A Challenger is someone who managed to pass the trial for trainees and successfully climb up to the second floor. For a trainee, getting a good score of A+ and passing the fortress's trial will promote them to a Challenger.

Lady Krystal has been a Challenger for one year. And her name always comes up in the Top 100 Challenger Ranking, meaning she's extremely strong and capable. But now…

Lady Krystal was utterly overthrown by a mere trainee like Alice. Although Alice's head was bleeding, her eyes were particularly clear. Her deep blank eyes were darker than abyss. When she pointed the gun she stole at lady Krystal, no ripple of emotion flashed in her eyes.

[Heeyyyyy Alice, don't retaliate! Cameras are watching. Did you see that emblem on her wrist? She's a Challenger! Being easily defeated like that, she's definitely letting you steal her gun on purpose!]

Alice's deep blank eyes gained some sense and clarity. She took a step back. Her expression was vigilant. She still held the gun when she backed away toward her bed.

Lady Krystal stood up on her feet and glared at her.

"What? Why don't you shoot? Ha! Are you scared?" She sneered.

[Is she purposely provoking you? According to the Trainee's rule of conduct, a trainee should never attack their direct superior under any circumstances. Why is she doing this?.... Oohhh, I see. She's trying to pit you. If you shoot her under the eyes of the guards, you break the rules of conduct and may get you expelled from here. Hehehe. What do you plan to do, Alice?]

Alice silently sat on the bed, right directly below the camera. She knew the Marshal was watching. If nothing is holding him back, he will come down now.

But…

Cousins?

Alice pursed her lips. This is troublesome. Indiscriminately trying to kill her will not lead to a Challenger like this woman to be severely punished. Especially when she was the rumored cousin of the Marshal.

A slight irritation flashed in Alice's eyes. She quickly suppressed it and dismantled the gun in her hand. Its parts lay scattered in her bed.

"Me, Alice, don't want to have anything to do with you. Please leave Miss Krystal." Alice picked up the scattered gun parts and threw them outside her prison. Some of the bullets even hit the guards in the face.

She flipped the blankets on her bed and covered herself with it.

[You are so cunning. Hehehe] The voice that accompanied Alice into coming to the 65th fortress laughed eerily in her head.

Alice: She asks for it.

[So.. which skill did you steal?]

Alice: All of it.

[Pfft. Hehehe, what will you do if she finds out?]

Alice: She won't. Even the Marshal and the others did not find out.

The voice sighed. [Humans are all stupid, eh?]

Agreed....

***

Meanwhile on the outskirts of the recently conquered C-grade monster alien base,

Lance could not help but feel resentment toward his teammates. His captain. Even to the creators of this damn game! More than 24 hours had passed, but he was still here! There is no support from outside, communication, or interaction from the people behind the game system. Fixing this issue shouldn't take 24 hours or longer.

Everything on Lance, starting from his light overall gear, protective armor, and weapon [Endless], is all gone. He had already crawled out of the cave, heading towards the nearest human fortress.

Right after that heavy rain last night, the air quality was strangely breathable. But he should not let his guard down. He already died once in the game. The body of his character change. With his outer protective equipment gone, he becomes vulnerable to the 'corruption' in the surroundings.

A few steps away from leaving the cave, Lance tried to open his energy and skill stats. But it was no longer displayed in the air anymore. Nonetheless, Lance tried to activate his regeneration skills. He glanced at his sharp nails and made a thin slice on his forearm. Not a second later, the line of red disappeared. As if the wound was not there at all.

Since his weapon [Endless] is no longer with him, he is unsure if he can activate his assassin skill. Still, the regeneration skill should be enough to deal with monster aliens. If he encountered a very powerful one, he could always run.

Lance hastened his pace, thinking of the good times he'll be having once he got out.

The distance from the nearest NPC fortress to the cave should take him at least six to seven hours on foot.

Lance expected to run into many monster alien or mutated animals because he just left a monster alien base. Surprisingly, the journey was smoother on the way. He may have met mutated animals, but like the first mutated he encountered, they all turn their backs on him and ran.

As if their life depended on it. Lance does not want to think about it much. He was just about to get out of the vicinity of the dead forest, when some voices could be heard from a distance.

Ten NPC characters with strange blue uniforms were patrolling in the area.

Lance noticed those uniforms do not belong to an army. The soldiers in human fortress all wear brown combat uniforms with badges, buttons and belt. But this one…

The blue uniforms were too classy to be a policeman and too unusual to be included in the army fortress. Lance decided not to think much about it and ask for their help.

He leaped in front and greeted them loudly.

"Hey, I'm Lance. The new member of Golden Raven Guild. I may not look like it but I'm a player - no, I mean hero along with the other legends and is in need of your help. If it wasn't too much to ask, can I borrow your communication device to contact the other heroes -"

Before he could finish his words, a sharp knife flew by and a small cut appeared at the side of his left eye. Before he could react, another five knives flew towards him.

And yet…

Lance did not know if it was them or what but the knife was thrown painfully slow. As if Lance himself is watching a video of a knife being thrown in slow motion. He easily sidestepped and avoided being hit.

Lance may not be considered a professional combatant with years of experience, but his skills of being an assassin were top notch. And he knew at once there was something weird with his body.

It wasn't these NPCs throw the knives sloppily. It's just his vision became sharper! Even from here, Lance can hear the scraping of the wheels against the rocky path as the soldiers used carts to deliver weapons from one tent to another. He can hear the heavy footsteps of thousand NPCs who were laughing, chatting and arguing against each other.

There's no mistake, his senses have drastically improved! And it was ten times more precise than before!

Lance did not have enough time to delve on these weird changes. A bullet almost pierced him in the forehead. The shooter did not want to kill him directly. It was obvious because of the bullet that only grazed his scalp. A fiery sensation burnt right through his hair.

The group of ten blue uniformed men give up using the knives and used their guns to pinned him down. Lance's left finger twitched out of reflex. His two hands immediately went to his waist to search for his loyal companion, [Endless].

Lance gritted his teeth. Without his weapon, his gear, and appearing in front of these NPC in a tattered clothes is extremely humiliating for him. Ever since the national championship was over, he'd been having mixed feelings.

Stuck in a game for twenty four hours change his helpless feelings into anger. Lance cross his arms in front of his face and rolled in the ground to avoid the bullets. The regeneration ability in his skin was better than he thought.

He'd been hit ten times but none could penetrate his skin at all! As if his regeneration ability turn the texture of his skin into metal.

Lance succeeded in shortening the distance between him and the other ten uniformed men. When he stood upright, a gun was immediately pointed into his forehead.

Boom!

The gun exploded directly into his face.

Lance's eyes were wide in shock. The other men stared at their companion who held the gun with horror.

The bullet…

It should have pierced Lance. But instead, the bullet backfired and went the other way. The man who was confident he could kill this intruder has now a bullet pierced directly into his brain. Blood dripped from the gaping hole.

"You - you - you monster!" One of the nine surviving men was horrified. He immediately attacked Lance with an unfamiliar weapon. A faint light shimmered on Lance's feet and he leaped out of the way to escape the weapon.