Sword Art Online: Moonlight Swordman.

A piercing sound rang out, sharp as a thunderclap.

Ren froze.

The faint clatter of crumbling stones echoed from within the pit, cutting through the eerie silence, and then....

BOOM!

The ground trembled violently, as if some monstrous force was stirring from deep beneath the earth.

The floor beneath them cracked open, and from the gaping abyss, a colossal shadow emerged, tearing through the silence like a living nightmare. Its clouded eyes blazed in the darkness, two wild, untamed flames. Its golden scales shimmered in the dim light, as unyielding as molten steel.

The monster had never truly vanished. It had been lying in wait at the bottom of the pit, silently tracking their every move!

Ren instinctively stepped back, his feet feeling as though they were glued to the ground.

'So… the path was destroyed… by its claws…'

His heart pounded so fiercely that it ached in his chest. How was this possible? They had lost it already!

"Shit…" Tarek didn't have time to think. He barely managed to curse before drawing his weapon, his dark eyes sinking into a stormy abyss.

"No way… How did it get here? There were no other paths leading back to this point… unless…" Scholar's mind raced, recalling the strange mechanics of the boss.

His gaze flickered toward the trap pit. 'They're different from the beta version…'

A chilling realization swept over him. He stumbled backward, eyes wide with disbelief.

Ahead of them, the massive boss surged from the depths like a violent wave, swallowing everything in its path with utter devastation.

Another battle? No. This time… this wasn't a fight.

This could be their annihilation.

'Run. The exit is right ahead…' Scholar reacted instantly, his survival instincts overriding all else. Without hesitation, he spun on his heel and bolted, vanishing into the shadows without a single glance back.

"You bastard… You're ditching us to buy yourself time?!" Tarek roared, his fury like rolling thunder.

The sheer intensity of his rage propelled him forward, his strides closing the gap between him and Scholar with terrifying speed.

Just as Scholar thought he had disappeared into the darkness of the corridor ahead, a sudden yank from behind caught him off guard.

Tarek's calloused hand lashed out like a claw, seizing the fabric of Scholar's cloak and pulling him back, throwing him off balance.

"There's no running away, you." Tarek hissed through clenched teeth, yanking Scholar closer. His face was twisted in barely contained fury.

Scholar barely had time to scowl in defiance before realizing the hopelessness of his situation.

Now, it wasn't just the monster he had to fear, his so-called allies were just as ready to tear him apart in this chaos.

"Wait… We can leave the kid behind…" Scholar's eyes darted toward Ren, who was struggling to keep up, his face pale with terror.

For a brief moment, something akin to pity flickered in Scholar's eyes. But logic quickly crushed that sentiment.

Tarek smirked, his expression one of eerie understanding.

Scholar let out a relieved breath, thinking he had found a way out.

But before he could even rise to his feet, his body suddenly lost its momentum, his knees buckling as an iron grip held him in place.

"You think I'd fall for that again?" Tarek's voice was calm....too calm. But within that calmness lay a sharp, deadly awareness. "I'm not stupid, Scholar."

He yanked Scholar even closer, his eyes never leaving the man's face, as if he had seen through every one of his schemes. "With our current speed, if you want to reach the exit without a decoy… You alone won't be enough."

A slow, deliberate grin spread across Tarek's lips, as if he had been waiting for this very moment.

He had known all along that Scholar would attempt to leave Ren behind. And now, he was the one holding all the cards.

Tarek wasn't one to be deceived easily. While Scholar had been rushing to escape, Tarek had already prepared for this exact scenario.

The cold amusement in his smile sent a shiver down Scholar's spine as he realized, with growing dread, that in this game, he was no longer the one in control.

Without a word, Tarek shoved Scholar back, his gaze fixed firmly on the path ahead.

Ren dashed past them, his legs carrying him forward with desperate urgency, as if fleeing from death itself.

Scholar tumbled across the ground, his head spinning from the impact.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up, trying to ignore the throbbing pain that racked his body.

There was only one goal now: stand up, run, escape before the monster caught up.

But then, a strange feeling crept into his chest. He hesitated mid-motion, his outstretched hands faltering.

"Something… something's not right…"

His words hung in the air, unanswered.

An unsettling sense of foreboding gripped him. Everything had shifted the moment Tarek pushed him aside.

Nothing was going as he had anticipated.

Scholar should have been able to regain his balance easily from Tarek's shove… and yet…

The realization struck him with chilling clarity.

He wasn't the only one playing games here.

"Could it be…" he muttered, his vision blurring slightly, "We've… been tricked?"

Four massive arms emerged from the shadows.

Scholar, now firmly in the monster's grasp, struggled wildly, his eyes filled with sheer horror.

But instead of surrendering, he lunged, grabbing Ren's wrist in a death grip, his nails digging into the boy's flesh.

"Damn it… If I'm going down, you're coming with me!" Scholar snarled, yanking hard.

