The altar square, situated at the very heart of the Secret Realm, had never been more tense.
The aftermath of battle was strewn across the stone-paved ground—scattered bones from the fallen skeleton monsters, some still smoldering with residual aura. The atmosphere was thick with the scent of smoke and the thrum of escalating hostility.
Surrounding the altar, an overwhelming force of four to five hundred players had completely encircled a much smaller group—barely a few dozen strong.
There was no escape route, no cover. It was a perfect siege.
The dozens of people at the center had gathered with determined eyes, gripping their weapons, their mana pulsing. They were fully ready to fight to the death—and yet, the sheer imbalance in numbers made it clear: if a battle broke out, it would be a massacre.
Standing among his gathered allies, Lucas felt a surge of emotion he struggled to contain. His heart was heavy with gratitude. One after another, friends and classmates had stepped up to shield him, to stand by his side even knowing the risk.
But at the same time, his sense of responsibility gnawed at him.
He couldn't let this escalate.
Yes—had it been just him alone, he'd have laughed, clenched his weapon, and charged into the horde like a madman, even if it meant dying in glory.
If it were only Zach Darnell and Logan Barrett's party, or if only Amelia Su and Alexis Lane had stood up to fight beside him, Lucas would've charged ahead without hesitation. Die together, fight together—that was loyalty.
But now...
**Students from his own school, his classmates from Tianhai High, even the students from Class 1 of the Output Department—**people who barely knew him—had chosen to risk their qualifications to stand beside him.
"No," Lucas thought grimly. "This isn't right."
This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. The freshman competition inside the Secret Realm determined not just pride, but future training opportunities, equipment access, and academic standing at Kyoto University.
He couldn't let these people throw their chances away. Not for him.
The tension was reaching its peak. Mana surged. Eyes narrowed. Some archers had already drawn their bows.
Then Lucas stepped forward and shouted, "EVERYONE! STOP RIGHT THERE!"
His voice exploded like a thunderclap in the air. Every player froze. Even those who had already begun casting spells instinctively canceled them, their fingers trembling.
Lucas raised both hands and projected his voice across the square.
"Wait—just hear me out. Please. This won't take long."
A moment of stunned silence followed.
Some people frowned. Others scoffed. But they all listened.
Lucas's expression turned serious. He was no longer the playful rogue with sharp comebacks. He stood like a commander before a battlefield.
"Open the ranking list." His voice was calm but forceful. "Take a look at my current points. Just check it."
There was a pause, then a rustling of menus being opened.
"I'm sitting at over 12,000 points."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Lucas continued, raising his voice so even those at the edge of the square could hear.
"The second place player is over 10,000 points behind me."
"Now, if you've passed even primary school math, you should realize—this competition is already over."
"Even if you eliminate me right now, it won't change the result. I've already won the championship."
He paused, letting that sink in.
The faces of many players twisted in disbelief. They scrambled to confirm what he'd said—and it was all true. His score had soared massively in the last few hours.
Some cursed under their breath. Others grew even angrier.
"Lucas, what's your point?!" someone shouted. "You trying to rub it in our faces?"
"Think we won't kill you just because you're bragging about your score?"
"Yeah! We'll make sure you regret it!"
Lucas shook his head.
"No. I'm not bragging. I'm giving you the truth."
"The leader-level Secret Realm Boss—the one that would've given the highest score—is already dead. I killed it. You saw the bones. The battlefield. There's nothing left for you to gain by fighting me."
"You kill me, fine. I get sent out. But I still keep my score. I still win."
"Now, you're here to win, right? To get a prize. Not to throw away your shot because you're mad."
He gestured at the scorched ground.
"All the monsters here—the skeletons, the ghosts, the minor bosses—I cleared them."
"They won't respawn again before this is over."
The players were quiet now, the anger on their faces replaced with calculation.
Lucas seized the moment.
"Second place and third place are still up for grabs. Do you know what the prizes are? Epic equipment."
"In previous years, the championship reward was just epic-grade gear. That's how high the bar is now."
"If you fight me and lose? You go home with nothing."
"If you fight me and win? You still go home with less than what you could've had if you were smart."
"You're not stupid. You got into Kyoto University. You're some of the best freshmen in the country."
"So ask yourself: is throwing away your shot at a reward worth satisfying your ego?"
Some of the students had already started murmuring among themselves. Others were checking their rankings again.
Lucas smirked slightly and added another jab.
"Look around you. How many of you came here? Four hundred? Five?"
"Where's the rest of the thousand?"
He paused. Let that thought settle.
"Maybe they're smarter than you."
"Maybe they realized this was a trap. That coming here would only waste time."
"Maybe... while you've all been standing here trying to gang up on me, they've been out there farming monsters and climbing the rankings."
He pointed at the ranking board again.
"Check the top twenty. See if those names have started to rise."
Several players quickly checked and their eyes widened.
It was true. Many of the top-ranking players were now from squads not present in the square. Their scores were climbing steadily.
Lucas's voice was almost gentle now, like an older brother guiding a younger sibling.
"Don't waste your opportunity."
"This isn't about me anymore. I've already won. You won't stop that. But you can still fight for what's left."
He lowered his dagger, made a show of sheathing his weapon.
"I'm not here to provoke anyone. I'm not swinging unless someone makes me."
"I'm here to tell you that if you're wise, you'll walk away. Now. Go kill what's left. Get your points. Earn your reward."
He smiled faintly, eyes scanning the crowd.
"Be mature. Be smart. Know what's worth fighting for."
The effect was immediate.
It was like someone had poured cold water over a raging fire.
The shouting died down.
The tension in the air evaporated.
One by one, the players began to lower their weapons. Some even looked embarrassed.
Lucas had done the impossible—he had convinced them not through force, but with reason.
The battlefield that was moments away from exploding into chaos had quieted.
No one said it aloud, but many players began slowly turning away, heading off to find other opportunities, hoping it wasn't too late to climb back up the rankings.
Lucas exhaled deeply.
He turned to look at his allies—Zach, Amelia, Alexis, Noah, and the others who had stood beside him without hesitation.
He nodded at them with a grateful smile.
He had protected them—not with his dagger, but with his words.
And in that moment, he wasn't just the champion of the freshman competition.
He was their leader.
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