Shattering the First World

She thought that would be the end of Argon, but to her surprise, the headless beast remained standing in full vigor as it tried to slash the winged being —The reaper, a creature from the game whose role is to destroy everything on the first floor.

It flaps its wings and landed just a few distance from the beast, the reaper positions its body in preparation for full combat, and as it uses its scythe against the tormentor, everything in its way destroys and shattered.

The system then appeared in front of her vision.

[The reaper acknowledges your pain, as a tribute, you are permitted to enter the second floor.]

[Press to accept / Swipe to ignore]

Despite her enormous suffering, she forced her hand to move and press the air.

[The system is preparing for your departure, in the meantime, enjoy the scenario.]

[System: Initiating protection barrier]

All the blows coming from the two giants were enough to erase a mountain. The boulders flew like shooting stars covered with flames while ashes from burned trees emerged from the shaking ground.

The reaper flaps its white wings and landed a fatal blow on the beast's red-skin body, meanwhile, the beast despite being headless managed to slash the reaper's left wing, out of pain, the reaper falls on one knee but the battle continues. Her eyes widen as she felt the intensity of everything she was watching. As a spectator of the final hour, she was awed and trembling from the scenario in front of her.

Her lips shake as she bit them, her tears fell, and her body remained a vegetable because of the severe injuries she received.

A strong wind came as the scythe of the reaper swung against the axe of Argon, the long coat covering the winged being's back flowed higher showing a symbol.

[Rn1]

Nothing could be put into words to describe everything during the moment, she was completely speechless and fully spacing out from the happenings.

The sunset between the fighters was making everything so surreal and impossible to picture. Everything was destroyed, the land cracked open, and the ashes on the ruined earth arise in the air.

It's like a supernova–or perhaps a war to exterminate everything inside the first floor.

All the boulders flying to her were blocked by the barrier of the system, she was unharmed the whole time. And when the ground where she stood also collapsed, the barrier encircled her so she stayed afloat.

She feels that the wind is trembling from the collision of all their attacks.

The power and all the destructions were beautifully reflected in her emerald eyes. Wherever she laid her gaze, all she could see and remember is the end of all that was below her.

The system then sent her a notification.

[To proceed please state your name]

"Cleo Sky," she murmured.

Her surroundings were like being eaten by a black hole, there were different colors that she thought she was in outer space, however, the battle in front of her remains uncompleted.

[Cleo Sky, you are ready to enter the second floor.]

[Read Instructions?]

She pressed the air as the system shows her an open document. Her emerald eyes gazed at the information in front of her vision.

[The second floor and other onward floors will be structured by rules you will encounter once you enter the next world. The system will guide you in your further obstacles. There are missions you need to accomplish. Once you failed to accomplish each mission, the system will bring you back to the previous floors you encountered.

Accept?]

"Accept."

[You have accepted the contract. Wonderland welcomes you to another world.]

As the reaper puts an ultimate attack to ruin everything, a huge light overcomes the whole first floor followed by a deafening explosion.

Cleo saw the reaper flaps its wings as he flies above the ruins of the first world while majestically holding his scythe as he swings it with full force bringing forth a powerful wind. And as the light faded together with the hurricane, the ashes of the previous world flowed under the breeze of the reaper's wings together with the existence of the world she will leave behind.

The system provided her enough protection, but the torment of the previous world remains in her flesh and her head.

Like riding an elevator, she was ascending to the second floor.

"System," she called.

[yes?]

"I have a gift right?"

[Yes, you have one gift coming from the drowning lady.]

"Open it…"

[With your permission, the system will open the gift in this instance.]

After a minute of waiting, a plain white mask appeared waiting for her to grab. When she finally reached it, a pop-up notification then appeared in her sight.

[Wear and you will see the status of a character. Protects you from poisonous air in less than an hour. Can be destroyed by a strong external force.]

[Instruction: Wear at all times except when eating and drinking.]

She examined the mask, it was designed to cover the whole face, there are only holes for the eyes but not for the mouth, and there's no design which makes it boring to look at.

She frowned as she remembered the drowning lady.

Her gaze then returned to another message the system brought.

