Trust was never something Reever handed out freely. Words were cheap in this world. Promises were tools. The queen had spoken with clarity, with logic, even with something that resembled insight into the nature of the system itself. Still, wisdom did not equal honesty. A creature born in a lab, forced into a game built on betrayal, did not suddenly become trustworthy because she spoke about chaos and hidden watchers.
"I have one final question for you, queen," Reever said, breaking the silence again. There was one detail that neither of them had addressed, and he had no intention of stepping into an alliance without clarifying it.
"What happens afterwards? What if we beat Conner? What next? You know that for me to finish this mission, I have to kill you and get points for my rewards. What then, after dealing with our foe?"
The question hung in the air between them.
The queen fell silent.
Even with her near-human sentience, she was still a creature engineered in a lab, shaped for survival and combat rather than philosophy. Planning beyond immediate threats had not been her priority. For a brief moment, Reever sensed genuine hesitation from her. She had not thought that far ahead.
Then her presence steadied.
"After that, we fight," she answered. "The winner takes it all. If you lose, you will serve me as my general. I will not kill you. And if by any chance you win, spare me and I will be your help. The system said you need to defeat me to get the points, but I have a way to survive while you still receive them. You will not lose anything."
It was a practical solution. Brutal, but clean. No deception hidden behind vague wording. Fight after. Winner decides.
Reever considered it carefully. Fighting was simple. Clear. No masks, no mental negotiations. Just strength against strength. In this world, that was the closest thing to fairness one could get.
"Do we have a deal now, human?" the queen asked.
"Yeah," Reever replied after a short pause. "We have a deal. But do not release me now. I have something in mind."
He closed his eyes, not in surrender, but in preparation. Timing mattered more than strength.
Current time.
Conner stared at Reever as if he were looking at something unnatural. For a split second, there was disbelief in his eyes. Then he threw his head back and laughed.
"Hahaha."
"So what if you know the secret? It's true only one person can rank up per match. So it had to be me. I only wanted to use you as a meat shield, but seeing how weak you are, it's better to end you."
His twin blades tightened in his grip. If someone looked closely, they would notice droplets of blood sliding down from the hilt onto his fingers. Whether it was his own or someone else's no longer mattered.
"Limitless Assault!"
His roar echoed through the cavern as countless swords manifested in the air. They filled the space like a metallic storm, each blade reflecting faint light before launching forward at terrifying speed.
Reever did not panic.
The swords were difficult to evade under normal circumstances. They did not simply fly in straight lines; they appeared at angles that cornered opponents, forcing reactions. But Reever had observed enough. Patterns existed, even in chaos.
And now, he had assistance.
"Camouflage."
His body faded from sight.
The swords converged instantly on the position where he had been standing. They struck the ground with explosive force.
The cavern trembled violently.
Chunks of boulders tore free from the walls. A massive crack split across the ground and extended toward the stone pillars lining the chamber. Hooks embedded in the ceiling snapped and fell. Dust thickened the air as the structure groaned under the strain.
For a brief moment, collapse felt inevitable.
"Damn it. I missed," Conner muttered, scanning the area. The cracking cavern did not concern him. Finishing Reever did. The queen, already weakened, did not even register in his field of priorities. In his mind, she was already finished.
Then instinct moved his blade.
His sword lifted just in time to shield his chest as a massive trident shot toward him with violent speed. He managed to block part of the impact, but not all of it. The force slammed into him, driving him backward and sending him crashing against the cavern wall.
"F**k."
"Damn it. My attack missed that bastard," Reever muttered under his breath. Even with the surprise, Conner's reflexes were monstrous.
He did not waste the opening. Web bullets fired in rapid succession, spreading and hardening as they struck. Within seconds, Conner was pinned against the wall, layers of reinforced webbing binding his arms and torso tightly.
"Release me, you f**ker!" Conner roared, straining against the restraints. His silver aura flickered, unstable, fading and flaring as he tried to overpower the binding.
Reever stepped forward, switching ammunition. The chamber shook again, but he ignored it. He loaded real bullets this time, designed not to restrain but to injure.
Conner closed his eyes briefly.
Then something shifted.
When he opened them again, the wildness in his expression had changed. The instability softened into something colder. Calculating.
"Hey, Bot 067," Conner said calmly, almost conversationally. "You are a smart player indeed. And I respect that."
His blade slid through the webs trapping him with deliberate precision. The strands split apart under the edge as if they had lost their strength entirely.
"You took advantage of me not being rational. You made a deal with the queen to ensure your survival."
Reever held his blade firmer, not wanting to give Conner a chance to sneak an attack. From the way he sounded, the real Conner was back, and he could be in some deep sh*t if he let his guard down.