Chapter 3: New Ally and Introductions

Axel’s House… or What’s Left of It

The moment they arrived, an ominous silence filled the air.

Then—

“…No.”

Axel’s eye twitched.

Kane, arms behind his head, whistled casually. “Man, they really wiped us clean, huh? Good thing I never wasted my time upgrading my house.”

Axel stood frozen in front of his once-magnificent estate, now reduced to a basic level 1 shack. Trembling, he took in the ruins.

His lavish mansion, gone. The expensive furniture? Vanished. The custom designs, rare trophies, and premium upgrades he had poured real-world money into? Obliterated.

In the background, imaginary money seemed to go up in flames.

Alt patted his back, offering a wordless gesture of comfort.

Axel dropped to his knees. “My home… my money…”

Kane nudged him. “Don’t worry, boss. It’s just pixels.”

Axel shot him a deadpan glare. “YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND.”

Madden sighed, rolling his eyes. “Come on. Let’s just go inside.”

With one final look of despair, Axel rose to his feet and followed them into his tiny, bare-bones level 1 house.

Forming a New Strategy – The Missing Piece

The cramped space forced everyone to sit closely together, making the situation feel all the more real.

Axel took a deep breath. “Alright. Here’s the deal... We’re short one person. If we split our team into two groups, we’ll be able to gather resources faster while covering more ground. But that means we need someone strong.”

A heavy silence settled in.

Then—

Madden exhaled, breaking the silence. “We need Rank 1, the best solo player.”

Damon nodded. “If he’s not already taken.”

Axel sighed, rubbing his temple. “Yeah… he’s our best bet.”

Kane grinned. “We’d have three top-rankers in one team!”

Axel side-eyed him. “Ehem. Don’t include me. I paid my way to the top.”

Damon snickered. “Still better than Kane.”

Kane pouted. “HEY!”

Madden turned to Alt. “But let’s be honest. Alt’s the strongest player in the game.”

Kane nodded furiously. “Yeah! How the hell are you ranked 3, Alt?!”

Damon smirked. “She beat Axel before too. After that, he dumped a ton of money into upgrades.”

Axel groaned. “OKAY, NO MORE QUESTIONS. LET’S FOCUS.”

With that, Axel pulled up his menu and sent a message to rank 1.

Then-

A notification pinged on the screen.

Axel blinked. “Oh. He already responded… that was fast.”

He clicked the message, curious.

Message Log:
2Baddass4U: Hey! This is Axel, leader of Axl Guild. If you haven’t joined a team yet, we’d like to invite you to ours.
The-OoO-Reaper: ...Is Alt on your team?
Axel frowned. “Huh?”
2Baddass4U: Yes... Can I ask why?
The-OoO-Reaper: Great. Where you at?
2Baddass4U: My house.
The-OoO-Reaper: Ok.

Axel blinked, staring at the screen for a moment. “…Not sure if he's actually joining us or just looking for Alt…”

Suddenly, a sharp KNOCK KNOCK echoed through the tiny house.

The door swung open with a creak, revealing Ken Lancaster (in-game name: The-OoO-Reaper), the Rank 1 player.

His gray hair was unkempt, and dark circles beneath his glasses made him look sleep-deprived, but his demeanor was dead serious. His sharp gray eyes immediately scanned the room, their gaze looking for a player named Alt.

“Where’s Alt?”

Silence filled the small, bare house. The room seemed to hold its breath.

Everyone turned toward Alt, who stood across from Ken, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable.

Ken’s eyes were fixed on her. His expression was blank, but his gaze slowly turned intense.

Then-

His entire body stiffened. His face drained of color.

And with a single, sharp breath-

Ken collapsed to the ground.

“Shit. I was beaten by a girl…”

Thud.

Ken fell unconscious with a soft thud against the floor.

Alt’s frown deepened, but she said nothing.

Ken's Reality Check & The Deal

Ken bolted upright, his breath ragged. “AHH!”

Axel, who had been standing beside the bed, flinched at the sudden movement. “You okay, man?”

Ken groaned, rubbing his forehead as if trying to shake off the haze. “Ugh… I just… was not expecting that.”

Kane chuckled from the corner, his usual grin back in place. “None of us were.”

Ken then turned his gaze toward Kane, his eyes narrowing as realization hit.

“…You’re K4N3DY? You’re a guy?!”

Kane laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah…”

Ken’s expression twisted in horror as the pieces clicked into place. His voice was strained, full of disbelief.

“I PROPOSED TO YOU.”