[Message from: The Drowned Lady]

[Press to open / Swipe to Ignore]

Her pointing finger then presses the word 'open'

[By the time you read this I might be gone together with the first floor, but after twelve moons I'll be back with the same fate again, rest assured I'll know how to swim when the time arrives. I offered you this mask to help you know the right people to choose. Although, I secretly wished for your defeat against the death parade of Argon so that you'll accompany me in my wallowing fate, your determined soul made me think otherwise when you said you wanted to leave this place. I hope you'll do it.

In the meantime, I hope you know how to swim against the tides.

I'm rooting for you, little alien.]

"Ha!" Cleo breathes, "Yeah… I should learn how to swim," she continued as she shook her head with a small enigmatic smile.

She gazed at the mundane mask in her hold before she wears it.

She closed her eyes as she felt everything moving swiftly like she was riding a roller coaster ride. She can even feel the strands of her hair in motion because of the movement.

She fell asleep for half an hour and when she opened her eyes, still wearing the mask, she saw the grey and white sky.

She stretched her hand as if she could hold the fluffiness of the clouds, but the snowdrops and the cold gave her enough reason to wake her senses.

She sits as her palm caressed the white snow on the ground.

"Your awake…"

She glanced at him for a moment.

"…You, again," she muttered in complete surprise.

The little red man smiled showing his uneven sharp teeth, his eyes squinted and his golden iris glimmered from her words.

"Yes!"

"I thought you were dead?" she said with a flat tone still staring at the man beside her.

"Yup," he replied popping the sound of 'p' in his mouth, "I died from Argon's death parade!"

"And?" she commented.

"How cruel of you!!"

"I just don't care about you, that's all," she responded to him using the same word he said to her back on the first floor.

The little red man gritted his teeth in anger.

"So why are you here?" she asked.

The red-skinned midget paused for a while as he collected the scattered patience inside him.

"Like I said, I died, however, since I ate the necklace that you gave, I became an apparition. In short, you made me come back!" he muttered with a grin.

"I'm not sure about the latter, are you sure?" Cleo questioned, frowning.

"The necklace is the link I have to you. Your desperation calls upon my very existence—as your apparition, it is my duty to help thou lost soul!"

"You mean a ghost like you will help me out?" Cleo retorted.

The little red man frowned, "I AM YOUR GUIDE NOT YOUR ASSISTANT!"

"Yeah, sound the same to me," she replied.

Out of the blue, the mask she was wearing was activated. When Cleo looked at the midget beside her, the system provided the status of the red man.

[Walking Manual

-A map

- Provides instructions

-Guides you

Life span: For as long as you live.]

"What's your name?" she began as she stands from sitting on the cold snow.

"Ron…"

"Okay Ron, you can start your job now."

She roamed her gaze. The pine trees were covered with thick snow, it was like white Christmas, but the spirit of joy is missing.

She glanced at the winged being above holding a scythe, unlike the first floor, the clock tells a longer time scale. Instead of hours, minutes, or seconds, she was amused by the time given.

[30 Suns]

"Ron, what does 'Sun' mean in this world?"

The little red man looked at her with confusion.

"And why are you asking?"

"Just tell me…"

"The term 'Sun' in this world refers to days. The word 'Moon' refers to months," Ron answered.

'Not bad, I guess?' She thought as the memories from the first world corrupted her head, she felt like puking.

Immediately she took off her mask before she pukes.

As soon as she stopped vomiting, she wipes her mouth using the back of her hand.

"This world and the others have different mechanisms little girl, so are you still going to do this?" Ron asked not minding her pale face.

"F—k that! If I have to crawl I will do it! Who would want to be stuck in this crazy world?!"

The little red man laughed, "Yeah, I get it…Well, I tell you everything you need to know in this world, but before that, let's find a place to shelter us from the coming blizzard, shall we?"

She nods as she straightened her back, she then wears the mask on her face.

"Did I tell you that the color of your hair changed?" Ron muttered with a sly smile.

She glanced at the strands of her hair, instead of being brunette, the color she saw is red. She only nodded her head in response.

Before Cleo starts to walk, the system then shows a notification.

[Welcome to the Second floor, Cleo Sky.]