“Huh?”

  She thought she was dead.

  Kitty had faced death countless times in Artemia. At first, the fear was overwhelming, but over time, she grew desensitized. Death became a fleeting inconvenience, a reset button rather than a true ending.

  Her audience had taken note of her fearless demeanor, dubbing her “Fearless Kitty.” It sounded a little silly, but those who followed her streams knew how fitting the title was. Kitty wasn’t just brave—she was calculated, skilled, and relentless.

  The mantis-like daemons that had crashed the Streamer Awards? She’d faced far worse on Artemia. These creatures were nothing compared to the horrors near Calydion, where even hobgoblins could prove a challenge.

  For years, Otherworld had been considered one of the more “boring” VR streams—after all, even if it was a world of fantasy, it was still pretty much reality. Yet, its niche audience numbered in the millions, captivated by its unique premise.

  For the players, however, Otherworld was anything but boring. Sure, you could live a completely different life as someone else in other traditional VR games—you could even become an animal, if you wished and fly. But Otherworld offered something nothing else could offer—unparalleled immersion. Every sensation, every experience could be carried back into reality.

  In Kitty’s case, she’d commissioned a custom suit of armor designed to mimic the capabilities of her Otherworld clone. It wasn’t perfect, but it allowed her to replicate at least half of her combat prowess from Artemia.

  She had planned to use that armor to fight off the daemons.

  But plans didn’t always go as expected.

  One of the mantis-like creatures swatted her away like an insect, sending her armor skidding uselessly across the floor. If she’d known this would happen, she would have invested in nanotech armor. But even for someone with her wealth, the operating costs were astronomical.

  And now, Kitty could only watch as death loomed closer.

  She had thought herself immune to fear. But in that moment, she realized the truth: she had never truly feared death on Artemia because it wasn’t real. It wasn’t her actual body that died.

  It was a simple distinction but one often forgotten by those who had played Otherworld as long as she had.

  But now, this was different. This was real.

  She was about to die—helpless and pathetic, after promising the people at her table that she would protect them. If they survived, the only image they would remember was her being ridiculous.

  Her thoughts twisted in shame, imagining them laughing at her failure. Reflexively, she turned to glance back at the table… only to see Julian Winters running toward her.

  “R… Run away!” She shouted. It wasn’t until the words left her mouth that she remembered—Julian was blind.

  A gasp of disbelief escaped her lips. Out of all the people she thought would try and rescue her, Julian wasn’t even in her mind. Were… people playing Otherworld just crazy like her? But if that was the case, then the other people under their table should also be trying to rescue her right about now.

  But then again, she was sure that they wouldn’t be moving as fast as Julian.

  Wait…

  Why… how was he moving so fast?

  Was she the only one who could see this? Were the cameras capturing this too?

  Her mind buzzed with questions, but all of them vanished the moment she saw Julian casually reach out—

  —and grab the mantis daemon’s arm.

  The same arm that was mere seconds away from cleaving her in half.

  For a moment, Kitty forgot about the daemon entirely. Her focus narrowed on Julian, her thoughts racing to catch up with the surreal sight before her.

  “That… Julian—”

  Her words faltered as the daemon screeched, its entire body jolted back by the sheer force of Julian’s grip. Unfortunately for the creature, its screech only exposed its weakness.

  Julian wasted no time.

  He snapped his cane open, revealing the rapier hidden within. The blade flashed as he drove it straight into the daemon’s exposed joint, piercing its soft flesh with ease.

  Unlike before, Julian didn’t need MEGAN’s guidance. The image of the daemon was already fully formed in his mind—its size, its movements, its anatomy. He knew it.

  The mantis daemon screeched again, this time stumbling backward in a violent retreat. Its other arm slashed wildly at Julian, but he used the momentum to leap, swinging onto the creature’s pierced limb.

  The blunt edges of his rapier twisted the daemon’s joints instead of slicing through them, wrenching its arm at an unnatural angle.

  “Hm…”

  Julian hummed softly, his grip steady as he felt the resistance of the daemon’s limb against his blade.

  And then, slowly, a smile began to spread across his face.

  A rush of exhilaration coursed through him, his body buzzing with the thrill of the fight. Every motion felt sharper, more alive. The chaos around him faded, leaving only the daemon and the electric pulse of adrenaline surging through his veins.

