I still couldn't believe it.
We were moving.
Alive.
Not running.
Not being chased.
Just… driving.
And behind us—
No.
Beside us—
Two Raid Bosses.
I tightened my grip on the side of the vehicle, trying not to stare too much. The engine rumbled beneath us as Volt carefully drove forward, the damaged vehicle barely holding together after everything it had been through.
But somehow…
It was enough.
The wasteland stretched endlessly ahead, but now it didn't feel like a death trap anymore. The tension that had suffocated the air earlier was gone—replaced with something I didn't even know how to describe.
Awkward.
Yeah… awkward.
Because right now, we were being escorted.
Escorted.
By Havoc.
The two bosses walked on either side of us, their massive armored forms moving with heavy, steady steps. Each step cracked the ground slightly, their presence still overwhelming even without hostility.
I kept stealing glances.
Still half-expecting them to suddenly turn and attack.
But they didn't.
They just walked.
Silent.
Watching.
"So…"
Volt muttered from the driver's seat.
"…this is new."
"Don't say anything weird," I whispered quickly.
"I'm not!" he shot back quietly.
"…I think."
Before either of us could say anything else—
One of the Havocs spoke.
"So this player…"
Its voice was low. Heavy.
"…is what you call a cross-player?"
I froze.
"…Me?!"
The boss tilted its head slightly, its glowing eye focusing on me.
"You carry a strange weapon."
"…One that fires thunder."
I blinked.
"Oh—uh…"
I sat up a little straighter.
"Well… first of all…"
"I'm not from SkyRealm."
There was a brief pause.
"I'm from Countless Star."
Silence followed.
Then—
"…Interesting."
I didn't know how to respond to that.
So I just looked forward again.
I can't believe this…
I'm talking to Raid Bosses.
The silence didn't last long.
One of the Havocs spoke again.
"Countless Star…"
Its voice dragged slightly, like it was testing the name.
"…A region within SkyRealm?"
I blinked.
"…No."
I shook my head.
"It's a different world."
A pause.
The two Havocs slowed their steps slightly.
"…Different," the calmer one repeated.
"As in… separate?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Different systems. Different rules. Different—everything."
The aggressive Havoc let out a low sound.
"…Strange."
Its gaze lingered on my rifle.
"And yet…"
"…you survive here."
I frowned slightly.
"…Barely."
"That weapon," it continued.
"It is not forged by this land."
"…Nope."
"It doesn't follow our balance."
I hesitated.
"…I guess not."
A pause.
Then—
"You are not suited for this world."
That again.
I clicked my tongue.
"…Yeah, well, this world isn't exactly welcoming."
Volt snorted quietly.
"Tell me about it."
A few seconds passed.
Then I spoke again.
"…There are a lot of players like me now."
Both Havocs looked at me.
"Cross-players," I continued.
"Different games. Different worlds. All stuck here."
"…Honestly…"
I let out a small breath.
"The Empire would lose their minds if they saw this right now."
I glanced at the two Havocs walking beside us.
"…Being escorted by two raid bosses."
The Havocs slowed again.
"…Empire," the aggressive one repeated.
"…Is that what they call themselves now?"
I blinked.
"…Now?"
The calmer Havoc spoke.
"There have always been those who claim control."
"…Different names."
"…Same intent."
My stomach tightened slightly.
Volt spoke up this time.
"…Yeah, well, things got worse after the Great War."
The moment the words left his mouth—
The aggressive Havoc stopped.
Completely.
The ground cracked slightly beneath its feet.
"…Do not speak of that lightly."
Its voice was sharper now.
Heavier.
Even I felt it.
Volt raised both hands slightly.
"…Okay—yeah, sorry—didn't mean—"
The calmer Havoc stepped forward slightly.
Not threatening—
But steady.
"…You refer to the time when this world changed."
Its voice was quieter now.
"…When rules broke."
"…When death became real."
A pause.
"…When we began to remember."
That made me freeze.
"…Remember?"
The Havoc's gaze shifted slightly.
Not toward us—
But somewhere far beyond.
"…Before…"
"…we acted."
"…Now…"
A pause.
"…we choose."
The aggressive one exhaled slowly.
Still tense.
"…We are no longer bound to strike what enters."
"…We decide what deserves to fall."
I didn't know what to say to that.
That wasn't a system.
That was…
Something else.
I hesitated.
Then—
"…So there are more of you?"
Both Havocs looked at me again.
"Other bosses," I added quickly.
"Stronger ones. More dangerous ones."
"…Are they still active?"
Silence.
Longer this time.
Heavier.
The aggressive Havoc looked away first.
The calmer one remained still.
Then—
"…You should focus on surviving the ones you meet."
Not an answer.
Not a denial.
My chest tightened.
Volt muttered under his breath.
"…That's not comforting."
"No," I whispered.
"…It's really not."
I glanced at Blaze again.
He hadn't said a word.
Not once.
But the Havocs—
They kept checking him.
Like they were making sure he was still there.
Still..
