CHAPTER 77: THE WORLD REACTS!

In a hyena-infested territory neighboring Bruce’s zone, the air reeked of blood and smoke.

Jean Frost stood atop the massive corpse of a mutant hyena she’d just slain, its lifeless body still twitching beneath her boots. Her snow-white hair shimmered faintly under the crimson glow of the dying sun, strands fluttering in the wind like threads of frost. The light reflected off her icy blue eyes, eyes that now widened in shock as the glowing holographic announcement appeared before her.

The message hung in the air, taunting her with its words.

[OZAI THORNE HAS BEEN KILLED BY RECRUIT: BRUCE ACKERMAN.]

Jean’s lips parted slightly. For a few seconds, she didn’t move. The white flames on her daggers flickered out, leaving only silence.

’So... he actually killed a Thorne.’

Her fingers tightened on the hilt of her weapon, the faintest tremor of intrigue glinting behind her composed face.

’It turns out he’s much stronger than I thought. Ruthless, too. To kill a Thorne without hesitation, that’s not just confidence, that’s a death wish.’

She tilted her head, watching the notification fade, her reflection glowing faintly in the blood-soaked puddle beneath her feet.

’Things just got a lot more interesting.’

Her original plan had been simple: observe Bruce from afar. Test him later, at the end of the trial, when the weak had already been weeded out and the real contenders remained. But this development forced her to rethink.

A small smile curved her lips, sharp and knowing.

Her territory bordered his. Recruits, eager to chase the rank-one player for glory or points, would have to pass through her hunting ground first.

’Perfect,’ she thought. ’Let them come. Their blood will stain my path long before they ever reach him.’

The smile grew into a grin, devious and predatory.

She opened the map interface and immediately spotted it, dozens of glowing dots converging in her direction.

’So many coming already?’ she mused, eyes glinting with amusement.

Her heartbeat quickened, not with fear, but with excitement. The thrill of the hunt was intoxicating.

"The Frosts should always be the lead not him, this Bruce whoever he is," she whispered, her voice soft yet filled with absolute certainty.

With that, she leapt down from the hyena’s corpse. The ground cracked faintly beneath her landing, dust swirling around her boots. Her daggers re-ignited with faint frost-blue light as she straightened, eyes fixed toward the distant horizon where the dots on her map pulsed like beacons.

She licked her lips, her grin widening.

"Let’s see how many make it through alive."

Then, like a blur of white lightning, she sprinted into the wilderness, cutting through the tall grass with effortless grace, in search of more prey, both beast and human alike

...

Elsewhere, deep within the wild plains, the scent of blood lingered thick in the air.

Dozens of wolf-like beasts lay scattered across the field, each one cleaved cleanly, their massive bodies split with surgical precision. The way they fell, silent and lifeless, was no different from the herd of Bronze-Headed Goats she had slaughtered earlier. Every strike was perfect. Every movement, calculated.

Sophie Reign stood amidst the carnage, her jet-black hair fluttering softly in the morning breeze. Under the faint rays of morning light, her calm, elegant aura contrasted sharply with the chaos around her. She was beautiful, terrifyingly so. A woman sculpted by discipline and grace, her figure poised and flawless, her presence both serene and lethal.

The faint chime of a notification drew her attention. A holographic display flickered before her eyes, and her brows arched slightly as she read the message.

[OZAI THORNE HAS BEEN KILLED BY RECRUIT: BRUCE ACKERMAN.]

For a heartbeat, silence. Then, Sophie exhaled lightly, a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips.

"I expected Ozai to attack Bruce," she murmured. "But not this early."

Her tone carried neither surprise nor concern, only quiet amusement. She sheathed her blade with a soft shing, her movements graceful and deliberate.

"As expected, Ozai never stood a chance."

She could almost picture it, Bruce standing there, calm as always, dismantling Ozai’s pride piece by piece. It was inevitable. The Thornes had arrogance bred into their blood, and Bruce... Bruce had the kind of quiet dominance that shattered pride effortlessly.

Sophie’s smile deepened slightly.

She knew how Ozai thought. The jealousy, the frustration, especially toward Bruce. Ever since the trials began, it was obvious he had been watching her. His interest in her was thinly veiled, his ego too fragile to ignore someone like Bruce standing beside her. It wasn’t hard to predict what would happen next.

And Ozai wasn’t the only one.

"Most of them will come for him now," she whispered, her eyes narrowing as the hologram faded away. "Every recruit who’s ever envied him, every fool who’s ever looked down on him, they’ll all attack."

She paused, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as the wind carried her words away.

"But with his strength... and that class of his..."

Her voice softened into a faint, almost affectionate murmur.

"He can handle them all."

Her confidence in him was absolute... A glint of pride flickered in her eyes as she looked toward the horizon, where Bruce’s coordinates flashed faintly on her map.

She didn’t rush to interfere. Not yet.

The hunt had just begun, and watching Bruce rise through the chaos was, in itself, a beautiful sight... She didn’t want to ruin the fun for him, after he was done hunting, she could have him all to herself

Meanwhile, back to Bruce.

He stood quietly in the aftermath of the battle, his breathing steady but his body heavy with fatigue. The adrenaline had faded, and exhaustion crept in slowly, dull but relentless. Every muscle ached from the strain of combat and healing. He needed rest, badly. But before that, there was one thing he had to check.

He summoned the map interface.

A shimmering projection unfolded before him, displaying glowing dots scattered across the vast VR landscape. Bruce’s gaze immediately locked onto one, the bright crimson dot that marked him.

As expected, countless smaller dots were moving toward it.

So many.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "So, they’ve started coming already..."

Since his location had been exposed to all recruits, greed had taken over. Every glory-hungry player and desperate opportunist now saw him as a walking treasure chest, rank one, with over two thousand points and a bounty of fame attached.

They were coming for him like moths to a flame.

And as for the fact that killing him would expose their own locations afterward?

None of them cared.

’Fools.’

With the speed they were moving, Bruce estimated it would take around twelve hours, maybe less, for the first wave to reach him. That gave him plenty of time.

"All the time in the world to rest," he murmured.