  Once again, the Sword Junkie makes his appearance in the real world.

  With a sharp breath, Julian yanked his blade free while pulling on the daemon’s arm with all his strength. The sheer force tore the limb clean off, sending a spray of dark blood into the air. But before the droplets could hit the ground—or before Julian could fall—he drove his rapier into the daemon’s neck.

  In one fluid motion, he swung the severed arm, cleaving the daemon’s squid-like head from its body.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  The creature collapsed instantly, its lifeless form crumpling to the ground as though it had never truly been alive.

  Julian landed softly alongside it, casually dropping the mantis’ arm as he stepped forward. His focus shifted to Kitty, who sat frozen in disbelief. Her wide eyes tracked his every move as he stopped in front of her and extended a hand.

  She hesitated, her mind racing. Memories of their earlier encounter on the red carpet flashed through her thoughts—how he had hesitated to shake her hand. Was he… pretending?

  “You’re… not blind?” she muttered under her breath, her voice slightly trembling as she reached for his hand.

  “I am clinically, totally blind,” Julian replied, his tone calm and matter-of-fact. He helped her to her feet before listening for the scattered remains of her armor. “Can you still use your armor if I get it for you?”

  Kitty tilted her head, her confusion deepening. But after a brief pause, she nodded. “Yes—it should still work. Once you grab a piece, the rest will merge into a briefcase.”

  “That’s… convenient,” Julian remarked with a faint smile. “Stay here. Hide if another daemon shows up.”

  Julian didn’t know Kitty personally, but he knew her reputation. As one of the top players in Otherworld, he trusted her skill, and for now, that was enough.

  Without another word, Julian picked up the severed mantis arm and darted toward the scattered fragments of Kitty’s combat suit.

  His senses were at their peak. Every movement, every sound in the chaos around him was sharp and vivid. He felt it before he heard it—the rush of air signaling a daemon diving toward him at breakneck speed.

  Kitty opened her mouth to warn him, but Julian had already leaped to the side. The mantis’ blades whistled through the air where he’d stood a second earlier.

  But Julian didn’t just dodge.

  While still in the air, he hurled the severed mantis arm straight at his attacker. The sharp blade struck one of the daemon’s wings, tearing through it with precision.

  The creature let out a screech as it lost control, crashing violently into the floor and smashing through several tables in its path. The sound of splintering wood and shattering glass echoed through the hall.

  Fortunately, the tables were empty.

  Julian didn’t stop to finish the fallen daemon. His focus was locked on the humming vibrations of Kitty’s armor. He ran toward the closest piece, and as he reached for it, the humming grew stronger. The moment his hand closed around it, the other fragments flew toward him, merging seamlessly into a compact briefcase.

  He let out a small breath, turning back toward Kitty before throwing the briefcase straight at her.

  He did not really have the luxury to run back, as the fallen mantis daemon behind him screeched as it got back up. But if it was only that, then he wouldn’t have been as hurried, no.

  The screeching of the daemons seemed to act like a rallying cry, summoning reinforcements. Two more mantis-like creatures broke away from the chaos, abandoning the other people they had been slaughtering to focus entirely on Julian.

  If only he could use his [Shadow Blacksmith] skills, this wouldn’t even be a challenge. But he couldn’t afford to show his full capabilities here. He had already displayed superhuman strength and speed—revealing abilities akin to the [Active Skills] of his Artemian clone would raise too many questions.

  He would have to rely solely on raw strength.

  Fortunately for Julian, that was proving to be enough.

  Gripping his rapier tightly, he let out a breath, his smile widening as he observed the struggling mantis before him. The creature, its wings ruined, wobbled helplessly to the side.

  Julian didn’t waste the opportunity.

  He sprinted toward the daemon, its limbs flailing wildly as it tried to fend him off. But Julian wove around its strikes with fluid ease, dodging one of its slashes before lunging forward. His rapier pierced through a joint in its leg, causing it to collapse even further.

  With the mantis dropping to one side, Julian stepped onto its leg, using the leverage to maneuver behind it. Taking a deep breath, he drove his rapier into the exposed flesh at the back of its neck—again and again.

  The process was, well, slightly frustrating. The rapier, a weapon of precision and elegance, couldn’t pierce the daemon’s exoskeleton. Julian was forced to target the gaps and joints, prolonging each encounter. Still, he refused to abandon the weapon. It wasn’t just a tool; it was his father’s rapier—a piece of his past.

