The moment Alex activated his [Focus] mode, his surroundings sharpened with uncanny clarity.
The world itself seemed to slow, details etching themselves into his perception like they were being written by the hand of time itself.
He spotted the girls within moments, they were at the edge of the [Fox Tribe Village], gathered on the expansive [Training Grounds], the air already charged with power.
“…”
Without a second of hesitation, Alex exited [Focus] mode.
In one fluid motion, he surged forward.
His wings unfurled behind him, kicking up a gust of air with a loud,
Fwish!
Followed by a thunderous crack of impact as he landed.
Bam!
The sound echoed through the field like a warning bell, but the girls didn’t flinch.
The entire [Training Grounds] was wrapped in frost and cold mist.
A thin layer of ice glazed over the grass, and the surrounding air had dropped to an almost unnatural chill.
Arcelia and Alera were currently sparring.
Their figures moved gracefully through the haze, clashing and countering in a seamless dance of icy might.
Arcelia’s gaze was sharp and focused, while Alera’s usual playfulness had given way to cold precision.
“Oh yeah…” Alex blinked as he landed next to the others, the frost crunching under his boots, “Both of them use ice-based abilities.”
Alice, Aurelia, and Lilith were seated just beside the field, their eyes glowing with interest as they watched the fight unfold with unrestrained fascination.
None of them noticed him at first.
Until…
“Alex!” Aurelia exclaimed, jumping up the second she turned and spotted him.
She threw herself into his arms before he could even fully land, causing him to chuckle softly as he caught her with ease.
His name triggered a chain reaction.
Alice turned immediately, eyes wide.
“Oh my god!”
“You’re back again!” Lilith shouted, bounding forward with her fox tail flicking excitedly behind her.
One by one, they crashed into him in a heap of hugs and laughter.
Their energy, their warmth, it was a stark contrast to the icy battlefield behind them. Except for Arcelia.
She had paused her sparring, silently watching from the side, her breath still visible in the cold air.
Unlike the others, she didn’t run toward him.
She kept her distance, not out of coldness, but caution.
She wasn’t yet as familiar with him as the others were, and she likely didn’t feel it was her place.
Still, her expression had softened.
She gave a faint smile.
Even Eleonora, the majestic ice dragon that had long been bound to Arcelia, emerged from the [Pet Space] she’d been hiding in.
The dragon’s silver-blue scales glimmered as she stepped into view, surveying Alex with intelligent eyes before giving a slow, respectful nod.
“So,” Alice asked as she pulled away slightly, a grin forming on her lips, “where did you vanish off to this time? Let me guess, another impossible adventure?”
Alex didn’t reply right away.
Instead, his gaze lifted toward the sky, which was still painted in deep shades of twilight.
It was already 11:46 PM.
Only fourteen minutes left.
At midnight, the [Chosen Games] would begin. That much, he knew.
He could feel it in his bones, and no amount of preparation or denial would delay it. He couldn’t stall anymore.
“Pretty much,” Alex finally said after a pause, sitting down on the nearest bench beside the girls, “Alright. There’s something I need to tell you.”
All five girls went quiet.
“…Are you okay?” Lilith asked, tilting her head.
“Maybe he’s just tired?” Aurelia murmured, concern rising in her tone.
“Or maybe,” Alice said, narrowing her eyes slightly, “he has something important to tell us.”
That last one struck deeper than the others.
His smile faded a bit, and he looked down at his hands for a brief second.
Was there even a point in hiding it anymore?
Once the [Chosen Games] began, the truth would spread like wildfire anyway.
Everyone would see.
So, he took a breath and slapped both cheeks with his palms, the sound cracking the silence and drawing startled gasps from the girls.
“No time to waste,” he said firmly, “I’m going to explain everything I can as fast as possible, because we don’t have much time left.”
The girls leaned in, their curiosity overtaking their surprise.
Alex didn’t dive into every detail, there wasn’t time, and besides, some truths weren’t ready to be shared.