Kane shrugged casually. “Whoops.”

Ken lay back down on the bed, throwing his arm over his face dramatically. “My life’s a lie.”

Kane nudged him, still grinning. “Hey! You’re not the only one confused! Axel and Damon here are celebrities! I was shook!”

Ken tsk’d and waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t care about that…”

Then, with newfound determination, he sat up, his gray eyes locking onto Alt’s blue ones as he pointed at her.

“I want a duel.”

Kane blinked, unable to hide his surprise. “Huh? Come again?”

Ken’s voice was steady, intense. “Let’s see who’s stronger, Alt.”

Alt tilted her head, unfazed by the sudden challenge. “?”

Axel and Kane shot up from their seats in alarm.

“Wait-WHAT?! WE’RE SUPPOSED TO BE A TEAM HERE!”

Madden let out a deep sigh, clearly exasperated. “That escalated quickly.”

Damon smirked, his arms crossed, clearly entertained by the unfolding situation. “Oh? Things just got interesting.”

Madden, the voice of reason, raised an eyebrow at Ken. “Wait… before we do anything stupid, I have a question for you, Reaper.”

Ken narrowed his eyes, suspicion creeping into his voice. “What?”

Madden crossed his arms, eyes studying Ken closely. “What five items did you keep?”

Ken blinked, then scoffed. “Huh? My legendary equipment, of course. Weapon, armor, helmet, boots, and gloves. Why? Didn’t y’all do the same?”

Everyone exchanged glances.

Then, slowly, they shook their heads.

Ken frowned, confusion now mixing with frustration. “What did you guys pick, then?”

Axel exhaled, his tone slightly strained. “Revive potions.”

Ken froze for a moment, disbelief spreading across his face. “…What?”

Axel explained, his voice steady but filled with a hint of concern. “Alt’s theory is that revive potions will be nearly impossible to obtain. The game wants us dead.”

Ken leaned back, arms crossed, digesting the information. His sharp gray eyes flickered between the group, then-

Ken raised an eyebrow. “Makes sense… BUT I can kill monsters faster. I can beat this game quickly and get out. Y’all will be stuck grinding monsters for gear. Hah!”

Alt’s expression remained unchanged, a calm facade that didn’t waver. “I can beat you in a heartbeat right now, even with those gears.”

Ken’s smirk widened, his confidence not faltering for a moment. “Oh yeah? We’ll see about that-”

Ken’s eyes darted to his menu, his fingers hovering, ready to equip his legendary gear-

And then-

A SYSTEM MESSAGE flashed before his eyes.

CANNOT EQUIP: LEVEL TOO LOW.

Alt simply let out a quiet chuckle, a barely audible sound. “Pfft…”

Ken’s face went blank, his expression falling as the realization hit him. His entire body stiffened in shock. He slowly turned back toward Alt, eyes widening.

“…Bitch. You knew about this.”

Alt tilted her head slightly, her face unreadable, not a trace of amusement or sympathy in her gaze.

Ken let out a muffled scream, frustration building in his chest, before dramatically falling backward and banging his head against the floor with a loud thud.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Axel, unable to resist, clapped slowly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Looks like your items are useless right now.”

Ken curled up in a corner, sulking, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Alt crouched slightly, her arms crossed, observing him with an unreadable expression. “Still wanna duel?”

Ken let out a deep, defeated sigh. “…Ugh.”

Kane grinned, placing a hand on Ken’s shoulder in mock sympathy. “Basicallyyy, you got nothing. No team. No items. No hope.”

Ken, still sitting in utter defeat, felt the weight of imaginary rocks piling onto his back. “…Impossible…”

Axel, struggling to contain his laughter, extended a hand toward Ken. “But hey! If you need a team, we got you.”

Ken looked up at him, his eyes sparkling with fake tears, as if a burden had been lifted. “Really?”

Axel then hands him the Axl Guild crest: an open book with twin swords behind it.

He clasped his hands together, bowing dramatically, a flourish of his exaggerated movements. “Thanks for having me! Playing solo will be too risky for me in this new death game theme.”

Alt, however, remained unmoved, her expression as cold and composed as ever. “…On one condition.”

Axel and Ken stared at her, confused. “Eh?”

Alt’s cold gaze locked onto Ken’s, unwavering. “Give each of us your gear in exchange for our four revival potions. We all need to stay alive if we’re going to beat this game.”

Ken’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “…You’re extorting me.”

Alt simply nodded. “I don’t trust you… yet.”

Ken stared at her for a long moment, then sighed, realizing he had little choice. “Fair game.”

