Chapter 34: A Grand Exit

  The battle was over.

  The arena—once vibrant and alive with swirling colors and shifting dimensions—had fallen into eerie silence. The phantom crowd had vanished, the once-imposing walls cracked and crumbling as the corrupted system's influence disintegrated into glowing dust.

  Marcus stood at the center of it all, chest heaving, exhaustion wrapping around him like iron chains. His muscles ached, his breath came ragged, but they had won. Ethereal Boruk stood beside him, his spectral form flickering like a dying ember, yet his presence was solid—a sentinel, unwavering.

  But something was still wrong.

  Marcus turned, his stomach twisting at the sight of Vira and Ragn, still frozen mid-motion, their bodies locked in suspended animation. Their expressions were frozen in the final moment before the Protocol had sealed them away—Vira’s face set in fierce defiance, Ragn’s mouth twisted in frustration. Their bodies hovered just inches off the crumbling ground, untouched by the collapse of the world around them.

  Then—a crack.

  A jagged fissure split through the empty space surrounding them, like glass fracturing from an unseen force. The system’s control was breaking.

  Vira moved first.

  A sharp inhale tore through her lungs as reality slammed back into her, her body lurching forward. She caught herself just before hitting the ground, hands bracing against the dust-coated stone. Her emerald eyes darted wildly as she processed the shift, her fingers curling against the cold ground as if anchoring herself in the moment.

  Ragn’s release was more violent.

  The force of his reawakening sent him crashing forward, his boots slamming into the ground as if he had been thrown back into existence. He exhaled sharply, his entire body tensing before his muscles caught up with his mind. His tusked mouth curled into a scowl as he rolled his shoulders. “Tch. That was deeply unpleasant.”

  Vira pushed herself up, brushing dust from her arms, her expression unreadable. But when she looked at Marcus, something flickered in her gaze—relief.

  Then, before they could speak, the air around them shuddered.

  The omnipresent hum of the arena abruptly stopped, leaving behind a silence so deep it pressed against their ears. The dungeon was dying, collapsing on itself.

  And the system spoke.

  CHOICE DETECTED.

  The voice was cold. Unfeeling. Absolute.

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  Marcus didn’t need to hear the full offer to know what it was.

  Reclaim all lost experience, all dungeon rewards.

  Or—

  Forfeit it all in exchange for a single revival token.

  The answer was immediate.

  Without hesitation, Marcus, Vira, and Ragn chose the token.

  REVIVAL TOKEN ACCEPTED.

  The moment the decision was made, the world fractured. The runic symbols that had once governed the arena’s existence flickered and died, their glow sputtering out one by one.

  Yet, amidst the destruction, Ragn’s keen eyes caught a final glimmer of something in the debris—a Water Elemental Core, half-buried in the remains of the Protocol. He didn’t hesitate. He snatched it up.

  But they had bigger priorities.

  The dungeon was collapsing.

  The barriers that had trapped them disintegrated like sand slipping through open fingers.

  And then—a shift.

  A single blink.

  They were no longer in the collapsing arena.

  The three of them stood at the entrance of the dungeon, the now-darkened gateway behind them. The runes that had once pulsed with life were now dead, as though the world had reset itself, erasing every trace of their struggle.

  But they knew better.

  And now, they had one last task.

  Without hesitation, Marcus pulled the revival token from his inventory. The sphere pulsed, a flickering ember of life waiting to be reignited.

  No words were spoken. They didn’t need to be.

  Marcus knelt, pressing the token into the ground.

  It pulsed once.

  Twice.

  Then, a brilliant light erupted, consuming everything in its glow.

  For a moment, time itself hesitated.

  Then—

  A soft pop, like a ripple in space.

  And from the air—

  Boruk appeared.

  He materialized exactly as he had fallen, his axe gripped tight, his stance firm. His ethereal form flickered, light washing over him in waves before his body solidified.

  His crimson eyes opened, blinking in confusion.

  He staggered slightly, a deep furrow forming between his brows. He looked around, his expression shadowed by uncertainty.

  "What—what happened?" His voice was hoarse, roughened by something he didn’t understand. His gaze shifted between Marcus, Vira, and Ragn.

  But something was missing.

  The moment he had sacrificed himself. The choice to give everything for them.

  It was gone from his mind.

  Marcus stepped forward, his chest tight, his throat constricting around words he didn’t quite know how to say. His hand came to rest on Boruk’s shoulder—solid, warm, alive.

  "Boruk," Marcus said, voice rough with emotion. "You gave everything. Everything… for us."

  Boruk’s expression twisted in confusion. He searched his memories, but the moment wasn’t there.

  "I… did?" His fingers flexed around his axe, his grip uncertain.

  Marcus exhaled slowly, forcing a weary smile.

  Then—Vira stepped forward.

  Her face was unreadable, but when she spoke, her voice carried weight. A quiet, heavy intensity that stopped Boruk in his tracks.

  "Boruk."

  She met his gaze without hesitation, her eyes locked onto his.

  "If you ever think about sacrificing yourself for us again…"

  She stepped closer. Her voice dropped to a near-whisper.

  "Give us one more chance."

  Boruk stilled.

  Something deep in his chest shifted—an unspoken understanding, even if he couldn’t remember the act itself.

  He nodded. Slow. Firm. "I will." His voice was hoarse, but certain.

  Then—Ragn’s heavy hand clapped against Boruk’s back. A grin spread across his face.

  "Next time, let’s make sure it’s just a heroic charge," he said, flashing his tusks, "and not… whatever that last bit was."

  A laugh broke through the tension, bubbling up like fresh air after being submerged too long.

  Boruk exhaled, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

  And just like that, they were whole again.

  The battle was over. The dungeon was behind them.

  And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, hope shone in the path ahead.

  Then—

  A soft digital chime echoed in Marcus’ mind.

  System Rebooted

  He exhaled, feeling the corrupted influence finally wash away.

  A fresh start.

  He looked at the people beside him—his friends, his family—and smiled.