A Price Too Large

Travis was faintly breathing. This utter defeat. Even when he used everything he had, was it not enough?

The gruesome fights, the training, the shattering of his limits. Was it all for naught?

He watched as Akiol approached him. Travis no longer had the strength to resist, instead he closed his eyes, "Finish me off. You deserve the reward."

Akiol watched him with an amused expression, "I understand where you come from. You truly are the victim of this whole scenario. I can honestly sympathize with your point. I've been in a situation like this before. However slaughtering those responsible—those who are too fearful to stand up for themselves—it's not the right choice."

"What is the right choice then?"

"Doing nothing, they will come to a realization themselves. You opened the door to a new future, you do not need to guide them through it."

"Stop speaking in riddles and end it already."

"I suppose I said enough. Truly I hope whatever price you paid for this level of strength was worth it."

"Was it worth it for you?"

"What was?"

"Obtaining this level of skill, to get this strong. Do you think what you paid for it was worth it?"

Akiol's mind flashed to his past. His old Party's dead faces, "No. I wish I could go back sometimes. But I try not to focus on that too much. I paid an unwilling sacrifice to get this far, but I won't let it go to waste."

Travis sighed, "I see. I have nothing more to say."

"You could bring up what I owe to spare you."

"I already told you."

"Alright, I doubt the event will finish though."

"What?"

"You see, I'm not part of the System."

Akiol's wrist flicked and Travis' eyes dulled. Taking a breath Akiol returned Stars to his back and walked towards the Kingdom his face twisted with a complicated expression, "Kan'na isn't going to be pleased that the store didn't make it. . ."

~ ~ ~

Travis sighed, his mind was full of questions. He had respawned and found the event was still ongoing. It confused him, he lost fair and square. He was clearly killed. So why wasn't it over?

The answer is simple! Akiol isn't deemed as a 'Player' anymore. Being removed from the System restrictions was a good thing, but he also lost all the benefits as well. This wasn't known by Travis however.

Sitting down Travis leaned back and closed his eyes. Mental fatigue tugged at him, yet he had a strange clarity. For months he had known no defeat by Players. Yet through this single week he faced two deaths. One at which he was at a disadvantage, the other where he arguably had the advantage.

It was like a bucket of cold water being splashed on him. Although he was aware of it happening, power really ended up corrupting him. His strength, his efforts, it all blinded him.

"It's. . ."

Pinching the bridge of his nose Travis calmed himself. It was a clear loss, a much needed one in hindsight. If he had won. . . would he have gotten even more corrupt? Strength as great as his, it clearly was a responsibility he was unprepared for. He even felt glad that he realized it now.

Reflecting on the fights it was clear that he kept the idea of being the strongest in his mind. Growing angry at any player who was capable of threatening that position. He clearly enjoyed pushing himself, but hated the thought of losing. This sort of reflection. . . it was unexpected.

Travis stood up, "We're even Akiol. I'll admit, I can't win against you right now. But don't expect me to laze around."

Walking into the distance Travis placed a hand over his face and his mask materialized, "Lumen, it's time. We're going to the Holy Realm."

'Yeah! It's time for me to shine!' -Lumen

'Can't we put it off? I'll be ripped to shreds!' -Abe

'You will be fine, as long as you stick close to our wielder.' -Lumen

"I assume you have an idea where the entrance to the Holy Realm is?"

'Yup! I'll lead the way!' -Lumen

It was clear, he was not insurmountable. Not yet at least. Despite this clear understanding of how his own power corrupted him, he wouldn't step back!

Travis had made a solemn swear. He would continue down this path of strength. And one day, in the future, he will fight against those he lost to again.

Just like before he will shatter the limits that bind him!

~ ~ ~

"What interesting readings."

"You find something?"

"Tell me, is there something odd about this?"

A small duo of scientists stared at a monitor. One casually pointed at various readings on the screen.

A strange flow of data transferred from one screen to another.

"Huh, it's almost like it's overlapped?"

"I thought so too, but it can't be as simple as layering on top. Our experiments proved that wasn't possible."

"It isn't a result of development? Weird visual mutations aren't unheard of."

"I compared it to the previous samples and it holds the same similarity, not a mutation. Although this version is far more developed. Years beyond what we're capable of."

"Then could it be natural? That's kinda what we've been working towards."

"I doubt it, check these samples too."

More data was transferred. The screens began to flicker as new samples rose to the visual surface.

"These ones are different, it's more like they fused.", the other scientist put their hands into their pockets, "It's not the same."

"Yeah, but each of those samples are from different sources."

"They look similar."

"Right right, I thought the same. Now keep that realization in mind and look at this."

"It's the layered one and the fused one.", the scientist began to grow frustrated, "What's the point here?"

"And this."

Several parts of the samples were highlighted.

"They're the same?"

"As if this was a process they went through. All the other fused samples have the same characteristics. The layered one is the only one that remained different."

"So it's a same process, is there anything unique about the layered one?"

"We don't have a sample from before, so everything is speculation."

"Hmm, you report this to the head?"

"Yeah, it's being forwarded to the executives."

"If somebody else is in the same work as us we might be in trouble."

"Obviously, that's why I think this is going to be really troublesome. We might have to go and grab the samples physically."

"That's risky, it should never come to that."

"Then let's hope it doesn't."

The data was erased from the screens. One of the two speakers stood up, a lab coat hanging from their shoulders.

Printed on the back was a picture of a sun setting into the horizon.