  Could I improve it? The thought crossed his mind. But… would it still be his rapier if I did?

  There was no time to dwell on the question, however.

  The two incoming daemons reached him, their blade-like arms swinging in wide arcs. They didn’t care that their attacks struck the fallen mantis—they cut through its lifeless body with reckless abandon.

  Julian reacted quickly. Kicking off the mantis’ corpse, he launched himself backward, narrowly avoiding the strike. But instead of retreating further, he grabbed onto the severed end of the mantis’ body, using it to pull himself forward again.

  With calculated precision, he plunged straight toward the daemon on the left.

  Like before, he aimed for the gaps. The rapier slid into the back of the creature’s neck, severing vital connections. With one hand still gripping its shoulder, Julian turned to the remaining daemon.

  It wasn’t attacking.

  Instead, it stood frozen, its posture rigid as if it were processing the unexpected assault.

  Julian tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his mind for a split second. Whatever hesitation the daemon showed, it wouldn’t last long.

  And so, with a burst of strength, Julian pushed off the mantis he had just dispatched—hurtling himself directly at the confused creature. The daemon mantis, however, snapped out of its stupor the moment Julian lunged.

  Its blade-like arm quickly swung toward him with terrifying speed, cutting through the air as he hurtled forward.

  There was no time to dodge.

  Julian tightened his grip on the rapier with both hands, preparing to block—no, blocking would be suicide. The mantis’ blade was sharper, harder, and could easily cleave his weapon in two.

  Instead, he shifted his stance mid-air, angling the rapier so the mantis’ blade slid along its edge. The deflection diverted the blow, but the force sent Julian spinning uncontrollably before he crashed hard onto the floor.

  The mantis loomed over him, its posture almost triumphant. But before it could press its advantage, Julian was already on his feet. His movements were fluid, almost mechanical, as he thrust his rapier into the joints of the daemon’s legs.

  And he was laughing.

  A sharp, almost eerie laugh escaped his lips as he struck again and again, each thrust finding its mark. The mantis screeched in pain, its body collapsing as its legs buckled under Julian’s relentless assault.

  With its legs rendered useless, the daemon spread its wings, desperate to escape. The rapid beating created a gust of wind, sending debris scattering across the floor.

  But Julian wasn’t done.

  He leaped, throwing the rapier between one of the wings and the exoskeleton. He then stood behind the creature, his hands gripping the wings. With a brutal yank, and a silent scream, he ripped them apart.

  The mantis writhed helplessly, its movements reduced to frantic flails.

  Julian landed gracefully, his laughter subsiding into a soft hum as he stepped forward. Retrieving his rapier from the severed wing joint, he moved behind the daemon. This time, he pierced the back of its neck slowly, deliberately, as if savoring the moment.

  The mantis stilled, its body collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

  “What the fuck…?”

  Kitty’s voice broke the silence, her words trembling as she stared at the scene. She was already in her armor, ready to join the fight. But she didn’t really get the chance to do so.

  All she could do was watch.

  And it wasn’t just her.

  Even amidst the chaos, some had managed to keep their streams running. Cameras, drones, and personal feeds caught every second of Julian’s battle.

  

  

  

  

  The public buzzed, most of them even screaming through their screams. But Julian?

  He simply stood there, his grip on the rapier steady, and the smile on his face as wide as it could be. His hands, trembling from the excitement of killing daemons—fortunately for him, there were still more to kill.

  Before he could take another step into battle again, however, MEGAN whispered in his mind.

  [Julian, I’ve received information from Cindy Solis, the leader of the Phantom Brigade.]

  “Hm?”

  [She said that the only way this wave would end was to enter the portal, climb on the tower, and then destroy a black cube. She said to wait for her and her team and just hold out.]

  “Hm…” Julian tilted his head as he listened to the humming of the portal hovering in the air.

  [Why do I have a feeling you’re not going to wait for them?] MEGAN sighed, [I’d advise against that, Julian. You are alone.]

  “It should be fine, MEGAN…” Julian hummed as he turned his shoulder toward Kitty,

  “...I won’t be alone.”

  As for Kitty, well… she was just confused as to why Julian was looking at her with a wide smile on his face.

  “W…what?” She muttered, “...Why are you looking at me!?”

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