Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

Tarek glanced at Copper's eyes. They were still calm and confident. As if... he was still in control of the situation.

But things were different now.

A slight smirk played on Tarek's lips. He was the one calling the shots now.

Beta Testers? So what?

'They must have taken heavy losses after the boss fight... and more importantly... I still have a trump card...,' he mused.

"I'm curious... what could possibly make three esteemed Beta Testers... go so far as to cooperate with the likes of us...," he said, taking deliberate steps towards the stone pedestal.

The sharp blade of his axe pointed directly at Copper, menacingly.

Just moments before, Copper had been the one controlling the game. But now, the axe in Tarek's hand said it all.

A brief hesitation flashed across Copper's handsome face but quickly vanished. He raised his hands in a gesture of goodwill.

For just a moment, Copper's gaze wavered. As faint as a breeze. But for a predator like Tarek, that was enough.

Tarek could smell it.

"Step back... if anything bad happens, it's on you for not heeding my warning..." Tarek glanced at his men, who stood ready with their weapons.

A mocking smile appeared on his face as he ordered Copper to move far away from the pedestal.

The air in the room grew heavy. The magic stones embedded in the walls seemed dimmer, casting twisted shadows on each face.

"I want to know... what exactly is on that pedestal...?" Tarek's greedy eyes glinted as they bore into Copper, his sly smile still plastered on his face.

His gaze was sharp as a blade, shining with raw greed. It made Copper feel like prey trapped in a cage.

Copper hesitated, unwilling to let go. But then he glanced at his two companions, surrounded and threatened by Tarek's men.

Around them, the sound of weapons clinking echoed as Tarek's men tightened the circle. Gleaming blades reflected the flickering firelight, pressing against Copper's allies' necks.

Copper bit his lip, his fists unconsciously clenching. He didn't want to give up. But when he looked at his teammates... their eyes were filled with fear, faces tense under the flickering light. He knew he had no choice.

The handsome man let out a sigh.

"It's a rare item...," Copper finally admitted.

Greed gleamed in Tarek's smile. "How rare?"

Almost as if he could read Tarek's thoughts, Copper's initial confidence returned.

With just the value of "that item," Tarek could overlook everything else. Copper began to understand him after a few short hours together...

Copper chuckled softly, his tone as casual as always, but this time it carried a hint of coldness and subtlety.

"Ah... right. This item is truly rare. Even during the beta test, I never got to touch it..."

He didn't say more, only shrugged nonchalantly, as if it didn't matter. But Copper's eyes, which were usually relaxed and carefree, suddenly gleamed with cunning.

And just as expected, Tarek took the bait.

His eyes sparkled, his face alight with anticipation.

"What kind of item is it?"

Copper tilted his head slightly, pretending to hesitate. "Well... I'm not too sure. But if you're really that interested, I'm sure you can find out for yourself, right?"

Ren couldn't take his eyes off Copper. His heart tightened. Something was off. A vague sense of danger crept into his skin.

This feeling... was familiar. It was like an invisible trap, slowly closing in, little by little. Ren had fallen into one just like it before.

His heartbeat faltered. A cold shiver ran down his spine, as if a blade had just grazed the back of his neck.

Without realizing it, Ren took a step back.

The musty smell. The echo of footsteps on concrete floors. The fake laughter of men in disheveled shirts.

Ren had felt this kind of false friendliness before.

Those managers at his under-the-table job.

To pay off debts. Because he was underage...

Those people... smiled kindly at him, patted his shoulder as if they cared. But whenever he spoke up, all it took was a raised eyebrow or a slight shake of the head... and Ren would fall silent.

They were masters at keeping a bird caged.

"You think I've got time to listen to your vague answers, Copper?"

Tarek sneered, but his eyes were as sharp as blades. A predator assessing its prey.

A voice cut through the tension.

"A Death Defier Amulet."

It wasn't Copper. It wasn't Tarek. It was Scholar.

Scholar's deep, calm voice echoed unexpectedly, shattering the silence...

Copper's eyes burned with anger.

"Sorry, Copper."

Scholar adjusted his glasses slightly, his voice devoid of emotion.

"I had no other choice. I need to survive."

"Let me go..."

Scholar calmly pushed the axe away from his neck, his eyes unflinching.

"And I'll tell you... things only someone like me would know."

