The day of the single-combat challenge arrived, and I woke with a sense of finality hanging in the air. From the moment we set foot in the West, everything had been different from the North.

  In the North, we fought against mobs, navigated Crimson Zones, and tried to make sense of the system. We lost people along the way, and faced horrors I couldn’t have imagined. But there was always a reason to it, there was some twisted pattern.

  But here in the West? It had been different. We fought other people just as much as we fought mobs. The system AI seemed to be experimenting, testing what happens when there’s a power vacuum and when strength and resources aren’t equally distributed. Would we rise above and prove we could be decent? Or would we revert to base survival instincts?

  I could see the weight it put on Jess and Siva. They’d taken lives, though it was always in self-defense, never instigated. Jess, especially, had struggled with it. And to be honest, I wasn’t doing much better. At first, the thought of killing someone, even to protect ourselves, had appalled me. But now? I’d grown numb to it. And I didn’t know how to feel about that.

  The fight was set for sundown, and the location wasn’t far. We had time, so I spent the day going over plans with the various groups. But after a few hours of that, there was nothing left to do but wait.

  And that was the hardest part. Back in school, I was the type to cram for exams until the day before. On the actual day, I wouldn’t touch the books again. I’d show up, watching my classmates reviewing their notes until it was time for the exam. I always thought that added more stress than it helped. But now? I was the one who couldn’t sit still.

  I paced around the gazebo, my mind racing, until Jess walked over and cast [Soothe] on me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

  Instantly, I felt the tension ease. A pack of cigarettes and a lighter appeared in my hand, and that was Eva’s doing. Jess glanced at the pack before giving me a concerned look. It wasn’t disapproving, but more of a silent plea. That AI is making decisions for you. Get her out.

  I didn’t disagree. But Eva had proven useful time and time again. She was the one who provided the scrolls for the bike repairs and the mass [Feather Fall] scroll that saved us all last time.

  And for what was coming next, we needed her. Well, we needed Eric too, but Eva more than anything.

  I stepped out of the gazebo for a smoke and was soon joined by Shawn.

  “You okay?” he asked, lighting up his own cigarette.

  “Nope,” I replied, taking a deep drag. “You?”

  “Nope,” he said, staring off into the distance. “It’s gonna go bad. You sure it’ll trigger?”

  Before I could answer, Eva’s voice popped into my head via chat.

  Eva: There’s a very high probability it will trigger, Chris. I think your plan is sound.

  I sighed and turned back to Shawn. “Eva thinks it will. And honestly? I do too.”

  “Okay. That’s all I needed to hear,” Shawn said, his voice flat. “Cause if it doesn’t... then we’re royally fucked.”

  I looked at him, and for a moment, we locked eyes. Then, we both started laughing, not because it was funny, but because there was no other way to deal with the horror of what we were about to walk into.

  The laughter died quickly in our throats. Without another word, we walked back to Jess and settled in to wait for evening.

  Night finally arrived as we entered the stadium at Singapore Polytechnic from the adjoining carpark. It felt like stepping into the Thunderdome again. I wasn’t alone. Shawn and Jess stood with me, and a few thousand of our people were already filling the stadium seats. The tall clocktower of the school, with its digital red font, loomed over us in the distance.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  The Temple had already settled in. Jennifer, Marcus, and Faisal sat at the center of the field on plastic chairs, while the rest of the Temple filled about a third of the stands. They roared as we entered, their voices rising in a wave of tension.

  Prema sent out a quick message in the mass chat channel, reminding everyone to stay calm but be ready. She was somewhere in the crowd, keeping an eye on things, making sure nothing kicked off before the right moment.

  I had chosen this location for a few reasons. First, it was part of a school campus. If things went sideways, there were plenty of exits leading out to the outside, the school buildings, and even classrooms and lecture halls if we needed to hold up. It seemed open, but it was actually an urban warfare zone, one our people were familiar with.

