Chapter 9 – The Test of Separation
Everyone was heading through the gate, one by one, submitting the chips from the back of their necks to a stern-looking warden.
Ren, Kento, Jerry, and the guy from before walked together toward the next examination site, talking along the way.
Ren: "By the way, what's your name?"
Guy: "I'm Otakun Zoid. And you?"
Jerry (with flair): "Well, well~ I'm Jerry Elowen."
Ren: "And I'm Ren Shi—"
Arastu (interrupting sternly): (I told you not to say your full name.)
Ren (annoyed in thought): (Why the hell do you always stop me from saying my full name to people, huh?)
Ren (out loud, begrudgingly): "I'm Ren Shizaki."
Jerry: "Huh? Ren Shizaki? I never heard your full name before! Were you hiding it?"
Ren: "Nah, you never asked, and I never replied. Simple."
Jerry (vein popping): "You idiot! 💢"
Otakun (laughing): "You guys are cool. I wanna be friends with you too!"
Ren (grinning): "Sure!"
They reached the end of a long white corridor—its glowing walls too bright to see beyond. One step through the gate... and everything changed.
They were split up.
Each one was teleported to a different place.
Ren found himself in a pitch-black cave. Jerry landed in a massive, dense forest. Otakun stood atop sky-floating platforms, walking on air thanks to his gravity-based Shisou.
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Ren's POV – The Cave of Echoes
The darkness was absolute. Ren couldn't even see his own hands, but he could feel Kento—his sword—strapped to his back.
Ren: "Kento! Can you see anything?"
Kento (calmly): "Nope."
Then, a glowing screen appeared in front of Ren.
> WELCOME TO THE FIRST PART OF THE SECOND STAGE.
KILL 30 NULLS. DESTROY THE CORE OF THIS CAVE. ESCAPE.
YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES.
— THANK YOU.
Ren: "...What the hell is this place?"
Suddenly—
A monstrous, guttural screech pierced the silence.
Ren (tense): "That sound… was close."
From the far end of the cave, countless red eyes blinked open, like stars igniting in the void.
And then—one moved.
A massive figure began crawling toward him—fast.
Ren raised his torch, but all it showed was a monstrous black shape rushing toward him with terrifying speed.
Ren (gritting his teeth): "Kento… get ready."
Kento (firmly): "Already am."
BOOM!
The cave shook. The Null lunged.
Ren drew his blade—
Black blood sprayed.
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TO BE CONTINUED...