Ren stumbled, nearly losing his balance.

But then, Scholar suddenly stiffened.

His grip slackened.

A cold numbness spread through his limbs, making his fingers tremble and lose their strength.

His breath grew heavy. His mind fogged over.

His eyelids twitched as a terrible realization set in. He… both of them… had been played.

His gaze lifted to Ren, who was panting heavily from the struggle.

But there was no fear in the boy's eyes. No panic. Only a calm, chilling stare.

Scholar's lips parted, desperate to curse, to scream, to demand answers.

But it was too late.

The monster's razor-sharp fangs slammed shut.

"NO!!!!!!!!!"

Scholar's scream echoed through the darkness, only to be swallowed instantly by the void.

The corridor behind them still shook, as if the very air trembled with the remnants of his terror.

Tarek barely spared a glance back. His eyes, sharp as blades, flickered with cold calculation.

Now wasn't the time to dwell on it. He had to reassess everything.

His gaze finally settled on Ren.

The boy was catching up to him.

Tarek frowned. Something was off.

Ren's steps were different now...faster, more forceful.

In that single moment, Ren's speed surged like an unleashed wave.

Tarek's eyes widened.

'This kid… how is this possible?'

Ren was still just a beginner, only level 1. 

But him....he had already reached level 3, even if all his attribute points had been poured into strength. 

Tarek knew very well that his fixed stat bonuses per level surpassed Ren's by at least two points. So why wasn't Ren slowing down? Why was he, instead, catching up? 

Something wasn't right. 

"No way…" Tarek thought, gripping his weapon tightly, his mind unraveling in chaotic thoughts. 

Was there some unknown factor at play? 

A cold glint flickered in Tarek's eyes, but in that moment, he sensed something strange. 

That feeling… This kid...Ren, might have something he had never accounted for. 

But there was no time for hesitation. Tarek reached out, intending to grab Ren's shoulder and yank him back. 

He expected Ren to stumble and fall, just like always. 

But things had changed. 

A sudden jolt of shock ran through him as his hand was caught. 

That brat, Ren had grabbed him. Not like before, when a mere tug would send him crashing to the ground. 

A chill crept through Tarek's palm. The sensation made him pause involuntarily, his eyes widening in surprise and doubt. 

Ren turned to face him, and his expression no longer held panic, nor the hesitation from before. 

His gaze though still laced with fear, held something stronger, something unyielding. A determination burning like a flame that could not be extinguished. 

Ren yanked Tarek's arm toward him, giving him no chance to react. Tarek, who was used to controlling every situation, now felt powerless in Ren's grasp. 

"Don't underestimate me." Ren exhaled sharply, his face calm, his presence steady as still water. 

Tarek was shaken, his arrogance shredded by this shift. 

No longer just a weakling he could manipulate at will. 

Now, Ren had begun to take control of himself and maybe… just maybe, he could take control of this entire game. 

"What… what did you do?" Tarek's lips barely moved, his brows furrowed as he stared at Ren. "I… I can't move…" 

"A paralytic toxin… from the sewer frog's digestive fluids," Ren replied, his face void of emotion. 

"That… no, it can't be…" Tarek's breath hitched, but his body was already failing him, going limp like a ragdoll. 

"Yes. Tarek, the water bottle you stole from me… You didn't even realize it was the same one you threw at me before. I never gave it to Eylis when you ordered me to at the resting area." Ren's voice was steady. 

"So that's it… That's it… I never expected to lose to you…" A bitter smile spread across Tarek's unwilling expression. 

"Then… why didn't you stop Scholar from drinking it?" 

"If we're talking about danger… he might only be second to Copper. You could tell from his actions. 

He used me as a lab rat to test his knowledge of the dungeon. 

Kept me around as insurance...bait for the monster…" Ren said. 

A wave of realization crashed through Tarek. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't accept it… that he was the one collapsing now. 

He clenched his fists, tried to lift his legs, but his entire body merely trembled, refusing to obey. His throat was dry. 

"No… this can't be…" His voice was hoarse, as if even his words were betraying him. 

But then, his gaze fell on Ren, standing there, looking at him without the slightest fear. The shock in his heart twisted into fury. 

"You…" He gritted his teeth, breathing heavily, rage swelling in his chest. "You dare…" 

Tarek had never imagined that this little pawn would dare betray him. 

He wanted to lunge forward, to strangle Ren, to drag him down to hell with him. But he couldn't. 

His anger slowly turned to bitterness. He had always been the one pulling the strings, turning people into tools for his own gain. 

And yet… now, he had become a pawn in his own game. 

A dry chuckle escaped his lips. A laugh at himself. A laugh at the cruel irony of fate. 

Finally, the rage subsided, leaving only emptiness. 

"Well played…" he muttered, his eyes losing their ferocity. What remained was something like acceptance...bitter, unwilling, but acceptance nonetheless. 

But in the end, there was nothing he could do anymore.