Genesis of Earth

Kael staggered forward, his breath ragged as he leaned heavily against the rusted metal door. His arms throbbed with exhaustion, his legs trembled violently, and every fiber of his being screamed for rest.

The fight had taken everything out of him.

Blood—his and the zombies'—coated his tattered clothes, mixing with the sweat and grime that clung to his skin. His vision blurred, his body swayed, and for a moment, he wasn't even sure he could take another step.

But he had no choice.

With one final shaky step, Kael crossed the threshold.

And then—

The world vanished.

A feeling of weightlessness overtook him as his body was pulled away from the ruined building. The darkness wrapped around him like an endless abyss, swallowing everything.

His body numbed, his mind drifted—

Then—

Light.

Kael hit the ground hard, his boots scraping against the solid stone floor. His knees nearly buckled beneath him, and it took every ounce of willpower not to collapse right then and there.

A deep breath—ragged, uneven.

The air was cooler here, stable. The thick, suffocating atmosphere of the cursed building was gone, replaced by the eerie silence of familiarity.

Slowly, his vision adjusted, and Kael realized where he was.

The same massive hall from before.

Towering stone pillars, eerie blue runes pulsing along the walls, the faint echoes of an unseen presence watching them from the shadows—it was exactly as he remembered it.

Kael swallowed, his throat dry.

He had made it.

His legs trembled, and he was barely able to take another step before his knees finally gave out.

With a low thud, Kael collapsed onto the cold floor, his back against one of the stone pillars.

His hands, still gripping his sword, shook from fatigue.

Then, a notification appeared before his eyes.

[Level 3 Complete.]

[Participants Awaiting Completion : ?]

Kael's breath hitched.

The number of survivors… was missing.

Unlike after Level 2, when the system had immediately displayed the number of those who survived—this time, it showed nothing.

Kael frowned. His exhausted mind struggled to process it.

Were there too few left?

Was the system still waiting for others?

A chill crawled down his spine.

Slowly, he exhaled, forcing himself to focus on what mattered.

He had five minutes to rest.

That was all.

His body was on the verge of collapse, but for five minutes, he could breathe.

A sharp crackling sound filled the air, followed by a bright flash of light.

Kael's head snapped up, his muscles tensing.

Two figures materialized, their weapons still in hand, bodies poised for battle.

Then, their eyes adjusted to the new surroundings, and recognition flashed across their faces.

Emily.

And the Warrior.

The moment Emily's eyes landed on Kael, her expression shifted instantly—from alert to shocked.

"Kael?!"

She rushed forward, her daggers clattering to the ground as she dropped beside him.

Kael let out a weak chuckle, lifting his head slightly. "Took you long enough."

Emily's green eyes scanned him quickly, and her usual sharp confidence faltered for just a moment.

"You're a damn mess," she muttered.

Kael smirked but didn't argue.

His clothes were shredded, his face streaked with blood and dirt. Deep bruises covered his arms, and dried blood stuck to the side of his neck from a wound he hadn't even realized was there.

She grabbed his arm, carefully draping it over her shoulder.

"Come on, sit up properly."

Kael gritted his teeth as pain flared in his ribs. "I'm fine."

"Shut up and let me help," Emily snapped.

She eased him against the pillar, her grip firm but gentle.

Kael let out a slow breath, his body finally relaxing—at least as much as it could.

The Warrior, who had remained silent, nodded at them before settling down nearby.

He wasn't as battered as Kael. A faint cut ran along his jawline, his broad shoulders rising and falling steadily as he caught his breath.

"Glad to see you made it," the Warrior finally said, his deep voice even.

Kael smirked tiredly. "Barely."

A minute passed.

Then, another flash of light.

Two more figures teleported into the chamber.

A Warrior—and Ethan.

Kael's head snapped up.

Ethan's wide blue eyes immediately landed on Kael, and his face went pale.

"Holy shit," Ethan breathed.

The moment his feet hit the ground, he ran toward Kael.

Without waiting for permission, he dropped to his knees and pressed a glowing hand to Kael's chest.

A warm wave of healing energy flooded through Kael's body, soothing the pain in his ribs, easing the tension in his muscles. His cuts closed, and for the first time since stepping into Level 3, the aching in his bones lessened.

Kael let out a slow breath.

"That bad, huh?" he muttered.

Ethan shot him a frustrated glare. "You're covered in blood, barely sitting upright, and look like you just fought a damn war. Yeah, I'd say it's bad."

Emily crossed her arms, smirking slightly. "Told him that already. Think he listened?"

Kael sighed. "I don't need both of you mothering me."

Ethan rolled his eyes but continued healing. "Yeah, well, too bad. Someone has to keep your reckless ass alive."

As Ethan's healing finished, Kael's mind finally cleared enough to process something.

He frowned, glancing at Ethan.

"You… were with someone?"

Ethan nodded, motioning to the Warrior who had teleported with him. "Yeah. We were in pairs. A Warrior and I stuck together."

Kael's mind clicked.

He turned to Emily. "Were you alone?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just me."

The Warrior grunted. "Same."

Ethan's eyebrows furrowed. "Wait… you guys were alone?"

Kael, Emily, and the Warrior exchanged glances.

Realization settled over them.

Everyone else in Level 3 had been paired up for survival.

Only the three of them had been forced to go through it alone.

Kael exhaled, the answer painfully obvious.

Because we were the top of our classes.

The game had intentionally isolated them.

Ethan frowned. "That's… unfair."

Kael smirked tiredly. "Life's unfair."

Emily shook her head. "No. It means something. This game isn't just testing survival—it's testing who's strongest."

The Warrior's expression darkened. "And it's weeding out the weak."

A chill settled over them.

Before they could say anything else—

A notification flashed before Kael's eyes.

[Level 4: Initiating.]

Kael's body locked up as a cold force wrapped around him.

His vision blurred, twisting as reality bent around him once more.

Before he could react—

He was gone.

A second later—

Emily and the Warrior vanished.

Ethan was left standing alone. But, not for long as after a moment he and the warrior also vanished.

The silence in the hall deepened.

And Level 4 began.