He told them about the [Chosen Games], what he’d learned from Kaelios, and the nature of the challenge ahead.
He left out his meeting with the [Creator] entirely.
There were some things even they didn’t need to know, not yet.
Not even Kaelios knew about that meeting, and he intended to keep it that way.
He also kept quiet about becoming the [God of Determination].
That title would only raise more questions, and right now, answers were more valuable than confusion.
But still, he explained enough.
When he finally stopped talking, the girls just stared at him for a long moment, letting it all sink in.
“Holy hell…” Aurelia finally breathed, her eyes wide, “You’re not serious… right?”
“Why would he lie to us?” Alice sighed, though her expression was tense.
“If that’s true… then it’s going to be seriously dangerous.”
“Fighting G-Gods?” Lilith’s voice trembled as tears welled in her eyes.
She clung to him again.
“That’s reckless! That’s not okay!”
“I already killed one,” Alex said with a half-shrug, “Now I just need to do it a few more times.”
Alera stepped closer, her tone calm but firm, “You’re forgetting about the other Chosen Ones. If it’s a battle royale… they’ll be just as dangerous.”
“I know,” Alex said, his voice unwavering, “That’s why I’m teamed up with Kaelios. It’s a team deathmatch in the end… and I don’t plan on losing.”
Arcelia was still quiet.
She stood behind them all, her face unreadable as she processed everything.
She hadn’t been awake for long, and now she was being told that the world was about to be thrown into chaos?
[Time Remaining Before the Chosen Games: 10 minutes, 3 seconds.]
It sounded like a cruel joke.
A fantasy twisted into a nightmare.
[Time Remaining: 10 minutes, 2 seconds.]
Yet… it wasn’t.
[Time Remaining: 10 minutes, 1 second.]
Because then, at exactly 11:50 PM,
Ding! Ding! Ding!
A sound rang out.
Not just in the [Fox Tribe Village], but across the entire world.
Across every realm.
Across every surviving planet and digital world connected to Universal Descent.
It was a sound that pierced through dimensions.
Panels began appearing in front of every person alive.
Not just in the game.
On Earth. On the other twenty-four shattered worlds. On every screen, every phone, every device.
[Hello, entities of this world.]
[The time has come for the final event, the one that will determine everything.]
“Huh?”
“What the hell is this?!”
“Is this some kind of trick?”
Panic erupted across everywhere.
Minotaurs, dwarves, ogres, dragons, every race froze as glowing crimson panels appeared before their eyes.
[9:59 minutes before the end.]
A timer. Ticking down.
[9:58 minutes before the end.]
Everyone could see it. No one could hide.
Even those who tried to look away saw the massive crimson countdown hovering in the sky above.
“Alex… it’s real…” Alice whispered.
Aurelia’s eyes filled with tears as she gripped his arm tightly.
“This can’t be happening… It’s everywhere…” Lilith whimpered.
All across the world, people screamed, panicked, prayed.
But no one could turn the timer off.
It was the end. Or the beginning of it.
And in the middle of it all, Alex stood still.
“…What are you going to do now?” Alice finally asked, her voice softer than before.
Alex didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he looked at each of them, his girls, his allies, his only anchors in a world that was spiraling into madness.
He saw their fear. Their hope.
“I’ll do what I always do,” he said at last, “Protect everyone I can.”
“I-I agree!” Aurelia shouted, wiping her eyes, “Tell us what to do! I still haven’t even called my father, oh my god…”
Alera and Lilith rushed off to check on the rest of the fox girls scattered around the village, their sense of duty kicking in.
And then, Arcelia finally spoke.
“Human,” she said quietly.
Alex turned to look at her, his eyes meeting hers, calm, steady, unwavering, even now.
“I believe in you.”
Alex smiled.
“Then I’ll try not to die too early.”
It was the only promise he could make.
The only comfort he could offer.
And so, with the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders, Alex waited.
Because midnight was coming.
And with it, everything would change.