When the world of Revolt The Sun materialized around him, it felt more vibrant than before, but the weight of everything dulled any excitement he might have felt.

  He was instantly dropped into the last place he logged out of where Alex died. His heart clenched at the sight of the empty clearing, the memories of Alex’s final moments threatening to overwhelm him. Shaking off the negative emotions, Kaiden steadied his grip on his scythe. Before he could make a move back to the first town, a rustling sound surrounded him. Emerging from the undergrowth were a swarm of enemies, their glowing eyes locking onto him.

  Kaiden smirked grimly, his grip tightening. “Fine,” he muttered, his scythe glinting as he prepared to attack. “Let’s do this.”

  Amaelstrom of strikes and evasion as Kaiden took the opportunity to let off some of the heavy emotions weighing him down. Each swing of his scythe tore through glowing weak points, cells shattering under the force of his blows. The repetitive combat felt cathartic to channel his grief into something productive.

  The motions felt smoother now, the muscle memory from his earlier battles guiding his movements. Thorned Strike sliced through the first monster [-25 HP], while Kaiden activated Petal Cloak, disappearing momentarily to evade an incoming attack. The ability shimmered faintly in his interface, marked with a glowing “2” to signify its upgrade. The cooldown had shortened, and the stealth effect lasted longer, allowing him to reposition for a critical hit.

  New Skill Effects:

  Petal Cloak (upgraded Lv. 2): Grants 15% increased evasion while active. Cooldown reduced to 8 seconds.

  Kaiden gritted his teeth as he chained together strikes, targeting glowing weak points on the Rootlings. With each successful hit, he gained bonus experience, the faint sound of the level-up chime ringing in his ears as his stats ticked upward.

  Each fight brought him closer to burying the pain in his chest. Not by much, but it was something. As he cleared the area, the familiar enemies became easier to dispatch.

  A notification flashed across his HUD:

  [Level Up!]

  Nyte status:

  Level: 3

  LP: 120/120

  AP: 70

  ATK: 24

  DEF: 15

  DEX: 17

  AGI: 28

  INT: 12

  WIS: 10

  New Skill Unlocked: Vine Step

  Description: Dash forward with blinding speed, leaving behind a trail of vines that ensnare enemies. Provides a temporary boost to agility.

  Kaiden continued toward Sunveil, the game’s first major town. The hub bustled with activity as players dashed between vendors, quest boards, and training dummies.

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  The vibrant streets of Sunveil greeted him once more, but this time each sight and sound was a painful reminder of how recently Alex had stood beside him here. Kaiden clenched his fists as he approached the shop with the green awning, Alex’s voice echoing in his mind: “That’s the general store. Pick up antidotes and basic potions there.”

  The raw pit in his stomach deepened, but he shook it off. Grief wouldn’t help him. Answers would.

  Kaiden entered the Solarium for the first time. The Solarium was a dazzling blend of nature and luxury. Sunlight streamed through the windows, the panes etched with intricate floral designs that scattered patterns of light across the polished marble floors. Rows of plush seating areas and tables were arranged, offering players a place to rest and socialize.

  A wide counter carved from smooth, glowing wood stood near the back, where an NPC bartender served colorful, shimmering drinks that restored energy or granted temporary buffs. Along the walls, glowing orbs hovered in alcoves, casting a warm, golden light that made the entire space feel inviting and serene. A grand staircase spiraled upward to private rooms for those looking for solitude or needing to log out in peace, each door marked with luminescent symbols indicating availability.

  Before he could assess the area further and decide what he wanted to do, a soft chime from his HUD caught his attention. A notification appeared in the interface of his friends list, the bar lighting up green to signify a player on the list was in the same area. Kaiden froze half expecting to see his name, but Alex’s name had long since disappeared from the listing. It was another name all together: Mixmaster.

  At the far corner of the room, he spotted his username hovering over his head.

  “Naō,” Kaiden said, walking over to the sitting player. He’d forgotten about the young Chemist in the chaos of everything.

  “Kaiden? I thought something happened to you, too,” Naō exclaimed, his voice shaking. “I couldn’t stop thinking about Alex and about what happened to him. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  Kaiden’s heart grew heavy as he took a seat across from him. “I’m sorry I logged off like that. I...had to see for myself.”

  Naō shook his head. “It’s fine. I was just scared. Scared that whatever happened to Alex might happen to us… So, is he… okay?”

  Kaiden hesitated before speaking. “Naō, Alex is dead. The police think it was a heart attack, but I don’t believe that’s all it was.”

  Naō’s freckled face paled. “Dead?” The word heavy with disbelief. “But how? That monster…why did it only go after him?”

  “I don’t know, but it seems there’s something bigger surrounding that mystery.”

  Kaiden then mentioned the woman, Francesca, who came by posing as Alex’s girlfriend and how she wanted Kaiden to give the Photosphere item that Alex gave him to a squad member named CrimsonCrow.

  Naō looked thoughtful, then spoke up. “CrimsonCrow is the Exterminator in Alex’s squad,” he said. “And I noticed something during the battle against the Bloomrazer Colossus: Exterminators have some of the highest mana in the game, so how did CrimsonCrow run out so fast? Especially after taking a break once they defeated the Bio Threat in the fight prior? The Exterminator’s mana bar should have regenerated.”

  Kaiden’s brows furrowed. “You’re right. That doesn’t add up.” Suspicion gnawed at him as he opened the squad-invite menu, searching for CrimsonCrow’s online status. His HUD showed the name among the thousands currently playing, but all communication options with CrimsonCrow were disabled. The only way to reach him would be through field chat, which required being in the same area.

  Naō did his own search in the menu and found something interesting. “Looks like CrimsonCrow has a plot of land purchased two cities away,” Naō revealed. “If we want to confront him, we’ll have to journey to the next location since we haven’t been there.”

  Which means actually playing through the game to reach it.

  Kaiden’s resolve hardened. “Then that’s what we’ll do. We’ll get stronger and figure out the truth.” He then looked at Naō. “But, I don’t want to drag you into this if you’re not ready. You don’t have to join me if you don’t want to.”

  Naō’s eyes steeled with determination. “No way. I’m coming with you. You and Alex were the first people who didn’t treat me like a burden here. I want to help.”

  Kaiden nodded. “Alright, but this won’t be easy. Where are you at, level-wise?”

  Naō looked sheepish. “Level 2. It’s hard to level as a Supporter when playing solo.”

  Mixmaster’s Stats:

  Level 2:

  LP: 90/90

  SP: 60

  ATK: 14

  DEF: 12

  DEX: 13

  AGI: 18

  INT: 19

  WIS: 22

  Kaiden smiled faintly. “You made it that far alone? That’s impressive. Let’s fix that. You heal and buff; I’ll handle the damage. Together, we’ll make a good team.”

  With renewed determination, the duo formed a party and ventured out of the Solarium, ready to begin the starting quest that would push them further in the game.