Luke and Angelica kept walking, slowly putting distance between themselves and the collapsed area where they had fallen. Just to be sure, he opened Princess Charlie's interface again. She was still far away, with the other group. And he had no idea how things were going on their end. Charlie had always been close to him. But now, with the risk of her status screen going gray from the distance, he knew she was in real danger—real, permanent death.

Before her connection could go offline, Luke decided to distribute her unspent attribute points. There was no room for caution or "emergency use." This was the emergency. At least she had just leveled up her race a few minutes ago—fully regenerating her health.

Name: Princess Charlie Level: 13 Rank: F Class: [Death Knight (Lvl 23)] 2nd Class: Pugilist (Lvl 6) Race: Skeleton Titles: [Servant of the Dark Lord] Health Points (HP): 980/980 Mana Points (MP): 610/610 Stamina: 1090/1090

Stats: Strength: 115 (155) Agility: 68 Endurance: 84 (109) Vitality: 98 Perception: 49 Intelligence: 61 Free Points: 7

Luke assigned the points—+3 Strength, +4 Vitality.

Stats Updated (Princess Charlie): Strength: 115 (155) -> 118 (158) Vitality: 98 -> 102 Free Points: 7 -> 0 Health Points (HP): 980/980 -> 1020/1020

As soon as he finished, he felt a small sense of relief. Charlie would be near Allison, and the two of them could support each other.

"This place gives me the creeps," Angelica muttered.

That was when it hit him—he and Angelica were the ones in the worst position now. Charlie was with the larger group. They had mages, archers, even a healer. But he and Angelica… if five Beast Captains showed up like before? They might not survive.

Luke gripped his kukris tighter and sharpened his Demonic Perception even further. Just in case, he pulled up his own interface. No reason to leave those free points unused.

Name: Luke Level: 12 Rank: F Class: [Demonic Assassin (Lvl 26)] Race: Half-Demon Profession: - Titles: [Dark Lord] Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon] Health Points (HP): 987/1170 Mana Points (MP): 668/850 Stamina: 339/580 Soul Fragments: 31/1000

Stats: Strength: 125 Agility: 124 (174) Endurance: 38 (58) Vitality: 117 Perception: 133 (143) Intelligence: 80 (85) Free Points: 3

He allocated the points—+2 Strength, +1 Vitality.

Stats Updated: Strength: 125 -> 127 Vitality: 117 -> 118 Free Points: 3 -> 0 Health Points (HP): 987/1170 -> 997/1180

As an assassin, strength was always the priority—but out of habit, he made sure to sneak in a point of vitality.

"Don't worry," Angelica said confidently. "Before anything dangerous gets close, my arrows will kill the bastard."

"I should be the one reassuring you…" Luke replied.

***

Three ants charged down the tunnel. Angelica moved fast, firing two arrows in quick succession. Both hit their marks, dropping the first two creatures instantly. The third kept coming, but Luke was already moving. He leapt with precision and drove his kukri into the ant's face.

[You have slain a Devourer Ant Soldier – Lvl 20]

Angelica jogged over to the bodies, retrieving her arrows. Even if they were made of mana, wasting them was foolish.

"Looks like the area's clear," she said, sliding the last arrow back into her quiver.

They continued down the tunnel. The only light came from the lantern clipped to Angelica's belt, casting flickering shadows on the damp, uneven walls. The two of them stopped when they heard a sound—scratching. In the wall. Claws. There must've been another tunnel nearby, connected to the same underground network. Ants. Multiple.

Angelica let out a quiet sigh, and they resumed walking—slower, more alert. Luke noticed she was tense.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"I don't do well in claustrophobic places," she said, catching his glance.

"That's okay. I'm not judging."

She paused, eyeing the next curve in the tunnel like she was expecting something to jump out.

"I got this phobia in the tutorial. Along with a whole bag of trauma." She smiled, but it was the kind of smile that tried too hard. Luke could see right through it.

"It happened during the second fortress incident?" he asked carefully. It was a sensitive topic—and he hated when people touched his wounds without asking.

"You'll have to do better than that if you're trying to set a romantic mood," she replied, walking again.

"You said you'd tell me everything once we were on this mission."

She let out a small scoff—almost amused. "Touché for me…"

They walked in silence for a few more steps.

"I said I'd tell you… after we make it out alive." She glanced back at him, that mischievous smirk returning. "Touché back at you."

Luke shook his head, giving in. "If you tell me now, I promise I'll drink with you later."

Angelica stopped for just a second.

"That's a low blow…" But she chuckled and kept walking.

"I'm out of cards," he said.