Tarek was silent for a few seconds before ordering his men, the axe still pressed against Scholar's throat.

"You think I can't get out of here without your information?"

Scholar didn't blink.

Then Tarek burst out laughing.

"Clever, Scholar. I'm starting to like you..."

Tarek turned slowly toward Copper and Eylis, his face full of glee.

"Being betrayed once is bad enough..."

He smirked, his laughter dripping with contempt.

"But twice? That's just pathetic."

Copper looked at Scholar, his eyes darkening as his fists tightened momentarily before he relaxed them.

"So this is the way you chose to survive, Scholar."

He sighed but said nothing more.

Eylis bit her lip, her gaze wavering as Scholar spoke up.

"You... what are you doing?" She took a step back, glancing at Copper as if waiting for him to make a decision.

"Now... tell me about that item." Tarek demanded, but the axe remained pressed to Scholar's throat. He wasn't fully convinced yet.

Scholar showed no surprise. He'd expected this from the start. His indifferent gaze swept past Tarek and settled on the pedestal.

"The Death Defier Amulet..." Scholar's voice was slow, as if weighing each word. "Just as its name suggests. The holder won't die immediately. When on the brink of death, it activates... giving that person one more chance."

He paused, glancing at Copper and Eylis before continuing.

"In other words..." Scholar's lips curled into a faint smile. "It grants you... two lives."

A heavy silence hung in the air. Tarek's eyes narrowed.

Two lives?

He didn't say anything, but the men behind him began whispering. Some gripped their weapons tighter. An item like that... what if someone else got their hands on it?

Scholar noticed and delivered his final blow.

"In a game where death is permanent..." Scholar tilted his head, his voice low like a tempting whisper. "You understand its value... don't you, Tarek?"

Tarek's eyes darkened. He wanted it. But more than that... he couldn't let anyone else have it.

Tarek suddenly burst into laughter, his voice echoing through the room, sharp and threatening. He looked around at everyone, his gaze predatory, making the atmosphere even heavier.

"Stay away from the pedestal. Whatever's on it belongs to me."

Tarek's men stepped back, but their movements were hesitant, as if they didn't dare defy him.

Copper sighed and stepped down from the pile of gold, but his face still showed clear reluctance...

His face still couldn't hide his unwillingness. 

The sound of metal clinking echoed, like taut strings gradually snapping. 

The brief movement was accompanied by a lingering sound that resonated in Ren's mind, like an ominous premonition. 

Ren flinched, instinctively retreating towards the exit, his body stiffening. A cold sensation rose in his chest, spreading throughout his body. 

It was an inexplicable unease, as if something terrifying was lurking in the darkness behind that stone pedestal. 

Tarek moved towards the precious item, his steps heavy yet filled with greed, as if walking into a trap without realizing it. His eyes gleamed, his desire so intense it seemed capable of devouring everything. 

Each step he took brought him closer, each movement building a wave of tension and suspense. 

Ren felt the air around him tightening, his breaths growing shallow, as if all the oxygen was being sucked out, leaving behind only a suffocating heaviness. 

Tarek stared at the solid gold necklace, its ruby gemstone gleaming with temptation. His rough hand, trembling with excitement, slowly reached for the gem. 

Every movement he made intensified Ren's feeling that everything was spiraling out of control, like a ticking time bomb about to explode. 

Ren shuddered. Without realizing it, he retreated as close to the exit as possible. A sense of unease surged within him. 

Copper stood behind, watching with a mocking smile, completely unbothered. Even as he stepped back, his eyes never left Tarek, as if he were watching an amusing play. 

"Be careful, Tarek," Copper said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, making no effort to hide his ridicule. "Wouldn't want it to slip through your fingers." 

Copper's warning rang out like an alarm, and Ren felt his heart race. A cold chill ran down his spine, causing every hair on his body to stand on end. He looked at Tarek, sensing that everything was about to shatter before his eyes, yet he was powerless to stop it. 

All of it was just a vague, undefined feeling, but enough to make Ren's heart tighten, as if he were standing on the edge of something terrifying, something unseen yet undeniably present. 

Copper's ominous warning made Ren shiver as a cold breeze swept down his spine. 

Just as Tarek seized the necklace from the pedestal....

The room suddenly shook. A beast's roar shattered the ears of everyone present.