–
The sky hung heavy and gray, rain falling without pause, striking Nan Lin’s pale, blood-streaked face.
He opened weary eyelids and looked around.
This was… the real world.
He had actually fought his way out of [Utopia] alive, even as the [Sunwheel Track] collapsed behind him.
The outskirts. Old, low buildings crowded in on all sides, and apart from the steady patter of the rain, not a single suspicious sound reached him.
Nan Lin braced a hand against the wall and hauled himself up, fighting the relentless dizziness in his skull.
That was when light footsteps sounded nearby. Shoe soles dragged at the sticky mud, and the wind carried the scattered scent of blood.
Something was wrong. Nan Lin’s brow creased hard. He turned and slipped into the deep shadows of the alley, clamping his breath down to almost nothing.
They had followed him after all.
In the dark, he leaned at an angle against the uneven wall, beautiful eyes half-lidded, posture careless, yet somehow radiating danger.
Outside the alley, the hunter wore an expression just as grim. He knew exactly how dangerous and how valuable this prey was.
He had to be extremely careful. One clean kill was best.
Wait!
When had that puddle on the ground started reflecting a figure?!!
Before the pursuer could turn, his knees went numb and weak. A dragging, tingling pain spread down from his scalp, and he collapsed to his knees, his head wrenched back, only for a bare hand to close around his exposed throat.
“This world is not a place your kind should come to.” Nan Lin forced down the fog and the stabbing pain in his skull, his voice flat and level. “Who sent you?”
The man sucked in a breath through his teeth and laughed. “Heh. Guess, Your Majesty the King. Oh wait, I forgot. Now you’re the Former King. The loser. The drowning dog everybody turned on.”
“I’m dying, sure. But how long do you think you have?”
Nan Lin didn’t answer. A cold gleam swept across the blade in his hand, and warm liquid mingled with the cool rain.
More of them were coming.
A soundless chase played out behind the curtain of rain. His face grew paler by the minute, yet his eyes burned terrifyingly bright.
If every road led to a dead end…
At the edge of the low building, Nan Lin let himself fall backward. At the same time, his hand closed around the copper shard pendant at his chest, the golden seed set in its center biting into his palm.
【Name: Nan Lin.】
【Linked Object: Brass Dungeon Fragment.】
【Scan result: This life form is on the verge of death. Mental and emotional state deranged. Desire for revenge: intense. Do you wish to re-enter the game world?】
Nan Lin’s gaze went blank for an instant. Figures were gathering in his field of vision.
Wind roared in his ears. He spoke softly, unable to hear his own answer.
“Yes.”
The instant the word left his mouth, the game dragged him into the loading space.
Now he was, at last… temporarily safe.
【Welcome, player Nan Lin, to the Infinite Game World.】
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