"You've changed. You're not that wide-eyed newbie anymore. Keep this up, and Auntie Angelica might just adopt you herself."

"Jonathan would be heartbroken. He likes you. And besides… I'm already adopted," Luke replied—before realizing what he had just said.

The silence that followed was brief, but heavy. He rarely talked about that.

Angelica gave a soft, sideways smile. "Well, well. Seems like my bad jokes really do loosen tongues."

She stepped closer, a little gentler now.

"I was adopted too," she said, giving him a playful wink.

Luke stopped. The air between them shifted—lighter humor replaced by something deeper.

"I need to know," he said seriously. "I need to know if it's possible to activate the second mechanism. Not for me— for the people I left behind on Earth. I… I made a mistake. I ran from my adoptive family. And if there's even the slightest chance to get out of this place… I want to go back. I want to try to fix what I broke."

Angelica looked away. For a moment, she stared at the tunnel ceiling like the answer might be carved into the stone.

"What's the origin of your name?" she asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Luke frowned, confused. "…What?"

"Were you really adopted by a family? Or were you just saying that?"

"I was," Luke said firmly. "But… what does my name have to do with any of this?"

"I just want to know who gave you your name. Was it them?"

"No."

He lowered his gaze. "It was my mom. She named me when I was born. I was adopted when I was five."

Angelica was quiet for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.

"My mom died giving birth to me. My dad left me and my brother with our grandparents. The one who named me… was my brother. That's why I asked."

Luke nodded slowly. It was rare to meet someone who truly understood that kind of absence.

"My mother… she entered a tutorial and never came back," he said.

"I understand…" Angelica replied, and she did.

"My name…" Luke added. "She named me after a movie."

Angelica raised an eyebrow.

"A movie?"

"Yeah. Star Wars. She named me after Luke Skywalker. She loved the stars—and that movie." He gave a faint smile. "It's the only thing she left me. My name."

Angelica leaned against the tunnel wall, her eyes distant.

"My name… 'Angelica.' It means angel." She laughed dryly. "My brother picked it. He said that even with our mom gone, when he saw me crying in his arms, it felt like the pain got a little lighter."

She turned to Luke.

"That was the only thing he left me. The name. And that axe."

She stepped closer, more serious now.

"And I swear, by my brother's memory… it is possible to leave this tutorial."

Luke drew a deep breath. "Then tell me… what happened the day you tried to activate the second mechanism?"

Angelica averted her gaze. Her shoulders dropped. "I killed my brother… I killed everyone who went with us."

A heavy silence filled the tunnel. Luke sat down on the opposite wall, giving her space.

"You know about the alarms, right?" she asked. "If you got close to the fortress, you must've noticed how dangerous they are."

She stared at the ground as she spoke, her voice somewhere between remorse and exhaustion.

"The orcs, the monsters… they were only part of the problem. The real threat was the alarms. Every time we tried to map or disable one, we went in small, silent groups…"

"But… how did you even know about the second mechanism? I thought only Bartholomew and the other three knew."

Angelica looked up at him.

"In the beginning, everyone from the first generation knew. The mission statue… it gave a different message."

Luke's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Angelica stepped closer. "At first, the statue revealed the locations of all three mechanisms."

"The locations?!" Luke was stunned.

The tutorial—so brutal it felt impossible—had once offered that much clarity? He wanted to know everything she knew.

"The first mechanism was obvious—it was at the fortress near the statue itself. The second… it said: 'Beneath the watch of the orcs in the forest.' And the third…" She hesitated, as if searching her memory for the exact words. "'Beyond the great barrier. Near the end. Guarded by a serpent. In the heart of the kingdom.'"

Luke locked the words in his mind like a sacred code. "'Beyond the great barrier…'"

"Yeah," Angelica confirmed. "Past that gate at the end of the Wild Zone."

She paused for a few seconds, then continued in a softer, almost reflective tone.

"You have to understand something… When we first arrived—those of us in the first generation—everything was Wild Zone. There was no Safe Zone. No Bastion. Nothing but forest, monsters, and death."

Luke stayed quiet, listening. This was more than a confession—it was a preserved memory from a nearly forgotten past.

"Most people died wandering aimlessly. Nearly everyone was level 1, with freshly acquired classes. No one lasted long. There were dozens of factions—it was chaos. Humans turned on each other. People went mad. Others simply vanished trying to reach the castle."

She paused, gripping her bow tightly.

"It wasn't until Bartholomew found the mission statue that things began to change. He and his faction stormed Bastion, defeated the Midnight Warden, and activated the first mechanism. That's when the Safe Zone appeared."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.