Still… contained.
And for some reason—
That scared me more than anything they'd said.
Time passed.
Minutes.
Maybe longer.
I lost track.
But eventually—
Something changed.
The ground.
The air.
The feeling.
"…We're at the edge," Volt said quietly.
I looked ahead.
The wasteland began to shift. The cracked, broken terrain slowly smoothed out, the heavy pressure that once filled the air finally lifting—like something invisible had let go.
"…So this is it," I murmured.
"…We're out."
The vehicle slowed.
The two Havocs stopped walking.
I turned to look at them.
For a moment—
No one spoke.
Then—
The calmer Havoc stepped forward slightly.
It raised one massive hand… and from its palm, something formed.
Not summoned like a weapon—
But shaped.
Compressed.
A thin slab of hardened material.
A map.
It flicked its wrist—
And the object landed lightly on the vehicle beside me.
I flinched slightly before grabbing it.
"…A route," it said.
Its voice was steady.
"Follow the broken ridge until it splits."
"Then head west."
I looked down at the map.
Rough markings.
But clear enough.
"There is a settlement ahead," it continued.
"Not aligned with the Empire."
"Small… but stable."
A pause.
"They trade."
"They survive."
That alone told me everything.
Blaze gave a small nod.
"…Appreciate it."
Then—
The aggressive Havoc moved.
Not toward Blaze.
Toward me.
My body tensed instantly.
It stopped just a few steps away.
Towering.
Watching.
Not threatening—
But deliberate.
Its gaze locked onto me.
"…You rely on distance."
My grip tightened slightly on my rifle.
"…Yeah."
"That's kind of the point."
A pause.
Then—
"It won't always save you."
I frowned.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
The Havoc tilted its head slightly.
"Distance creates comfort."
"…Comfort creates delay."
Its voice lowered.
"Delay gets you killed."
That hit differently.
I didn't answer.
Didn't argue.
Because—
I've felt that before.
A second too slow.
A shot too late.
"…So what?" I muttered.
"You want me to just rush in like everyone else?"
The Havoc shook its head once.
Slow.
"No."
Another pause.
Then—
"When the moment comes…"
"…step forward."
Not louder.
Not harsher.
Just certain.
"Your weapon gives you control."
"…Do not let fear take it from you."
I stared at it.
That wasn't an insult.
That wasn't criticism.
That was—
Advice.
"…Right," I said quietly.
I stared at it.
Not expecting—
Advice.
"Your weapon is not made for this world."
"…So make the world adjust to it."
I didn't know how to respond.
"…Right."
A silence followed.
But it wasn't awkward this time.
Just…
Still.
Then—
The calmer Havoc spoke again.
"…Most who enter this domain…"
"…come with greed."
"…Or pride."
Its gaze shifted briefly across all of us.
"…You did not."
A pause.
"…That is rare."
Volt let out a quiet breath.
"…I'll take that as a compliment."
The Havoc didn't respond.
But it didn't deny it either.
The aggressive one spoke again—
But this time—
It wasn't directed at me.
"…You."
Blaze looked up slightly.
"…You are holding it back."
A pause.
"…For now."
Blaze didn't answer.
Didn't deny it.
That alone made my chest tighten.
"…If you continue…"
The Havoc's voice lowered slightly.
"…others will notice."
"…They will not choose as we did."
Blaze gave a small shrug.
"…Yeah."
"I figured."
Silence.
Wind passed through the open land.
Then—
Without warning—
The Havocs stepped back.
Not dramatically.
Not ceremonially.
Just… done.
No goodbye.
No final words.
They turned.
And began walking back.
Returning to their territory.
Just like that.
"…Wait—"
I raised my hand slightly.
"…Uh…"
I hesitated.
Then just—
Waved.
"…Thanks."
No response.
But for a brief moment—
The calmer Havoc slowed.
Just slightly.
Then kept walking.
Volt exhaled.
"…That was…"
"…yeah."
"…Yeah."
I looked down at the map in my hands.
Then back at the empty horizon.
We were moving again.
But something stayed with me.
Because that didn't feel like escaping.
It felt like—
We were allowed to leave.
Far behind us—
The wasteland swallowed their figures once more.
The two Havocs walked in silence.
Steps heavy.
Measured.
Then—
"…Unusual," the aggressive one muttered.
"…They did not beg."
"…They did not boast."
The calmer one responded:
"…They chose."
A pause.
"…Few do."
Wind passed between them.
"…That one…" the aggressive Havoc continued.
"…the one called Blaze."
Its grip tightened slightly.
"…He walks close to something dangerous."
"…Yes."
"…And the others follow him."
"…Not out of fear."
"…But trust."
A pause.
"…That is more dangerous."
Silence returned.
Then—
"…Do you think he will become it again?"
The question lingered.
Unanswered.
The calmer Havoc spoke last.
"…That depends."
A pause.
"…on what waits for him ahead."
They continued walking.
Deeper into their domain.
Watching.
Waiting.
Because next time—
They might not choose the same.