  Second, this was my school. I’d spent years here, studying engineering, and I knew the layout inside and out. I knew where the exits were, the blind spots, the shortcuts. I’d made sure everyone had a map of the place in their HUD, so we were all prepared. It wasn’t just me who had ties to this place, many of our people had walked these halls too, and with input from everyone, we were all on the same page. It felt like home ground, even though the other factions probably had the same info.

  Shawn, Jess, and I made our way to the center of the field as Marcus and Faisal stood from their chairs, flanking Jennifer, who remained seated.

  Just as we reached the center, engines roared from outside the stadium. The Rebels arrived in full force, filing into the stands as Rajan, Linda, and guitar guy walked over to join us.

  The audience in the stadium settled uneasily, the earlier roars turning into murmurs as the nine of us, except for Jennifer, stood at the center of the field.

  “Rajan, nice to see you again,” Jennifer called from her seat, her voice calm but carrying something more.

  “I can’t say the same for me, but you look good,” Rajan replied, his tone tight, clipped.

  I watched their exchange, still feeling like I was missing something. I was trying to piece things together when Shawn’s voice broke through.

  “Oh, fuck me. Really? Are you two serious?” Shawn muttered, his disbelief barely contained.

  I gave him a questioning look. He glanced at Jennifer and Rajan and pointed to their rings.

  “That’s his fucking wife, isn’t it?” Shawn said, gesturing to them. “Look at their wedding rings.” He kept pointing, clearly baffled.

  I turned to Jennifer, who was smiling, but Rajan... Rajan looked like he might strangle Shawn. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks: Jennifer was about my age, while Rajan was... well, a lot older. How was that even possible?

  “It doesn’t matter. Not anymore,” Rajan said, his voice hardening. “All that matters is tonight.”

  “If it helps,” Jennifer interjected from her seat, fiddling with her wedding ring, “we were in the middle of a divorce when the switchover happened. And, well, all the lawyers are dead. And this is now a magical ring.”

  I rolled my eyes, not bothering to hide my frustration, but kept my composure. If Rajan was willing to go through with this, then the rest didn’t matter.

  “You know what? I don’t fucking care. You two can kill each other after this is done. Right now, let’s end this. Who’s your champion?” I stepped forward, ready to end this.

  Linda stepped forward from the Rebel side, her gauntlets materializing on her hands. Faisal, as stoic as ever, followed, his crossbow gleaming.

  Jennifer stood up then, and I felt the sudden weight of her voice in my head. It wasn’t just me, everyone in the stadium must’ve heard it too. Her voice rang clearly in our minds.

  “It is decided, then. Here are your champions for single combat. The rules are simple: the fight continues until only one fighter remains standing. Defeat comes when one concedes or falls to his death,” she declared, her words echoing inside our heads.

  Silence swept through the arena before murmurs began again, rising into a deafening roar as the audience’s excitement built.

  I walked back to the outer line of the white circle, joining Shawn and Jess. The other champions returned to their teams, and Jennifer’s chair vanished into her inventory.

  “You got this?” Shawn asked, his eyes full of concern.

  I nodded, placing my hands on Shawn and Jess’s shoulders. I met their eyes, steadying them. “Stick to the plan. Once it happens, we move. Stay sharp.” I let my hands fall, and they hesitated for a moment before stepping back and leaving the field.

  I turned back to face the other champions. We’d instinctively formed up along the outer edge of the center circle, fidgeting with nervous energy. Their leaders had also left the field, walking to the touchlines.

  This was it. The moment that would decide everything.

  For a few seconds, we stood there, locked in a silent Mexican standoff.

  Then, a gong sounded loud and clear, and the battle began.

  Faisal raised his crossbow arm, aiming directly at me, while Linda started sprinting toward him, red electric arcs leaping off her gauntlets.

  I equipped my trench coat, activating my [Invisibility] skill.

  The world around me shimmered, and I disappeared from view.