Die to begin

Lex kept moving through the Titan's stomach, his eyes scanning the mess of half-digested junk for anything useful. Most of the stuff was damaged—half-melted swords, cracked shields, armor pieces covered in acid burns—but even in their ruined state, they were better than anything most players would find this early in the Tutorial.

He crouched down, brushing his fingers over the edge of a shield buried in the muck. The metal was warm, its surface rough and pitted but still solid and usable. He wiped the grime off with his sleeve, revealing faint engravings—some kind of symbol from a guild or faction he didn't recognize. Not that he cared. All that mattered was that it worked.

As he pried a half-melted sword free from the slimy ground, a faint clicking sound reached his ears. Lex turned his head slightly, his expression blank, and spotted a Red Cell nearby. Its insect-like body glistened in the dim light as it carried a chunk of flesh toward one of the acidic pools. Its legs moved with that weird, mechanical precision, each step making that soft, rhythmic clicking sound. Lex didn't flinch. He just watched, calm and still, even though he knew one wrong move could get him killed.

The Red Cell paused, its head tilting like it sensed something. Lex didn't move. He didn't even blink. He just stared at it, his face neutral, almost bored. The creature stood there for a moment, its faceless head scanning the area. Then, with a sudden jerk, it went back to work, disappearing into the shadows.

Lex let out a quiet breath and went back to gathering gear. He piled swords on his back, strapped shields to his arms, and layered armor pieces over his clothes. By the time he was done, he looked like a walking junk pile. It was awkward, but he didn't care. He'd looked worse before.

'As usual, they have bad vision. Well, not that they were meant to fight anyway'

Lex glanced at the weapons and armor he collected, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something odd. Each item had a faint, almost imperceptible mark—a small symbol or inscription that seemed to pulse faintly. He picked up a sword, turning it over in his hands, and spotted the words etched into the blade. As soon as he focused on the blade, a panel appeared.

[This item seems to be cursed by its previous user. It cannot leave the rift]

He set the sword down and checked the others. The shield had the same mark as the armor pieces. Even the daggers he tucked into his belt bore the same cursed inscription.

"Of course," he muttered. "Most of the items here were all at least 5-star items, specifically designed to kill Titans, and they're all locked to this rift. Can't have players walking out of here with overpowered gear, can we? Fairness and all that. At least they are all unsealed."

Lex glanced at the notification and shrugged. He remembered the first time he'd found these weapons with his expedition team. He had been excited, thinking he'd hit the jackpot—only to realize they were useless outside this place. No one could walk out of this place with a 5-star weapon and wreck the early stages of the tutorial. It was fair, sure, but it still annoyed him.

It felt like when the game lets you use a special weapon for a moment, but then it disappears or gets stuck somewhere on the map you can't access anymore.

Lex touched the inscription on a shield. "But these weapons were still placed here for a reason," he muttered. "Some people forget, but this place—this whole mess—is still a game. And in a game, loot like this doesn't just show up for no reason. There's always a pattern, a logic. You just have to figure it out. And if you can't, you die. Simple as that."

He stood up, glancing at the pile of gear he'd collected. Swords, shields, armor—all of it top-tier. But the fact that it was here, in such abundance and all unsealed, meant something. The Game didn't do things by accident. If there was this much high-quality gear lying around, it wasn't just for decoration.

He adjusted the weight of the gear on his back and opened his status panel. The hologram flickered in front of him, and he scrolled through the menu, his fingers moving quickly. After a moment, he found what he was looking for—a small, glowing orb. He bought it without hesitation.

[Welcome back, Administrator. 5 coins have been deducted to use your privileges.]

[Item Purchased: Titan pheromone blocker (500 coins). Remaining coins: 1,632.]

Lex held the orb in his hand for a second, turning it over. It was small, about the size of a marble, and glowed faintly. He tossed it onto the ground, and it shattered on impact, releasing a strange, smoky cloud that spread quickly.

The Red Cells reacted immediately. Their clicking grew louder, more frantic, as they tried to figure out what was happening. They moved erratically, their bodies twitching as they tried to communicate between them. But the smoke messed with their signals, leaving them confused and isolated.

"As for the reason the Game spoiled us, this much seems pretty obvious. All of those weapons were meant to equip an army. An army of players that were expected to raid this place." Lex said out loud as he stepped out of the shadows, his figure barely visible through the haze.

The Red Cells kept flailing in the smoke, their movements growing more erratic. Lex watched them with a deadly cold gaze, his mind already elsewhere. He thought about his Aspect "Die to Begin" and why it was so feared.

It wasn't just the ability to rewind time after death. It was the fact that he couldn't lose. He could always try again, no matter how many times he died, no matter how many mistakes he made. He could always learn, adapt, and come back stronger.

Lex's lips curled into a faint smile. As he slowly approached the group of red cells, he muttered, "So, me versus about an army of hundred red cells? Seems fair enough."

A red cell noticed him and lunged at him, its massive, insect-like body barreling through the haze. It was huge—easily a few meters tall—with jagged legs that sliced through the air like scythes. Lex sidestepped with calm precision, his movements smooth but not overly flashy. He swung the half-melted sword in his hand, the blade humming faintly as it cut through the creature's thick exoskeleton like a hot knife against butter. The Red Cell let out a high-pitched screech, its massive body writhing before collapsing into a twitching heap.

'Way more efficient than my dagger.' Lex thought as he barely avoided being crushed by the creature's corpse.

[You have killed a Titan's Red Cell. 120 coins have been awarded.]

[Total earnings: 3,180/200,000]

[Coins: 1,752]

The other Red Cells finally snapped out of their daze, their heads turning toward Lex in unison. For a moment, the cavern was eerily silent; the only sound was the faint hiss of the acidic pools and the rhythmic clicking of their legs. Lex tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a faint, mocking smile.

"What's the matter?" he said, his voice low and taunting. "Can't call for backup using pheromones? No White Cells coming to save you?"

Then, as if a switch had been flipped, they lunged at him.

Dozens of Red Cells surged forward, their massive bodies barreling through the haze, jagged legs slicing through the air like scythes. The ground trembled under their weight, and the air filled with the sound of their clicking and screeching.

Lex stood his ground, and a deranged smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he tightened his grip on the half-melted sword.

"Come on girls, don't be shy! Let's dance together!"