Realm X: Ascending Through The Arcane Tower

Chapter 5: The Culling Game Begins

[BATTLEFIELD #47 - THE SHATTERED LANDS]

Erwin materialized in chaos.

The battlefield was a nightmare landscape of floating rock platforms suspended over an endless void.

Some platforms were big enough to be compared to city blocks. Others were barely large enough to stand on.

Chains of dark energy connected the platforms like bridges that looked solid.

The sky above was a swirling mass of purple and black clouds, occasionally split by lightning. This was like a freaking horror movie.

[Welcome to Battlefield #47]

[Overall Participants: 10,000]

[Participant in Battle Field: 50]

[Current Safe Zone: All platforms]

[First Zone Shrink: 29:47]

[Kills: 0]

[Points: 0]

[Current Rank: 5,000/10,000]

Erwin landed on one of the mid-sized platforms, his knees bending to absorb the impact instinctively. Around him, other participants were materializing in flashes of light.

Some landed gracefully. Others stumbled. One unfortunate creature materialized at the edge of a platform and immediately fell off, its scream fading as it fell into the endless void below.

[Participant eliminated: 1/50]

[Participants remaining: 49]

Not even a minute in, and someone was already dead.

"This is insane," Einstein muttered, hovering beside Erwin's shoulder.

Erwin's eyes scanned the battlefield, his Pattern Reading ability activating instinctively.

[Pattern Reading (Activated)]

He could see the flow of movement in the entire area. Where creatures were heading, which platforms they were targeting everything were flooding into his perception like information.

On the platform directly across from him, about twenty meters away, a cluster of three creatures had already formed an alliance. They were coordinating, pointing at other participants, clearly planning their first targets.

To his right, a massive creature, easily eight feet tall with thick armor plating was charging toward a smaller, reptilian being. The fight would be over in seconds.

And on a platform below, scattered across the ground, were... weapons?

Erwin's breath caught. Swords, spears, axes, bows, all kinds of weapons were lying there like loot drops in a video game.

[Resources Detected]

[Recommendation: Secure weapons immediately]

[Warning: Other participants have also detected the loots]

Of course they had. Erwin could see it with his pattern reading, multiple creatures converging on the weapons platforms.

This was going to be a bloodbath.

"We need a weapon," Erwin said, already moving toward the nearest energy bridge.

"We need to hide," Einstein countered. "Did you see that notification? You're ranked 5,000 out of 10,000. That means you're exactly average. Half the participants here are stronger than you!"

"Then I need to get stronger fast," Erwin shot back. "I can't just hide and hope to make top 500, there is no underhand tactics to bypass this battle royale. Besides, that's a death sentence for my parents and me."

He stepped onto the energy bridge. It felt solid beneath his boots, but the dark energy rippling slightly with each step.

The weapon platform was one level down, requiring him to cross two bridges and navigate between three floating rocks.

Oh, and wasn't the only one heading there.

A creature that looked like a humanoid insect with all chitin and compound eyes, was approaching from the opposite direction. It moved with disturbing speed, its legs clicking against the stone platforms.

[Scan Complete]

[Species: Klaxian Scout]

[Power Level: Mortal Rank D]

[Threat Assessment: Moderate]

Two ranks above him. Not insurmountable, but dangerous.

The Klaxian spotted him at the same moment. Its compound eyes fixed on Erwin, mandibles clicking together in what might have been communication or just hunger.

It accelerated, clearly intending to eliminate Erwin before claiming the weapons for itself.

'Bad move,' Erwin thought, his Pattern Reading ability flaring to life.

He could see it, he could see the exact path the creature would take, the exact moment it would leap from one platform to the next, and more, the exact attack it would make.

Erwin reached the weapon platform first, his hand closing around the handle of an axe.

Not his axe from Earth that was long gone. But this would do.

[Weapon Acquired: Battle Axe (Common)]

[Damage: +15 Attack Power]

The Klaxian leaped, its chitinous form hurtling through the air with bladed limbs extended.

Erwin saw the attack coming exactly three seconds before it happened and then...

He sidestepped.

The Klaxian's blades whistled past his head, missing by inches. The creature landed badly, thrown off balance by the unexpected dodge.

Erwin noticed instantly and swung his axe in the same motion.

Slash!

[Critical Hit!]

[Klaxian Scout HP: 180/320]

Green ichor sprayed from the wound in the creature's thorax. It shrieked so loud Erwin had to squint and staggered backward.

But it wasn't done.

The Klaxian lunged again, this time with both bladed limbs slashing in a cross pattern.

Erwin saw it coming and ducked under the first blade, then twisted away from the second.

And brought his axe down on the creature's head.

Over and out.

[FATAL HIT!]

[Klaxian Scout HP: 0/320]

[KILL CONFIRMED]

The creature collapsed, its chitinous body clattering against the stone platform. Green ichor pooled beneath it, steaming slightly in the strange air like acid but it luckily didn't pour on Erwin.

[+50 Points for kill]

[+25 Bonus Points for defeating higher-ranked opponent]

[Total Points: 75]

[Current Rank: 3,847/10,000]

[+100 EXP]

[Total EXP: 250/200]

[LEVEL UP!]

[Level 2 → Level 3]

Erwin barely registered the notifications. His hands were shaking, adrenaline flooding his system.

He'd just killed someone, a living, thinking being.

The Klaxian's body began to dissolve, breaking apart into particles of light that dispersed into the void. Unlike the infected on Earth, there was no corpse left behind.

Just emptiness where a life had been.

And for some reason, Erwin didn't absorb essence from this creature. Maybe not all creatures give out essence after all.

"Erwin," Einstein's voice cut through his thoughts. "We need to move. Now."

Erwin blinked, refocusing. Einstein was right. Standing still was death.

He grabbed a second weapon from the cache, a short sword, and a small pack that contained what looked like healing vials.

[Items Acquired]

[- Short Sword (Common)]

[- Health Potion x3]

Then he moved, crossing to a more defensible platform higher up.

From this vantage point, he could see more of the battlefield. The chaos was intensifying.

On one platform, two massive creatures were locked in combat of strength versus strength. Their blows shook the floating rock, sending cracks spider-webbing across its surface.

On another, a group of five smaller creatures had banded together, using coordinated attack to take down a lone opponent.

And in the distance, at the edge of the battlefield, Erwin saw it—the black fog.

It wasn't moving yet. Just... waiting, Like a living thing.

[First Zone Shrink: 25:13]

Twenty-five minutes until the fog started closing in.

Twenty-five minutes to gain as many points as possible.

"You refuse the hide, so what's the plan?" Einstein asked.

Erwin looked at his current rank. 3,847 out of 10,000. He needed to be in the top 500.

That meant climbing over 3,347 people.

"The plan," Erwin said, gripping his axe tighter, "is to survive. And to make sure everyone who gets in my way doesn't."

His eyes hardened, that same bloodlust from the infected fight creeping back into his gaze.

"My parents aren't becoming infected, neither and I die here. Never."

[New Quest Generated]

[Quest: Reach Top 500]

[Current Progress: Rank 3,847/10,000]

[Kills Required: Estimated 15-20]

[Time Limit: 05:55:32]

[Failure: Parents transform into Infected]

Fifteen to twenty kills.

Fifteen to twenty lives.

Erwin took a deep breath, then started moving toward the next cluster of participants.

He had five hours and fifty-five minutes.

The Culling game had begun.

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