"Your perception of reality is based on facts that someone has fed to you. If those facts are manipulated or crafted, then you wouldn’t be able to trust anything, not even the truth. Reality itself would collapse under the weight of doubt, and the existence of objective reasoning would vanish.

  To put it simply, reality only exists in tandem with information.

  Therefore, I cannot reveal my secret to the world, or else it would shatter its foundation.”

  A half dozen large drones swarmed the sky, their metallic figures shining under the frequent lightning strikes. Four large propellers were symmetrically placed at each corner of the aircraft, capable of lifting hundreds of pounds while also providing incredible maneuverability when controlled by a skilled officer. A cockpit glass dome rested at the center of the large drone, housing Knights of various ranks, their white uniforms standing out even amid the deluge of night and rain.

  These were not the same devices that the AOK had used to monitor the contestants throughout the challenge; these were military-grade Knight transporters, often utilized by first responders to navigate the city more swiftly during monster attacks. Or, as many called it, the KOD—Knight-Operated Drone.

  Yet they were being used in the AOK exams, hastily flying over a section of the Fuji forest at the foot of the mountain, which had once been deemed safe due to the new dome technology that supposedly repelled monsters.

  Are monsters even the danger? Asashi thought, grimacing. What use does a dome have when the danger could be on the inside? And he wasn’t talking about the monster that the AOK had selected for the contestants to slay either.

  Moments ago, as Asashi realized that a section of the forest had mysteriously lost its surveillance and monsters were being killed at an alarming rate by what seemed to be Sen’s team, he deployed several Knights, including himself, to investigate the situation.

  He skillfully navigated the KOD, his hands resting on a horizontal steel cylinder that controlled the drone's movements—much like a car's steering wheel—with his foot on a pedal, managing the speed. Fortunately, the interior wasn’t cluttered with modules and buttons he couldn’t understand—most of the control system operated via voice command or on the curved screen of the interior console, making it relatively easy to learn.

  The KOD he controlled whizzed past trees at a staggering speed while a few others trailed just behind him, allowing him to lead the way. A map and his location displayed on the interior console screen indicated that he was nearing the part of the forest where communication and monitoring were disrupted. Asashi was growing more and more worried.

  Before leaving, he tried to track Kaiyo’s location using the GPS in her techno watch, but unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found. The same went for Sen. This could only mean one thing: they were inside the area that had lost connection.

  He wished he were wrong… he truly did—but logically, that was the only explanation for why he couldn’t track her. So, the only thing Asashi could do at the moment was silently pray to God that she would be alright when he found her.

  As if praying to God ever achieved anything in my life, Asashi thought bitterly, clutching the cylindrical steering wheel. He knew he shouldn't think like that. Complaining would not achieve anything, nor would it make his circumstances better. Yet the thought of there being a God so powerful that it had made existence itself, watching innocent people suffer without even lifting a finger to help, angered Asashi. After every prayer, he always came to the same solemn conclusion—he had to rely on himself to make a miracle happen.

  A small beep erupted from the vehicle's console, catching Asashi’s attention. He had arrived—at least in the general area. The affected portion of the forest stretched for a mile or two, meaning they still had their work cut out to investigate the land accurately.

  Asashi tapped a small communication device embedded in his ear, connecting him with the other Knights who followed behind him. Fortunately, the devices seemed to work inside the Zone. However, if he tried to contact the base, the signal appeared to be disrupted for some strange reason. Asashi wasn’t a technical engineer, so he didn’t even attempt to understand or contemplate the issue. One thing he could deduce from his coworkers’ reactions—who did specialize in the field—was that this wasn’t normal.

  “Unit A53, A87, A442, keep surveying the skies and report if you see anything. Unit B64 and B89, and I will find a spot to land to investigate the ground,” Asashi commanded through the device.

  “Copy that,” all the units confirmed his order.

  Naturally, since he was the highest-ranking Knight in the squad, he was the captain of the investigation. It was a position that Asashi had often found himself in before his promotion—if he could even call it that at this point. He felt as though he was working just as hard on the board of directors for the Academy sector of the AOK as he did during active duty. He had hoped that once he became a board director, the work would be significantly easier than being constantly bombarded with monster-slaying missions, which he still received occasionally to this day. Unfortunately, his dreams were utterly crushed.

  Overseeing the challenges was ten times more stressful than his usual work—especially when… Sen was involved.

  This sensation… Asashi thought to himself as he surveyed the forest for an opening to land his drone. It’s as if a familiar uneasiness is weighing on my shoulders. I’ve felt this before.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Yet, Asashi couldn’t bring himself to name it. He was scared of being right.

  “Unit B64 and B89,” Asashi commanded, “There’s a small opening in the trees just up ahead—we can enter through there.”

  All three of the large drones zipped through the crack in the forest, swallowed by its darkness. If not for the KOD’s front lights, it would be impossible even to see a foot in front of him. He had to give credit to any young Knight who had the courage to even camp in such an eerie and dark place. Even with his strength, Asashi felt unsafe.

  The large drones hovered in the tight space of the forest, nearly brushing against the trees beside them as the wind from the propellers blew leaves and other debris away. They descended to the forest floor, and the KOD’s glass cockpit swung open to allow the Knights to exit.

  Asashi gracefully jumped from the car-sized vehicle and activated his Sense almost instinctively, as if anticipating an onslaught from monsters or some other being. He truly didn’t like the dark. But perhaps it was the unknown that worried him. If he knew undoubtedly that monsters were the only danger, then it would be a different story. The problem was… he was unsure.

