remained silent.

Twenty seconds later It disappeared.

The moment it was gone, a sigh of relief echoed throughout the entire Chaotic World.