Elias tightened his grip on the motorcycle's throttle, heart hammering against his ribs as he stared at the gathering ahead.
At least seven Watch Bearers stood with Zephyr, each one radiating a different kind of tension — rage, amusement, calculation.
Zephyr spoke smoothly, like a snake:
"We all got called here because of you. The Watch chose you as a 'Seed'. A potential successor."
He gave a mocking bow.
"But don't get too excited. Every Seed must be tested — brutally."
Elias's watch buzzed furiously.
A string of urgent alerts flashed across the screen:
---
New Global Task:
Survive for 12 hours against hostile Bearers.
Reward: Skill Upgrade Ticket + Hidden Affinity Unlock.
Failure: Immediate Watch Deactivation (Death).
Bonus Challenge:
Defeat Zephyr.
Reward: "True Authority" Key Fragment (1/7).
---
Elias barely had time to process it before the first attacker lunged.
A woman with electric-blue hair whipped a chain toward him with frightening speed.
The chain wrapped around the motorcycle — but Elias, running purely on Combat Mastery instincts, leaped off mid-motion, twisting in the air.
He hit the ground in a low roll, dodging a heavy axe from another Bearer who charged straight after.
Everything blurred.
His body moved on its own — side steps, counters, strikes.
He snapped the chain taut and yanked the blue-haired woman forward, sending her crashing into the axe-wielder.
The two collapsed into a heap.
Two down... five to go.
Zephyr clapped mockingly from a safe distance, watching Elias like a predator observing fresh prey.
"You move well," Zephyr called lazily. "But how long can you last?"
---
[Micro Task Unlocked:]
Execute a 3-Chain Counter within 1 minute.
Reward: "Blood Reflex" (Permanent 5% boost in combat speed).
---
Elias gritted his teeth.
One. Step. At. A. Time.
Two Bearers rushed him simultaneously — one with a spear, another with twin daggers.
Elias dodged the spear with a duck, caught the dagger wielder's wrist mid-swing, used the attacker's own momentum to slam him into the ground, then grabbed the fallen spear and hurled it backward without looking, impaling another Bearer through the thigh.
[Task Complete: Blood Reflex acquired.]
A surge of even sharper instincts flooded him.
His vision narrowed — he could see every muscle twitch of the enemy, every slight shift of their feet.
It was like the world had slowed for him alone.
---
Yet amid the chaos, a sudden pain exploded through his side.
He staggered.
He turned — and saw Trevor, his former high school friend, standing there.
Wearing a Watch.
Holding a bloody dagger.
"Sorry, Elias," Trevor said, voice trembling.
"But the reward for killing a Seed... it's too big."
Betrayal.
Raw, cutting, searing betrayal.
Elias gasped for breath, fury boiling through his veins.
The watch flickered violently on his wrist.
---
[New Emergency Feature Activated:]
Wrath Mode: For 5 minutes, double all physical stats.
Warning: Severe strain post-usage.
Activate?
[YES] [NO]
---
Elias wiped the blood from his mouth.
His lips curled into a brutal, humorless smile.
"Yes."
The world shattered around him into violent colors.
Muscles tightened, senses sharpened — and a monstrous strength erupted from his core.
Elias charged, a storm in human form.
Tonight...
they would learn that you never betray a rising king.
---