He handed over his prized legendary equipment, piece by piece, to each of Axel’s team members, a heavy feeling in his chest as he relinquished the items he had fought so hard to earn.

When he reached the final item, his helmet, he paused. His hands trembled slightly as he gripped it tightly. The helmet had been his symbol of pride.

Alt observed him quietly for a moment, her gaze unyielding, before letting out a soft exhale. “…Keep it.”

Ken’s eyes widened in surprise, his grip loosening. He held the helmet close to his chest, as though it were the last remaining shred of his dignity. “…Okay.”

Introductions – The Team Forms

With the deal finalized, Axel clapped his hands together, breaking the tension in the room.

“Alright, everyone! Gather around!”

The team circled up in the cramped, makeshift space of the small, level 1 house. The air was thick with anticipation as they gathered for their first real meeting since the reset.

Axel cleared his throat, his tone shifting to a more serious note, though his usual charisma still lingered.
“I know today has been… a mess, and from here on out, we’ll be working our butts off to beat this game. But before we do that, introductions.”

Kane threw a fist in the air with exaggerated enthusiasm. “Agreed!”

Everyone nodded, the weight of the situation hanging in the air, but the need to break the tension was substantial.

Axel smirked, his confidence returning. “I’ll start. My name’s Alexander Lester. And yes… I’m a rich kid who likes to play and spend money on video games using his dad's money.” He fake coughed at the end, clearly embarrassed by his own words.

Kane snickered, teasing him lightly. “We knew that already~”

Axel rolled his eyes but grinned, shaking his head. “I’m in college for Business and Management. I want to open my own game shop one day.”

Kane’s eyes sparkled with genuine excitement. “That’s awesome!”

Ken nodded in approval. “Nice.”

Axel gestured to the group, ready to move on. “Alright, who’s next?”

Kane jumped in immediately, practically bouncing in his seat. “Oooh! Me me me! The name’s Kane Vonheiser! I love animated films, Dizney movies, mostly. They’re so fun and lively! I’m in college for Animation, so you’ll see my name in the credits one day!” He ended with a dramatic peace sign, his grin wide.

Damon smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Not bad, little boy.”

Kane scowled, his temper flaring. “I’M NOT A BOY! I’M 23! STOP CALLING ME THAT!”

Damon shrugged nonchalantly. “Then grow some muscles.”

Kane growled in frustration. “Grrr… You’re one to talk!”

Ken, ignoring the banter, crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat. “Kendrick Lancaster. I game… a lot. I’m a streamer… That’s about it.”

Axel sweatdropped, his expression a mix of confusion and mild amusement. “Well, that was quick.”

Madden quirked an eyebrow, his tone calm yet curious. “Huh. I thought you were a med student.”

Ken rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by the assumption. “Sorry to disappoint, buddy.”

Damon sighed dramatically, rubbing his forehead. “Meh, that was lame. Anyway, Damien Lakes. I do modeling and stuff. I love cars, and I plan to become a mechanic.”

Kane snorted, unable to resist. “Interesting choice… can you even lift with those arms?” He mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Damon glared, not amused, but a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. “...Touche.”

Madden shook his head, his arms crossed in his usual posture, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I’m Madden Koor. I do a lot of sports, mainly boxing. I work part-time as a club bouncer. I’m around the same age as all of you, but I just look more… mature.”

Kane’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? How old are you?!”

Madden raised an eyebrow, unfazed. “24.”

Kane gasped dramatically. “WOAH! You’ve got so many muscles!”

Damon nodded, clearly impressed. “Agreed. Teach me your ways, senpai.”

Madden looked away, his usual stoic demeanor faltering slightly as a hint of fluster crossed his features. “…Next time.”

Kane grinned mischievously, unable to resist the teasing. “Mmhmm.”

Madden fake coughed, clearly eager to move things along. “Alt, you’re up.”

Alt nodded, standing tall as she took a breath. “...Althea Pearl. I’m in school to become a doctor…”

Kane grinned widely, his voice full of admiration. “That’s so cool! Make way for Dr. Pearl!”

Everyone laughed and nodded in agreement, the tension in the room easing as the moment became lighter.

“I’m happy to be meeting so many incredible people at once!” Kane exclaimed, his voice full of genuine excitement.

Axel smiled, his confidence returning. “Likewise.”

The group raised their drinks in a unified gesture, their spirits lifted despite the uncertain road ahead.

“To surviving this game.”

“Cheers!”

With their team formed, their real journey was about to begin…