After what feels like an eternity, Alex finally snaps out of his daze. He sees the girls getting up, using their medicines and jerky to heal. He exhales a breath of relief. Even though he''s not in the mood, he knows better than to ignore his notifications. His instincts scream at him not to waste this chance.

    He scrolls through the usual combat notifications until he spots the ones that stand out—where he landed the final blows on Mr. 5.

    Annihilation Grenade (Level 0 Base):

    Conjures a round, dark metallic medieval grenade with a fuse that contains the magical properties of explosion, metal, and flame combined.

    Level Cap: Master Conjurer. Requires 1000 Paradise Coins + 500 per level to upgrade.

    Cost: 20 Mana + 2 Mana per level.

    Limit: Only 10 grenades can exist at 1 time, after going over the limit and creating a new grenade the oldest one will disappear + 1 per level

    Trigger Timer: 1-10 seconds + 2 seconds per level. Can spend 1 Mana to add up to 2 extra seconds to the maximum trigger time (up to 5 times per level). Activating the trigger costs 1 Mana and needs to be done while holding the grenade in your hand.

    Duration: 5 hours base + 1 hour per level. Can spend 1 Mana to extend duration by 1 hour (up to 5 times per level).

    Radius: 5 meters base + 1 meter per level (damage decreases the further the target is from the explosion).

    Shrapnel Radius: 10 meters base + 2 meters per level.

    Flame Radius: 2.5 meters base + 0.5 meters per level.

    Explosion (Normal/Explosion) Damage: 50 + 10 per level.

    Explosion knockback force increases with level.

    Shrapnel (Normal/Metal/Pierce) Damage: 10 x 10 projectiles + 1 additional damage and projectile per level. Chance to trigger a bleed effect increases with level.

    Chance to trigger a bleed effect increases with level.

    Flame (Fire) Damage: 20 + 2 per level. Chance to trigger burn effect increases with level (burn damage, chance, and duration rise as skill levels up).

    Tradeability: Can be traded to other players without conditions.

    Note: Created from the ashes of your rage and the cruelty of Mr. 5’s brutal acts. This grenade is not just a weapon—it is a tool of total annihilation, capable of decimating civilization, nature, enemies, allies, and even yourself if misused.

    Alex lets out a sigh. "More explosions, more flames. At least this one’s under my control," he mutters, feeling a little relief. But the weight of the battle still hangs over him.

    Main Quest Updated:

    Mission: Defeat Mr. 5 and defend the village.

    Mission Summary:

    Alex scrolls through the notifications, but his mind feels numb. The thrill of victory fades, replaced by an overwhelming sense of loss. Joe, Mike... Thato. They''re all gone. Why did Thato sacrifice himself? They were barely friends, just some people thrown together for five days.

    He chews his jerky absentmindedly.

    [Smoked Wolf Jerky]

    While deep in thought, Roja approaches and places a hand on his shoulder. "I saw what happened," she says, her voice softer than usual. "You''re wondering why Thato did it, right?"

    Alex nods, feeling the weight in his chest. "I don’t get it. Why would he...?"

    Roja sighs. "When I was sneaking behind Mr. 5, I saw everything. After that explosion kick... his hands were ruined. Crippled. Do you know what it means to go home, crippled, when your family is depending on you? You become a burden. Someone they have to take care of, instead of you helping them."

    Her words sink in. Thato had mentioned his family constantly, how much they needed him.

    "Thato almost looked... relieved when he shielded you," Roja continues. "He knew you were the only one who could still fight. And his sacrifice wasn’t just for you, it was for all of us. He did it because, in that moment, he saw no other way. His death saved us, Alex."

    Alex can’t say anything at first. He feels a knot in his stomach, guilt mixing with sorrow. "I didn’t even know... we had a chance to heal him after all of this." His voice trembles. "He didn’t have to die."

    Roja''s face hardens. "No, he didn’t. I didn’t think it was worth mentioning that we could’ve spent Fantasy Coins to heal him. I... I didn’t realize how bad it was."

    "It’s not your fault," Alex mutters. "None of this is. This whole mission was stacked against us. Eighty percent of players die in their first mission—half of us surviving isn’t bad, considering. But... it still feels like a damn waste. No one deserved this. Not even Robin."

    Roja nods. "It''s the cruelty of the Fantasy Realm. But the only way to understand all of this is by surviving long enough to see the end."

    A spark of determination flares in Alex’s eyes. "Then let’s do it. We’ll see it through to the end."

    Before he can say anything more, Eirini, Perlah, and Patricia join them. Without a word, they hug Roja and Alex, sharing a quiet moment of relief. But Roja, ever the pragmatist, breaks the silence.

    "Enough with the emotional crap. We only have a few minutes left. You better spend your contribution points wisely. Buy what you need. Trust me, you''ll regret it if you don''t."

    Alex is about to respond, but Roja''s already walking toward the village store. He glances at the others. "What, are we supposed to sell this stuff on eBay?"

    Roja smirks over her shoulder. "You’ll find out soon enough."

    The group follows her to the store. Along the way, Alex notices that the villagers barely acknowledge them anymore. Some of the homes on the southern edge are damaged, but the village itself is eerily quiet.

    "The scenario''s over," Roja explains. "They’re not real. This place won’t exist much longer."

    Alex nods as they reach the shop. He checks his profile one last time, knowing exactly what he’s been saving for.

    Without hesitation, he purchases the item he’s been eyeing since day one.

    [Hidden Secret Village Medicine]

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    Alex drinks the potion, feeling a rush of strength... only for his system to glitch.

    Alex laughs, shaking his head. "Figures." But he got another stat point and with 8 stat points to spend, he knows exactly what to do.

    He spends his points to raise all stats by 2.

    The rush of power is invigorating, but before Alex can savor it, a warning pops up.

    "We need to hurry," Alex says, turning to the others as he quickly spends his remaining 200 points on 20 arrows just to use them up. "There’s one more thing we have to do."

    Eirini steps forward, smiling. "I’m already on it." She holds up three letters in one hand, five in the other.

    Alex grabs one, addressed to Thato’s family in South Africa. "I’ll take this one. And I won’t just mail it, I’ll deliver it personally, and I’ll pay back my debt while I’m at it!"

    Patricia takes two more letters for Joe and Mike. "I’ll take care of these since I’m from the US too." she says quietly.

    Perlah steps forward, takes the remaining five letters, and rips them apart. "These won’t be needed anymore."

    Everyone watches, hoping she’s right.

    As the timer ticks down, Roja turns to the group. "We meet in one hour, in front of the skill hub. Don’t be late. I’ve got a lot to share, and trust me, you’ll want to hear it."

    Before Alex can respond, everything blurs.