The battlefield was silent at first, as if time itself had frozen after Silva's body crashed into the crater.

Then came the familiar ding of the system.

Grand Nexus had arrived confidently, armed to the teeth with their best items. But in the end, they couldn't even make use of them.

Now, many of their treasures lay scattered across the ground like trash for anyone to take.

Players who had been watching from the sidelines looked at each other in disbelief.

Their eyes flickered between the loot and Axton.

Some hesitated, but most couldn't resist the temptation.

"This is… free loot!"

"They're not going to respawn anytime soon. Are we actually allowed to take it?"

As if answering their doubts, Axton waved his hand lazily. "Take it. I don't need these scraps anyway."

"Scraps?" one player blurted out in disbelief.

Another muttered under his breath, clenching his fist. "These are scraps to him? Damn… I really need to put in more work."

The hesitation vanished.

In an instant, players rushed forward like a pack of starved dogs, scooping up dropped weapons, armor, and coins.

To them, this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, a feast that could change their entire gameplay experience.

The humiliation of the Grand Nexus guild deepened.

Not only had they been destroyed, but their pride and wealth were being looted in broad daylight while the world watched.

Some survivors, those barely clinging to life with a sliver of HP, screamed in despair just before they were cut down.

"No… don't take that! That's my weapon—!"

Nobody listened.

Some even went as far as killing the weakened survivors.

Their cries were drowned out by the frenzy of looters.

With a flick of his wrist, Axton dismissed the King Griffin.

The majestic beast dissolved into motes of light, merging back into his cloak as if it had never existed.

But the fear it left behind remained.

Players whispered among themselves, voices trembling.

"He really summoned a giant bird… like it was nothing."

"I thought that was just a skill… but that thing was real as fuck!"

Their admiration for Axton grew hotter with every passing word.

To them, he was no longer just another skilled player.

He was a living legend, standing untouchable before their eyes.

Meanwhile, Grand Nexus was finished.

The once-proud guild that strutted around like rulers had been reduced to a laughingstock.

Their reputation, once untouchable, was now ashes in the wind.

"Grand Nexus? Pathetic!" someone shouted.

The crowd erupted in laughter.

Axton stood tall, his gaze sweeping over the wreckage.

His cloak billowed slightly in the wind, and for a moment, he looked like a warrior surveying the battlefield he had conquered.

The players watching erupted again, their chants shaking the air.

"Khan! Khan! Khan!"

And in that moment, Axton cemented his place in their hearts.

He was not just a player.

He was their hero—the one man who dared to crush the untouchable, not once but twice.

He had become the living symbol of defiance.

He was invincible.

******

The real Axton made his way to the home of the village chief.

He knocked firmly on the wooden door.

*Bang*

*Bang*

After a moment, the door creaked open.

The chief peeked his head out, urgency in his eyes, and quickly waved Axton inside.

"What is it?" Axton asked, his tone serious.

The chief shut the door behind him and leaned against the wall, his expression grim.

"It's the demons," the chief said heavily.

Axton narrowed his eyes. "So it was them after all."

The old man nodded. "I figured you'd piece it together. After all, you've already set foot inside the demon tower."

Axton stepped closer. "What's the plan then?"

The chief looked up slowly, locking eyes with him. His gaze was sharp, resolute.

"What do you think?"

*Ding*

[You have received a new quest.]

[Quest : Defeat the demons]

[Reward : Firestone (Grade 4) x1]

[Time limit : 12 hours]

Axton's eyes lit up.

The reward was enticing.

Too good to pass up.

[Do you accept?]

[Yes / No]

"Yes."

His task was straightforward but no less daunting — thwart the demons' invasion and defeat them.

Having accepted the quest, Axton sat for a while, thinking.

The chief frowned. "You should get going, you know."

Axton looked up, dragged out of his thoughts.

He nodded, then stood and made his way to the door.

He was still supplying mana to his clone and could feel the connection clearly.

This meant the clone was still alive and holding its ground.

*Click*

*Click*

Pulling up his interface, Axton glanced at the accumulated experience points.

Instead of leveling himself, he decided to allocate them to his clone.

'Of the two of us, he needs the boost. He's the one fighting monsters right now. If he fails, I'll lose not only him but also the experience he could have earned.'

It was a logical decision.

[+1 Level up!]

[+1 Level up!]

[Doppelganger : Lv. 12]

"That's more like it," Axton muttered.

Even though the clone's level now exceeded his own, its overall power was still weaker than the real deal.

After he was done, he stepped out and his attention was quickly grabbed by the sky.

The atmosphere outside began to grow darker by the second.

"What the hell is going on?"

The weather had shifted unnaturally.

The air was heavy with tension.

*Shing*

A sharp tear ripped through the sky.

The air thickened, saturated with demonic mana.

The clouds parted, unveiling a rift that pulsed with dark energy.

It was as if the very sky above was opening to announce something terrible.

It was not just one being emerging from the tear.

Not two. Not three. Not even four.

There were many.

An invasion was coming.

The creatures descending were grotesque, their bodies warped and terrifying to behold.

Horns, wings, and claws twisted in unnatural ways, glowing eyes piercing through the gloom.

Players across the battlefield froze in horror as they looked up.

"The hell… is that?"

"No way. Don't tell me…"

The tear widened further, and from within came a voice.

It wasn't just loud.

it was earth-shattering.

A growl that dug into their bones, a sound that carried despair itself.

It wasn't a voice meant for mortals.

It was the voice of demons.

One after another, eerie figures began to descend through the rift, their presence alone enough to make the land tremble.

The true battle was only just beginning.

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