  He met with the two other Knights—one being a clean-shaven, middle-aged, handsome man, who almost looked too attractive for such a job, and a short-haired woman, also similar in age. Both were silver-ranked Knights.

  They nodded in acknowledgment before splitting up in different directions to cover more ground.

  Asashi hurried cautiously, pushing away tree branches that protruded into his path, while always keeping a hand on his Sense Katana, strapped to his waist.

  Asashi could feel his heart thump and reverberate in his chest. The gentle raindrops that penetrated through the forest’s canopy fell while thunder sounded mutely in the distance.

  Quite oddly, the uneasiness grew fainter when he turned to follow another direction. The opposite was also true. His heart quickened almost reactively, depending on which path he took.

  Something told Asashi that he needed to follow the one that made him feel the most uneasy. He had a hunch, and he certainly wished it wasn’t correct.

  His pace quickened as he followed the familiar feeling that nearly guided him.

  His ear buzzed.

  Asashi flinched slightly, taken by surprise, then reached for his ear and tapped on his communication device. One of his squad members was calling the whole group.

  “T… This is A442. I-I uh… see, I…” the Knight breathed harshly, attempting to communicate, yet no meaning was distinguishable under his panicked stutters.

  Asashi gritted his teeth. “Speak clearly! Report to me—what do you see in the sky?”

  Unit A442 did not respond. For a moment, Asashi contemplated running back and entering his KOD to see what had gone wrong, but it seemed that wasn’t necessary.

  “This is A87,” another KOD operator whom Asashi ordered to survey the sky said more firmly. “I'm right next to A442. There are five monsters in the clearing below us, eating dozens of… Ahem.” A87 cleared his throat while trying to stay composed. “The monsters seem to be eating the bodies of dozens of participants below us. I cannot distinguish their rank, but judging by their ability to wipe out this many armed contestants, I believe they must be far higher than silver rank. All airborne units are now landing and preparing for battle. I sent the locations via your watches. Please move with urgency.”

  Asashi froze as dread set into his body, sending a chilly shiver down his spine.

  He had no time to think. To mourn. To be regretful. To feel sadness. This is what decades of being on the battlefield had done to him.

  Asashi instinctively pushed all of his emotions down, drowning them deep into his stomach’s acid in hopes that they’d disappear.

  “Understood…” Asashi said firmly, his green eyes radiating with power in the obscurity of the forest.

  There was no need for directions. He already knew the path he must take.

  His legs flexed with a strength that longed to be used as he surged through the forest with inhuman speed. Asashi didn’t even bother to push aside the intruding branches or undergrowth; he simply ran right through them, feeling neither a scratch nor an ounce of inconvenience.

  Asashi wouldn’t give his surroundings the pleasure of intruding on his mission—they didn’t deserve it.

  In the midst of Asashi’s hurried pace, he noticed movement up ahead.

  A monster, Asashi realized.

  However, it was clear that it wasn’t one of the creatures that were eating the contestants deeper in the forest. The figure was merely a shadow to Asashi, and he couldn’t distinguish which monster it was. But that hardly mattered at the moment.

  He wouldn’t stop for anything or anyone.

  As Asashi darted through the trees, he swiftly unsheathed his katana, its blade glowing in a zigzagging pattern before it met the monster's flesh in the blink of an eye. The blade sliced cleanly through the shadowy figure. A squelching sound echoed as the top half of the monster collapsed to the ground.

  Without a single pause in his pace, Asashi continued.

  Trees blurred past him, and when they got in his way, he simply took them down with a single slice of his blade. Large trunks collapsed and bushes burst from the force of his attacks, resonating throughout the forest. Birds flapped away and tweeted in surprise.

  Finally, he had arrived.

  And the sight, as bad as Asashi prepared it to be, still crushed his expectations.

  Dozens of dismembered and torn bodies of contestants were scattered across the clearing, drowned in puddles of blood and rain. He did not hear nor see any sign of fighting. It was all silent… too silent for Asashi’s comfort.

  Alongside the contestants, five furry monsters lay limp on the battlefield, sliced and mutilated beyond recognition.

  The vile creatures… had already been neutralized by the airborne units.

  Asashi had nothing to say. He couldn’t, even if he tried. The katana he had hung onto so intensely moments ago fell from his grip, clanking against the ground.

  The Knight who controlled unit A442 walked up to him, his sword dripping with monster blood and his face a mixture of confusion and grief. His real name was Glyder.

  “I…” Glyder started, “I don’t… I don’t know what happened. The other units and I arrived, and we took down the monsters in just a few moments. I… I’m unsure how these monsters were able to kill so many contestants. It doesn’t make any sense. Sir, something is—”

  Asashi did not reply. He walked past him, looking at the mangled bodies closely. He quickly realized that each body was absent of a head and had almost meticulous bite marks, as if to cover something up.

  Perhaps the monsters aimed specifically for the head, but he couldn’t convince himself that all five monsters were that coordinated or even had such a preference in the first place. Monsters weren’t this intelligent. Statistically, there had to be some bodies with their heads still attached, given the monsters’ unusual attack patterns. So why was every single body he checked... specially mutilated?

  “Sir Asashi!” exclaimed another Knight at the opposite side of the clearing, “There are survivors!”

  Asashi’s eyes widened as he hurried to his squad member.

  Thump…

  Thump…

  Thump.

  His heart battered inside his chest—so violently that he feared it was a heart attack—then it came to a sudden halt as he gazed at the two survivors lying unconscious on the ground. Their bodies bore a few bruises, and blood stained their tracksuits, but fortunately, no limbs were missing.

  Sen and Kaiyo.